| Elizabeth Bolden | |
 Elizabeth Bolden (aged 114) with her grandson James (age 75). | |
| Birth: | 15 August 1890 Somerville, Tennessee, USA |
| Death: | 11 December 2006 Memphis, Tennessee, USA |
| Age: | 116 years, 118 days |
| Country: |  USA
|
| Validated | |
Elizabeth J. "Lizzie" Bolden (née Jones; 15 August 1890 – 11 December 2006) was a validated African-American supercentenarian.
Biography
Elizabeth Bolden was born in Somerville, Tennessee, USA, on 15 August 1890. Bolden is the record holder for the state of Tennessee. She had a stroke at the age of 114, after which she lost the ability to speak and required a feeding tube for care. She lived to the age of 116 years, 118 days and was the world's oldest living person from the death of Maria Capovilla on 27 August 2006 until her own death. Bolden is currently the 21st-oldest validated person ever. At the time of her 116th birthday in August 2006, Bolden had 40 grandchildren, 75 great-grandchildren, 150 great-great-grandchildren, 220 great-great-great grandchildren, and 75 great-great-great-great-grandchildren.
Elizabeth Bolden died in Memphis, Tennessee, USA on 11 December 2006 at the age of 116 years, 118 days. Bolden is currently the oldest validated person ever born in the U.S. state of Tennessee, and the fifth-oldest validated person ever to reside in the United States, after Sarah Knauss, Delphia Welford, Susannah Mushatt Jones, and Gertrude Weaver.
Longevity Records
On 1 December 2004, at 114, Bolden became the oldest living person in the United States and third oldest living person in the world, after the death of Emma Verona Johnston also aged 114 but who was just 9 days older.
On 6 July 2005, Bolden became (with Bettie Wilson and Susie Gibson) one of the three last American survivor born before 1892, after the death of Grace Thaxton (born 1891) dead 18 days after her 114th birthday.
On 30 August 2005, she became the second-oldest living person in the world (behind Maria Capovilla), after the death of Hendrikje van Andel-Schipper from Netherland aged of 115.
On 16 February 2006, Bolden, then aged of 115 years and 185 days, became the last survivor born in 1890 and the only American alive born before 1892, after the death of Susie Gibson aged of 115.
On 2 August 2006, she surpassed the age of Ella Miller to become the oldest person ever born in Tennessee and the second-oldest African-American ever (behind Delphia Welford).
On 15 August 2006, Bolden celebrated her 116th birthday becoming the second African-American to reach age (after Delphia Welford in 1991) the fourth American to do that (after Easter Wiggins in 1990, Delphia Welford in 1991, and Sarah Knauss in 1996) and the 8th person in the history to reach 116-years-old (after Easter Wiggins in 1990, Jeanne Calment and Delphia Welford in 1991, Tane Ikai in 1995, Marie-Louise Meilleur and Sarah Knauss in 1996 and Maria Capovilla in 2005).
On 27 August 2006, 12 days after her 116th birthday, Bolden became the oldest living person in the world, after the death of the 116-years-old Ecuadorian woman Maria Capovilla dead 18 days before her 117th birthday.
On 21 September 2006, she surpassed the age of Easter Wiggins to become the 3rd-oldest American ever and the 7th-oldest validated person ever.
She died on 11 December 2006, at the age of 116 years and 118 days. At the time of her death she was the oldest living person in the United States and in the world. Bolden was also the last survivor born in 1890 and the last American survivor born before 1892. She was also the 2nd-oldest African-American ever (behind Welford, 117-years-old), the 3rd-oldest American ever (behind Knauss, 119-years-old and Welford, 117-years-old) and the 7th-oldest validated person ever (behind Jeanne Calment, Sarah Knauss, Marie-Louise Meilleur, Delphia Welford, Maria Capovilla and Tane Ikai). She's now the 4th-oldest African-American ever (behind Delphia Welford, Susannah Mushatt Jones, and Gertrude Weaver) and the 5th-oldest American ever (behind Sarah Knauss, Delphia Welford, Susannah Mushatt Jones, and Gertrude Weaver) and she's now the 21st-oldest validated person ever. She remained in the top 10 oldest person ever, until Emma Morano from Italy surpasses her age on 27 March 2016. Bolden is also the oldest person ever born in Tennessee and the second-oldest person who died in this state (behind Welford).
After her death, the African-American woman Emma Tillman aged of 114, became the oldest living person in the United States, Julie Winnefred Beertrand from Canada became the oldest living woman in the world, and the Puerto Rican man Emiliano Mercado del Toro, then aged of 115 years and 112 days became the oldest living person in the world.
Gallery
References
- Gerontology Research Group
- Los Angeles Times, December 12, 2006
- Black America Web, December 12, 2006 (archived)
- The Guardian, December 16, 2006
- Elizabeth “Lizzie” Jones Bolden Find A Grave