:max_bytes(150000):strip_icc():format(jpeg)/Oldest-Person-in-the-UK-050325-02-e878dcd8c5004e058fe3f291f57de2fc.jpg)
- Ethel Caterham, the newly crowned world’s oldest living person, shared her secrets to longevity at 115 years old
- She earned the Guinness World Records title on April 30 following the death of 116-year-old Brazilian nun Inah Canabarro Lucas
- “Never arguing with anyone, I listen and I do what I like,” Caterham once said are among her secrets to living a long life
Ethel Caterham, who recently became the world’s oldest living person, is detailing her secrets to longevity — and they’re relatively simple tips.
On Wednesday, April 30, following the death of 116-year-old Brazilian nun Inah Canabarro Lucas, Caterham became the world’s oldest living person at 115 years and 252 days old, per Guinness World Records. Her achievement has been verified by LongeviQuest.
Caterham, who lives in a nursing home in Surrey in South East England, revealed what it takes to live a long life: “Never arguing with anyone, I listen and I do what I like,” Caterham said, per the Associated Press.
Caterham’s sentiment apparently comes from an interview with BBC Radio Surrey in 2020, per The Guardian, during which she also said she took “everything in my stride, the highs and lows.”
She previously shared more secrets in the Salisbury Journal, per Guinness: “Say yes to every opportunity because you never know what it will lead to. Have a positive mental attitude and have everything in moderation.”
Getty
On Thursday, May 1, Hallmark Lakeview Luxury Care Home, where Caterham resides, recognized the 115-year-old woman’s accomplishment via a congratulatory Facebook post.
The retirement home shared snaps of Caterham wearing a tiara with the number “115” on top, cutting a cake shaped as the number “115,” posing in front of her garden with loved ones and wearing a pair of sunglasses.
“Huge congratulations to Lakeview resident, Ethel on becoming the oldest person in the world! 
,” the post read. “What an incredible milestone and a true testament to a life well-lived. Your strength, spirit, and wisdom are an inspiration to us all. Here’s to celebrating your remarkable journey! 
.”
Never miss a story — sign up for PEOPLE’s free daily newsletter to stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from celebrity news to compelling human interest stories.
Per LongeviQuest, Caterham was born in Shipton Bellinger, Hampshire, England, on Aug. 12, 1909, as the second youngest of eight kids. When she was 18, she got her first job as a nanny for a British family in India, traveling there alone by ship in 1927.
She wed her husband, Major Norman Caterham of the British Army, in 1933. At one point, he took on postings in Hong Kong, where Ethel established a nursery to teach English, crafts and games for both local children and British children. She and her husband welcomed two daughters, Gem and Anne, before his death in 1976. She has also outlived both of her daughters.
Ethel has three granddaughters and five great-grandchildren and spends her time in her garden and listening to classical music, per LongeviQuest.
As Guinness noted, she is believed to be the last person born in 1909, the last British person born before 1913 and the oldest person to survive COVID-19, which she contracted at 110 years old in 2020.
Carter’s new title comes as Lucas — the former oldest living person — died at 116 years old this week. Guinness declared Lucas as the oldest living person on Jan. 4, following the death of Tomiko Itooka of Japan, who was also 116.
According to Guinness, Jeanne Louise Calment of France was oldest living person ever at 122 years 164 days old before her death in August 1997.
