The oldest woman in America turned 115 Friday. Happy birthday to Jeralean Talley.
"Jeralean has been the oldest living American since she was 113. We are told by the experts that she's just the 31st person ever to turn 115 years old." (Via ABC)
According to the Detroit Free Press, Talley will celebrate her big day with a trip to the doctors for a checkup, although she says she's not feeling sick. So what's her secret? Simple: "Treat others the way you want to be treated." But she also told the paper: "It's all in the good Lord's hands. ... There's nothing I can do about it."
"How do you feel, Mama, about being the oldest American?" *Talley dances*
And that's definitely something to be excited about. Talley is a supercentenarian — a title reserved for people 110 years and older.
According to the Gerontology Research Group, there are just 74 validated supercentenarians living in the world, and only about 1 in every 5 million Americans grows old enough to earn the title.
And in case you haven't done the math yet, Talley was born in 1899. For perspective, that was just 34 years after the end of the Civil War. (Via History Channel)
Can you imagine all that Jeralean Talley has seen in her 115 years? We bet she's got some amazing stories to tell. (Via CNN, Military.com, History Channel, NBC)
Currently Talley lives in Michigan with her daughter. Her family spans over five generations. Talley recently did an interview with Anderson Cooper; it's scheduled to air on CNN next week.
