World's Oldest Person, Born in 1901, Has Died

The world's oldest person, a 117-year-old Japanese woman, has died. Chiyo Miyako died Sunday, and her death was confirmed Friday by Kanagawa prefecture, her home state south of Tokyo. Miyako, born on May 2, 1901, became the world's oldest person in April after Nabi Tajima from Kikai island in southern Japan died at the age of 117, reports the AP. Miyako's family called her "the goddess" and remembered her as a chatty person who was patient and kind to others, according to Guinness World Records, which had certified her title.

Miyako enjoyed calligraphy, which she had practiced until recently, and eating sushi and eel, Guinness said. The successor to her title has yet to be confirmed, but it could be another Japanese woman, 115-year-old Kane Tanaka of Fukuoka on the southern island of Kyushu. The world's oldest man, Masazo Nonaka on Japan's northern island of Hokkaido, celebrated his 113th birthday Wednesday.

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