The world’s oldest person dies aged 117 Misao Okawa

The world's oldest person, Misao Okawa of Japan, died on April 1 aged 117. The great-grandmother had only celebrated her most recent birthday on March 5, where she said she thought her life had been 'rather short'

At her 117th birthday party last month Okawa said that her life had seemed 'rather short.'

When asked the secret to long life, she said: 'I wonder about that too.'

Okawa was born in Osaka, west Japan, the fourth daughter of a kimono maker.

She married her husband, Yukio, in 1919, and they had two daughters and a son. He died in 1931. 

The 'supercentenarian', who was only fifth person ever recorded to have reached the age of 117, but was still walking until she was 110.

She was recognised as the world's oldest person by the Guinness World Records in 2013. MY LIFE HAS BEEN RATHER SHORT',

Misao Okawa, the 117-year-old who died on April 1, lived through the entire 20th century. During her lifetime:

- Two World Wars took place - and the atomic bomb was dropped on her home nation, Japan

- The television and internet were invented 

- The Wright Brothers carried out the first ever powered flight of an aeroplane

- Albert Einstein announced his theory of relativity, and Ernest Rutherford split the atom

- Space travel was invented 

 - There has been 23 different British Prime Ministers and 21 US Presidents 

'The Lord blessed me, I think, because I’m good to my family and good to my children and grandchildren. And I feed them.' 

Japan's oldest person is now a 115-year-old Tokyo woman, according to the Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare. 

The name of the woman, who was born March 15, 1900, was not released at the request of her family, the ministry said.

Japan has the most centenarians in the world, with more than 58,000, according to the government. About 87 percent of them are women.

The world’s oldest person dies aged 117 weeks after saying she felt her life had been ‘rather short’ 

·         Misao Okawa died peacefully in her nursing home, surrounding by family

·         Born in 1898, great-grandmother celebrated her 117th birthday on March 5  

·         Gertrude Weaver, 116, from Arkansas, USA, now world's oldest person

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The world's oldest person has died a few weeks after celebrating her 117th birthday - after saying her life seemed 'rather short'.

·         Misao Okawa was surrounded by her family and staff at her nursing home in Osaka, Japan, as she died of heart failure on April 1.

·         Born on March 5, 1898, the great-grandmother had lived through two World Wars, the invention of the television and the first successful powered airplane flight by the Wright Brothers. .