Besse Cooper
Encyclopedia
Besse Berry Cooper is an American
supercentenarian
. After the death of the Brazil
ian supercentenarian Maria Gomes Valentim
on June 21, 2011, Cooper became the world's oldest living person. She is one of 24 people with a verified lifespan of at least 115 years.
, in 1896, the third of eight children. She graduated from East Tennessee State Normal School
in 1916, and worked as a schoolteacher in her native Tennessee before moving to Georgia
around the time of America's entrance into World War I
in 1917. She taught in Between, Georgia
. Cooper married Luther Cooper in 1924, and was widowed in 1963.
Cooper became Georgia's oldest resident on January 19, 2009, following the death of 113-year-old Beatrice Farve
. She is additionally the second-oldest verified person ever from Tennessee, behind Elizabeth Bolden
, who died in December 2006, aged 116 years 118 days.
At the time of her 115th birthday, Cooper had four children, 12 grandchildren, and many great- and great-great-grandchildren.
People of the United States
The people of the United States, also known as simply Americans or American people, are the inhabitants or citizens of the United States. The United States is a multi-ethnic nation, home to people of different ethnic and national backgrounds...
supercentenarian
Supercentenarian
A supercentenarian is someone who has reached the age of 110 years. This age is achieved by about one in a thousand centenarians....
. After the death of the Brazil
Brazil
Brazil , officially the Federative Republic of Brazil , is the largest country in South America. It is the world's fifth largest country, both by geographical area and by population with over 192 million people...
ian supercentenarian Maria Gomes Valentim
Maria Gomes Valentim
Maria Gomes Valentim was a Brazilian supercentenarian who died at the age of 114 years 347 days. She was the oldest verified living person in the world from the time her age was validated on 18 May 2011 until her death a little more than a month later...
on June 21, 2011, Cooper became the world's oldest living person. She is one of 24 people with a verified lifespan of at least 115 years.
Biography
Cooper was born Besse Berry Brown in Sullivan County, TennesseeTennessee
Tennessee is a U.S. state located in the Southeastern United States. It has a population of 6,346,105, making it the nation's 17th-largest state by population, and covers , making it the 36th-largest by total land area...
, in 1896, the third of eight children. She graduated from East Tennessee State Normal School
East Tennessee State University
East Tennessee State University is an accredited American university located in Johnson City, Tennessee. It is part of the Tennessee Board of Regents system of colleges and universities, the nation's sixth largest system of public education, and is the fourth largest university in the state...
in 1916, and worked as a schoolteacher in her native Tennessee before moving to Georgia
Georgia (U.S. state)
Georgia is a state located in the southeastern United States. It was established in 1732, the last of the original Thirteen Colonies. The state is named after King George II of Great Britain. Georgia was the fourth state to ratify the United States Constitution, on January 2, 1788...
around the time of America's entrance into World War I
World War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
in 1917. She taught in Between, Georgia
Between, Georgia
Between is a town in Walton County, Georgia, United States. The population was 148 at the 2000 census.-Meaning of the Name:The town is called Between because it is between two of Georgia's largest cities — Atlanta and Athens are exactly the same distance to Between...
. Cooper married Luther Cooper in 1924, and was widowed in 1963.
Cooper became Georgia's oldest resident on January 19, 2009, following the death of 113-year-old Beatrice Farve
Beatrice Farve
Beatrice Farve was an American supercentenarian who was, at age 113, the world's second-oldest verified person. She was also the second-oldest person in the United States, and the second-oldest African American, all behind California resident Gertrude Baines...
. She is additionally the second-oldest verified person ever from Tennessee, behind Elizabeth Bolden
Elizabeth Bolden
Elizabeth "Lizzie" Bolden was an American supercentenarian woman who, at the time of her death at age 116 years and 118 days, was recognized by Guinness World Records as the then world's oldest living person. She was the last remaining documented person born in 1890. Bolden was the seventh...
, who died in December 2006, aged 116 years 118 days.
At the time of her 115th birthday, Cooper had four children, 12 grandchildren, and many great- and great-great-grandchildren.
Major milestones
- November 8, 2006 - Besse Cooper, aged 110 years 74 days, entered The Gerontology Research GroupGerontology Research GroupThe Gerontology Research Group was started in 1990, and is a global eGroup of researchers in gerontology, some of who also meet monthly at UCLA in Los Angeles, California. The primary function of the group is to further gerontology research, with the objective of reversing or retarding aging...
's list for Guinness World RecordsGuinness World RecordsGuinness World Records, known until 2000 as The Guinness Book of Records , is a reference book published annually, containing a collection of world records, both human achievements and the extremes of the natural world...
. - January 19, 2009 - Beatrice FarveBeatrice FarveBeatrice Farve was an American supercentenarian who was, at age 113, the world's second-oldest verified person. She was also the second-oldest person in the United States, and the second-oldest African American, all behind California resident Gertrude Baines...
died. Besse Cooper, aged 112 years 146 days, became the oldest person in the U.S. state of Georgia. - January 31, 2011 - Eunice Sanborn died. Besse Cooper, aged 114 years 158 days, became the oldest living person in the United StatesUnited StatesThe United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. She was thought to be the world's oldest living individual until May 18, 2011, when Brazil's Maria Gomes ValentimMaria Gomes ValentimMaria Gomes Valentim was a Brazilian supercentenarian who died at the age of 114 years 347 days. She was the oldest verified living person in the world from the time her age was validated on 18 May 2011 until her death a little more than a month later...
was verified as being older. - April 14, 2011 - Walter BreuningWalter BreuningWalter Breuning 1896 2011) was an American supercentenarian. He was the last known surviving man who was born in 1896. Breuning is the oldest undisputed American-born man on record. He was the last verified American man born in the 19th Century. At the time of his death, Breuning was the third...
died. Besse Cooper, aged 114 years 231 days, became the last surviving American born in 1896. - May 18, 2011 - Guinness World Records reported that Maria Gomes Valentim had been verified as oldest living person in the world since November 4, 2010.
- June 21, 2011 - Maria Gomes Valentim died. Besse Cooper, aged 114 years 299 days, became the third person to regain the status of the verified oldest living person, the first being Jeanne CalmentJeanne CalmentJeanne Louise Calment was a French supercentenarian who had the longest confirmed human life span in history, living to the age of . She lived in Arles, France, for her entire life, and outlived both her daughter and grandson. She became especially well known from the age of 113, when the...
and the second being Elizabeth BoldenElizabeth BoldenElizabeth "Lizzie" Bolden was an American supercentenarian woman who, at the time of her death at age 116 years and 118 days, was recognized by Guinness World Records as the then world's oldest living person. She was the last remaining documented person born in 1890. Bolden was the seventh...
. - August 9, 2011 - Besse Cooper, aged 114 years 348 days, became the longest-lived person born in the year 1896.
- August 26, 2011 - Besse Cooper became the 23rd person to reach the age of 115. She was the first person to do so since Gertrude BainesGertrude BainesGertrude Baines was an American supercentenarian, who became the oldest recognized living person according to Guinness World Records on January 2, 2009, until her own death on September 11, 2009, at age 115 years 158 days...
, who celebrated her 115th birthday on April 6, 2009. - October 22, 2011 - Besse Cooper, aged 115 years 57 days, became one of the 20 undisputed oldest people ever.
See also
- List of supercentenarians from the United States
- List of the verified oldest people
- List of the verified oldest women
- List of living supercentenarians
- List of oldest people by year of birth
- List of oldest living people by nation
- Oldest peopleOldest peopleThis is a list of tables of the verified oldest people in the world in ordinal rank, such as oldest person or oldest man. In these tables, a supercentenarian is considered 'verified' if his or her claim has been validated by an international body that specifically deals in longevity research, such...
- SupercentenarianSupercentenarianA supercentenarian is someone who has reached the age of 110 years. This age is achieved by about one in a thousand centenarians....