Sarah Knauss
Encyclopedia
Sarah DeRemer Knauss was an American supercentenarian
considered the world's oldest living person
by Guinness World Records
from April 16, 1998, the date of the death of 117-year-old Canadian Marie-Louise Meilleur
, until her own death. At age 117, she also set the record for the world's oldest "new" title-holder (which corresponds to the highest "valley" on a graph of the oldest living persons over time). Knauss is the second-oldest fully documented person ever, behind Jeanne Calment
. She was the last verified living person to have been born before 1885, and the most recent person to reach age 117.
. She was born to Walter and Amelia Clark in the small short-lived United States coal-mining town of Hollywood and died in Allentown
. In 1901, she married Abraham Lincoln Knauss (December 19, 1878 – March 1, 1965). She was an excellent seamstress and among making table cloths and her own clothes, she, already as a teenager made her own wedding dress. She learned to sew when she was 4 years old. Sarah who was 28 when Henry Ford introduced the Model T in 1908, lived through seven U.S. wars, 23 U.S. Presidents, the sinking of the RMS Titanic in 1912, aged 31, and Charles Lindbergh's solo flight across the Atlantic, aged 46.
Knauss was an insurance office manager; upon her marriage, she became a homemaker. Her only child, Kathryn Knauss Sullivan (November 17, 1903 – January 21, 2005), who was 96 at the time of Sarah's death and lived to be 101 herself, once explained Knauss' three-digit age by saying: "She's a very tranquil person and nothing fazes her. That's why she's living this long."
In 1995 aged 115, when asked if she enjoyed her long life, Sarah answered matter-of-factly: "I enjoy it because I have my health and I can do things." Her passions were said to be watching golf on television; doing needlepoint; and nibbling on milk chocolate turtles, cashews, and potato chips. "Sarah was an elegant lady and worthy of all the honor and adulation she had received," said Joseph Hess, an Administrator of the Phoebe-Devitt Homes Foundation facility where Knauss lived.
recordholder, then thought to have been held by Carrie C. White (reportedly 1874–1991). It is now believed that the record should have been held by Lucy Hannah
(1875–1993), who died aged 117 years and 248 days in 1993. In any case, Sarah extended the United States longevity record to age 119. Knauss was the second fully validated person in history to reach age 118 and 119 (first being Calment in 1993 and 1994, respectively).
Of her death, state senator Charlie Dent
, who had attended her 115th birthday in 1995, said "Mrs. Knauss was an extraordinary woman who pushed the outer limits of longevity. This is a sad occasion, but she certainly had an eventful life."
More than 11 years after her death, her record as the longest lived person in United States has yet to be surpassed; in fact, since Knauss no other person has even reached the age of 117.
Supercentenarian
A supercentenarian is someone who has reached the age of 110 years. This age is achieved by about one in a thousand centenarians....
considered the world's oldest living person
Oldest people
This 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...
by Guinness World Records
Guinness World Records
Guinness 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...
from April 16, 1998, the date of the death of 117-year-old Canadian Marie-Louise Meilleur
Marie-Louise Meilleur
Marie-Louise Fébronie Meilleur was a French Canadian supercentenarian who, upon the death of Frenchwoman Jeanne Calment, became the oldest recognized living person. Meilleur is still the oldest validated Canadian ever.-Biography:...
, until her own death. At age 117, she also set the record for the world's oldest "new" title-holder (which corresponds to the highest "valley" on a graph of the oldest living persons over time). Knauss is the second-oldest fully documented person ever, behind Jeanne Calment
Jeanne Calment
Jeanne 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...
. She was the last verified living person to have been born before 1885, and the most recent person to reach age 117.
Biography
Knauss lived her entire life in PennsylvaniaPennsylvania
The Commonwealth of Pennsylvania is a U.S. state that is located in the Northeastern and Mid-Atlantic regions of the United States. The state borders Delaware and Maryland to the south, West Virginia to the southwest, Ohio to the west, New York and Ontario, Canada, to the north, and New Jersey to...
. She was born to Walter and Amelia Clark in the small short-lived United States coal-mining town of Hollywood and died in Allentown
Allentown, Pennsylvania
Allentown is a city located in Lehigh County, Pennsylvania, in the United States. It is Pennsylvania's third most populous city, after Philadelphia and Pittsburgh, and the 215th largest city in the United States. As of the 2010 census, the city had a total population of 118,032 and is currently...
. In 1901, she married Abraham Lincoln Knauss (December 19, 1878 – March 1, 1965). She was an excellent seamstress and among making table cloths and her own clothes, she, already as a teenager made her own wedding dress. She learned to sew when she was 4 years old. Sarah who was 28 when Henry Ford introduced the Model T in 1908, lived through seven U.S. wars, 23 U.S. Presidents, the sinking of the RMS Titanic in 1912, aged 31, and Charles Lindbergh's solo flight across the Atlantic, aged 46.
Knauss was an insurance office manager; upon her marriage, she became a homemaker. Her only child, Kathryn Knauss Sullivan (November 17, 1903 – January 21, 2005), who was 96 at the time of Sarah's death and lived to be 101 herself, once explained Knauss' three-digit age by saying: "She's a very tranquil person and nothing fazes her. That's why she's living this long."
In 1995 aged 115, when asked if she enjoyed her long life, Sarah answered matter-of-factly: "I enjoy it because I have my health and I can do things." Her passions were said to be watching golf on television; doing needlepoint; and nibbling on milk chocolate turtles, cashews, and potato chips. "Sarah was an elegant lady and worthy of all the honor and adulation she had received," said Joseph Hess, an Administrator of the Phoebe-Devitt Homes Foundation facility where Knauss lived.
Recognition
At age 116, she was recognized as being the new United States national longevityLongevity
The word "longevity" is sometimes used as a synonym for "life expectancy" in demography or known as "long life", especially when it concerns someone or something lasting longer than expected ....
recordholder, then thought to have been held by Carrie C. White (reportedly 1874–1991). It is now believed that the record should have been held by Lucy Hannah
Lucy Hannah
Lucy Hannah née Terrell was an American supercentenarian. Hannah is the third-oldest person ever and the oldest black person ever, as well as the oldest living American at the time of her death...
(1875–1993), who died aged 117 years and 248 days in 1993. In any case, Sarah extended the United States longevity record to age 119. Knauss was the second fully validated person in history to reach age 118 and 119 (first being Calment in 1993 and 1994, respectively).
Of her death, state senator Charlie Dent
Charlie Dent
Charles "Charlie" Dent is the U.S. Representative for , serving since 2005. He is a member of the Republican Party.The district includes all of Northampton County, most of Lehigh County, and small parts of Berks and Montgomery Counties....
, who had attended her 115th birthday in 1995, said "Mrs. Knauss was an extraordinary woman who pushed the outer limits of longevity. This is a sad occasion, but she certainly had an eventful life."
More than 11 years after her death, her record as the longest lived person in United States has yet to be surpassed; in fact, since Knauss no other person has even reached the age of 117.
Longevity records
- November 7, 1993, Oldest living person in the state of Pennsylvania upon death of Zora Wriggle.
- September 6, 1994, Oldest living person in United States upon death of Wilhelmina Kott
- April 16, 1998, Oldest living person upon death of Canadian Marie-Louise MeilleurMarie-Louise MeilleurMarie-Louise Fébronie Meilleur was a French Canadian supercentenarian who, upon the death of Frenchwoman Jeanne Calment, became the oldest recognized living person. Meilleur is still the oldest validated Canadian ever.-Biography:...
- May 31, 1998, Surpassed Lucy HannahLucy HannahLucy Hannah née Terrell was an American supercentenarian. Hannah is the third-oldest person ever and the oldest black person ever, as well as the oldest living American at the time of her death...
to become the oldest person ever from America. - November 20, 1999, Last living person born before 1885 upon death of British Annie JenningsAnnie JenningsAnnie Jennings, née Thomas was a British supercentenarian and the world's second oldest living person, after American Sarah Knauss, at Jennings' death at age 115 years 8 days. Jennings hailed from Chesterfield, Derbyshire where she celebrated her 114th birthday...
- December 30, 1999, The last supercentenarian to die in the 1990s.
See also
- List of the verified oldest people
- AgingAgeingAgeing or aging is the accumulation of changes in a person over time. Ageing in humans refers to a multidimensional process of physical, psychological, and social change. Some dimensions of ageing grow and expand over time, while others decline...
- LongevityLongevityThe word "longevity" is sometimes used as a synonym for "life expectancy" in demography or known as "long life", especially when it concerns someone or something lasting longer than expected ....
- 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....