Only 2 born in 19th century remain

When Susannah Mushatt Jones and Emma Morano were born in 1899, there had not yet been a world war, penicillin had not been invented and electricity was still considered a marvel. The women are believed to be the last two in the world with birth dates in the 1800s.

The world has changed drastically in their lifetimes. They have seen war destroy cities and have seen them rebuilt. They witnessed rapid economic growth, the dawn of civil rights, the rise and fall of the fascists, the first polio vaccines and the first black president of the United States.

Jones, who lives in Brooklyn, tops a list of supercentenarians, or people who have lived past 110, which is maintained by Los Angeles-based Gerontology Research Group. The organization tracks and maintains a database of the world's longest-living people. Morano, of Verbania, Italy, is just a few months younger than Jones and is Europe's oldest person, according to the group.

The group knows of no others born in the 1800s.

Morano was born on Nov 29, 1899, in Verbania. Now 115, she resides in a neat one-room apartment in a mountain town overlooking Lago Maggiore in northwest Italy. She is cared for by her village: The mayor gave her a TV set, her niece stops in twice a day and her physician of more than 25 years checks up on her regularly.

Morano attributes her longevity to her unusual diet: Three raw eggs a day (now two raw eggs and 150 grams of raw steak after a bout of anemia) - a diet she's been on for decades after a sickly childhood.

Her physician, Doctor Carlo Bava, is convinced there's a genetic component as well, noting that Morano takes no medication and has been in stable, good health for years.

"From a strictly medical and scientific point of view, she can be considered a phenomenon," he said.

In New York, Jones spends her days in her one-bedroom apartment in a public housing facility for seniors, where she has lived for more than three decades.

She was born on July 6, 1899, and at 115 years old, she sticks to a strict daily routine: Every morning she takes a bath and then eats several slices of bacon, scrambled eggs and grits.

On a recent day, Jones said little, but family members said she spends her days reflecting on her life and embracing what's left of it - one day at a time. Her living room walls are adorned with family photos and birthday cards made by children in the community.

Jones, who wears a yellow turban on her head and a nightgown most days, watches the world from a small recliner. Posters from past birthday parties, letters from local elected officials and a note from US President Barack Obama fill the surfaces. A sign in the kitchen reads: "Bacon makes everything better."

(China Daily 07/01/2015 page11)