Jeralean Talley of Inkster, Mich. celebrated her 116th birthday Saturday as she took on the title of the world's oldest living person.
Talley celebrated her birthday with friends, family, Inkster Mayor Hilliard L. Hampton and Rep. John James Conyers, Jr. (D-MI 13th District). She even received a birthday message from President Barack Obama that Conyers delivered, WXYZ reported.
"With age comes wisdom... Thank you for sharing your vast wisdom with me today. Happy 116th Birthday to Jeralean Talley, the world's oldest person," Conyers wrote in a post on his acebook page. The post received 1,783 likes as of Saturday.
Talley was born in Georgia on May 23, 1899, according to the list of Validated Living Supercentenarians from the Gerontology Research Group (GRG). She became the world's oldest person after Mrs. Gertrude Weaver of Arkansas died on April 6.
Weaver earned the title from Japanese Misao Okawa, who died at age 117 on April 1.
Talley stays with her daughter in a home she has lived in since the 1960s, according to WXYZ. With a walker to help her move around, she can take care of herself.
When asked what her advice is to others to have a long life like her, Talley replied that she has no idea. Instead, she credited her longevity to God.
The GRG list updated as of May 1 indicates Talley as older than Susannah Mushatt Jones of New York by more than two months. Jones was born in Alabama on July 6, 1899.
Other 115-year-olds on the list include Emma Morano-Martinuzzi of Italy, Violet Brown of Jamaica and Antonia Gerena Rivera of Florida.
The world's oldest person to have ever lived was French woman Jeanne Calment, who lived to 122 years and 164 days, according to the Guinness World Records.
