Jeralean Talley (née Kurtz; May 23, 1899 – June 17, 2015) was an American supercentenarian who was verified as the world’s oldest living person for a brief period in 2015. Her age at the time she held that title — 116 years and 25 days — and her long life attracted media attention and recognition from longevity researchers.

Overview and significance

Talley’s longevity places her among a small group of documented supercentenarians, a term used for people who reach 110 years of age or older. Records such as those maintained by professional groups and validators are used to confirm such claims; Talley’s age was verified by recognized authorities and reported widely. She is also the oldest validated person ever born in the U.S. state of Georgia.

Life and background

Born in 1899, Talley lived through three centuries and witnessed enormous social and technological change. Public accounts note that she married and raised a family, worked for much of her life, and eventually lived to see multiple generations of descendants. Like many centenarians whose lives become public, she was celebrated by her community and received birthday tributes and media profiles in her later years.

Records, verification and chronology

  • After the death of Elsie Thompson in March 2013, Talley was for a time thought to be the oldest living American, until further verification established that Gertrude Weaver was older.
  • When Gertrude Weaver died on April 6, 2015, Talley was verified as the world’s oldest living person, a title she held until her own death in June 2015.
  • Verification of supercentenarian ages generally relies on birth records, census entries, marriage certificates and other historical documents reviewed by organizations such as the Gerontology Research Group and similar validators; general information about the category can be found at sources describing supercentenarians.

Lifestyle, recognition and legacy

Public reports about Talley highlighted family, faith and community as important aspects of her life — themes common in personal accounts of long-lived individuals. Her longevity contributed to broader public interest in aging, the social history of the 20th century, and scientific questions about healthy lifespan. After her death on June 17, 2015, commentators and researchers noted her status in lists of verified oldest people and highlighted her as a regional record-holder for Georgia.

Notable facts

  1. Talley was born in 1899 and died in 2015, living into her 116th year.
  2. She was briefly the world’s oldest living person following the death of Gertrude Weaver; further details and source material are available from contemporary news accounts and validator records, including references to Gertrude Weaver.
  3. Her age is part of the documented historical record used by researchers studying extreme longevity.

Talley’s life is often cited in discussions of demographic history and the validation processes used to confirm extreme ages. While individual factors that contribute to exceptional longevity remain an active subject of research, verified cases like hers provide important data for historians and scientists alike.