World’s oldest person, Emma Morano celebrates 117th birthday

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Ms Emma Morano of Vercelli, Italy was born 117 years year ago on November 29, 1899. Guinness World Records confirmed her as the world's oldest person on May 16 this year, when she was 116 years and 169 days old. Her life has spanned three centuries, two World Wars and more than 90 Italian governments.

On Tuesday, Ms Morano celebrated her birthday in her flat, a home she hasn't left for years and receives 24-hour care. According to her, the peculiar diet she began after World War I helped her become one of the oldest people ever. When she was a teenager, a doctor suggested that she eat raw eggs to combat her anemia. Morano followed a diet of two raw eggs, one cooked egg, a little minced meat and pasta for the past 90 years, but now limits herself to two eggs a day and a few biscuits.

Her physician, Dr Carlo Bava, has however credited her long life to her genetic make-up, and nothing else. "She is in a great state of health and mind. The fact that she has never had much variety in her diet is proof that she is so well-preserved thanks to genetics." Ms Morano's mother reached the age of 91 and she had several sisters who reached their centenary‎