Sister André, world's oldest living person: 10 surprising facts
Lucile Randon, AKA Sister André, of France, has some secrets — here they are
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}The world’s oldest living person is a 118-year-old woman from France.
Lucile Randon, who’s also the world’s oldest living nun, has recently moved up a place as the world’s oldest living person — after the recent death of 119-year-old Kane Tanaka of Japan.
In an email to Fox News Digital, Guinness World Records confirmed that Randon is the current world record holder for the "oldest person living (female)" and the "overall oldest person living."
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}WORLD'S OLDEST PERSON DIES AT AGE 119
Randon, or Sister André, as the people of France know her, has a long list of accomplishments attached to her name.
Lucile Randon, AKA Sister André, poses for a portrait at the Sainte Catherine Laboure care home in Toulon, southern France, on Wednesday, April 27, 2022. With the recent death of Kane Tanaka, 119, the world's oldest person is now Randon, at age 118. (AP Photo/Daniel Cole)
Here are 10 quick life facts about Randon that you should know.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}1. Sister André was born before World War I
Randon was born in France on Feb. 11, 1904. That’s 10 years, five months and 17 days before the start of World War I, which kicked off on July 28, 1914.
2. She shares a birth year with many famous figures
Randon was born in the same year that many famous figures were, including American author Dr. Seuss, Spanish surrealist painter Salvador Dali and American actress Joan Crawford.
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{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}3. She’s been a nun for 78 years
Randon became a Catholic nun in 1944 and took the name of Sister André, according to Guinness World Records.
4. She has a long history of helping people
Before she became a nun, Randon worked as a teacher, a governess and a child care provider during World War II (Sept. 1, 1939, to Sept. 2, 1945), according to Guinness World Records.
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{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}She also dedicated 28 years of service to orphans and elderly patients at a hospital in the Vichy, Auvergne-Rhone-Alpes region, the record reference source reports.
5. She is a record-holding COVID-19 survivor
Randon is the world’s oldest COVID-19 survivor, according to Guinness World Records.
She was infected with the respiratory virus on Jan. 16, 2021, but she recovered in three weeks and was able to celebrate her 117th birthday. About a century before that, she survived the Spanish flu — an influenza pandemic that lasted from February 1918 to April 1920.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}6. She was recognized by the pope
Randon reportedly received a letter from Pope Francis, according to Guinness World Records.
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7. She lives in a coastal city
Randon lives in a retirement home in Toulon, a port city on southern France’s Mediterranean coast.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}The city reportedly recognized her as an "honorary citizen" in 2019.
Lucile Randon lives in a retirement home in Toulon, a port city on southern France’s Mediterranean coast, which is home to more than 167,000 people. (iStock)
8. She has a sweet tooth
Randon enjoys chocolate and other sweets as a "guilty pleasure," reports Guinness World Records. She also reportedly drinks a glass of wine each day.
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{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}9. She’s open to retirement
On her 118th birthday, Randon told French news agency Agence France-Presse that she’s "thinking of getting out of this business but they won’t let me."
10. She’s the world’s fourth-oldest person
Randon is the world’s fourth-oldest person to be verified by Guinness World Records.
If she surpasses age 122 years and 164 days, Randon would take over Jeanne Calment’s (the current record holder) spot for the world’s oldest person in history.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Calment, who was also from France, lived from Feb. 21, 1875, to Aug. 4, 1997.
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In 2016, France reported it has 26,000 centenarians, according to National Institute of Statistics and Economic Studies (INSEE) records.