115-year-old Dina Manfredini from Des Moines, Iowa, USA was officially announced today as the new world's oldest living person.
Dina was born on April 4th, 1897, before both Amelia Earhart and William Faulker.
A native of Pievepelago, Italy, Dina moved to a tiny mining camp in Des Moines in 1920 with her late husband, Riccardo Manfredini.
Dina was primarily a mother and homemaker, but had taken a job later in life cleaning houses up until the age of 90.
Dina lived independently until she was 110 years old, when she then relocated to a nursing home based in Johnston, Iowa where she currently resides.
Her family prides her on being an avid gardener and credits her longevity to "hard work and everything in moderation." While Dina's hearing is poor, she is general in good health and can walk with a walker.
Dina's succession to the title comes after the news of Besse Cooper, the previous oldest living person, passed away Tuesday, December 4th at age 116.
Dina currently has the title of the world's oldest living person, just 15 days ahead of Japanese record holder Jiroemon Kimura.
Robert Young, Senior Consultant of Gerontology for Guinness World Records, confirmed that Dina is the only verified Italian person to have reached the age of 115 in documented history.
She is now also a week away from tying for the designation of the "oldest immigrant," set by Danish-born American, Christian Mortensen in 1998.
