Elizabeth Bolden
Elizabeth "Lizzie" Bolden (born August 15, 1890 in Somerville, Tennessee) is presumed to be recognized by Guinness World Records as the world's oldest living person, as of August 27, 2006 (no official word from Guinness has yet been given, although Bolden was next in line from the 2007 Guinness Book list, page 67). She previously held the title from August 30 to December 9, 2005 until María Esther Capovilla was announced as authenticated. She has become only the second person to hold the title for two terms, the first being Jeanne Calment.
Elizabeth Bolden was verified in April 2005 as having been the oldest documented resident of the United States since the death of Emma Verona Johnston the previous December. She displaced Bettie Wilson, who had previously been the oldest known American.
She was thought to be the oldest surviving person in the world when Hendrikje van Andel died on August 30, 2005.
Elizabeth Jones married Lewis Bolden circa 1908. Like Bettie Wilson, Bolden was born the daughter of freed slaves, and had a son, Ezell, born on September 21, 1909. In the 1900 U.S. Census, she is recorded as having been nine years old and born in August 1890, and in the 1910 census she is recorded as 19 years old, already married with a child. With the destruction of Fayette County, Tennessee records in a 1925 fire, the family had guessed that she was born in 1891, but investigation proved she was a year older.
Lizzie Bolden had seven children, only two of whom are still alive as of 2006. Queen Esther Rhodes is 89 and Mamie Brittmon is 85. In 2003, a Memphis, Tennessee newspaper reported that Lizzie had 34 grandchildren, 124 great-grandchildren, 100 great-great-grandchildren, and 10 great-great-great grandchildren. She currently resides in a Memphis nursing home.
She has been described by her family as unable to communicate, and they have thus requested that media attention (such as interviews and visits) be limited. However, Lizzie was photographed by two photographers for two different books in early 2005, and was featured in Jet Magazine in May 2005 and the local Memphis Commercial Appeal newspaper in June 2005. During her brief reign as Guinness "world's oldest person" titleholder, Bolden had not been seen in public.
On December 9, 2005, Elizabeth Bolden lost the "World's Oldest Person" title when Guinness World Records gave it to María Capovilla of Ecuador, a woman 11 months her senior. However, with María Capovilla's death on August 27, 2006, Bolden became the oldest recognized person once again [1].
In July 2006, Bolden entered the all time top ten oldest verified people. In August 2006, she was photographed publicly for the first time in almost a year, although she did not appear in public for her 116th birthday.