World's oldest person — and last born in 1800s — dies

Emma Morano, who at 117 was believed to be the world's oldest person and the last to be born in the 1800s, died on Saturday, Italian media reported.

Morano, who lived in northern Italy, was born on Nov. 29, 1899, four years before the Wright brothers first took to the air. Her life spanned three centuries, two world wars and more than 90 Italian governments.

Dr. Carlo Bava told The Associated Press that Morano's caretaker called him to say the woman had passed away Saturday afternoon while sitting in an armchair in her home in Verbania, a town on Lake Maggiore.

Bava said he had last paid his nearly daily call on Morano on Friday. He says "she thanked me and held my hand" as usual.