Caterham was born in Hampshire in August 1909, when Edward VII reigned, and now lives in care home in Surrey
Ethel Caterham, the last surviving Edwardian and the world’s oldest living person, celebrated her 116th birthday on Thursday.
She was born on 21 August 1909 in Shipton Bellinger, Hampshire, when Herbert Asquith was prime minister, Beatrix Potter had just published The Tale of the Flopsy Bunnies and one of the bestselling songs was Shine on Harvest Moon.
Herbert Henry Asquith was the UK’s Liberal prime minister and Edward VII was king.
The first state pensions were being paid after the introduction of the Old Age Pensions Act.
Claude Monet’s Water Lilies series had just gone on show for the first time at an exhibition in Paris.
General Electric patented the electric toaster invented by Frank Shailor.
Bulgaria was about to declare independence from the Ottoman empire.
Manchester United had won the first of their FA Cup victories by beating Bristol City.
Arthur Gore was the reigning men’s Wimbledon champion aged 41 – he remains the men’s singles tournament’s oldest winner.
The future matinee idol Errol Flynn was two months old.
The first international flying show occurred in Reims, France.
Selfridges had just opened on Oxford Street in London.
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