World's oldest person Emma Morano dead at 117

April 15 (UPI) -- Emma Morano, the last living person born in the 1800s, died at her home in Italy at the age of 117 on Saturday.

Morano was the last living link to the 19th century and was officially recognized as the world's oldest person in May 2016 when Susannah Mushatt Jones, the previous title holder, died.

She was born in November 1899 in the Piedmont region of Italy and her life spanned three centuries, two World Wars and more than 90 Italian governments.

Morano was the oldest of eight siblings and outlived each of her four sisters and three brothers.

She survived several hardships including leaving an abusive marriage and the death of her only son.

Morano attributed her long life to genetics, as her mother lived to be 91 and several of her sisters were also centenarians before they died.

One of her caretakers said her longevity was also the result of a daily eating regime which consisted of three eggs -- two of which she ate raw -- and a small portion of minced meat.

She adopted the diet after a doctor diagnosed her with anaemia at the age of 20 and she maintained it for more than 90 years.