Elizabeth Kensley

Elizabeth Kensley of England, United Kingdom, is not a supercentenarian, but was the world's oldest person in the 1960s, a title held exclusively by supercentenarians from 1973 onwards.
Born on 12 May 1855, Kensley was thought to have become the world's oldest person on 8 October 1963, aged 108, following the death of Ellen Dart of U.K., who was also 108. She died on 6 March 1965 at the age of 109 years, 298 days. At that time, her reign as the world's oldest person - 1 year and 149 days - was thought to be the same as her reign as UK's oldest person, owing to the fact that Dart was also British.
With the 2010 validation of Martha Kelly of U.S., born 7 June 1851, died 30 December 1964 aged 113 years 206 days, the title reigns of the following people were affected:
  • Joseph Saint-Armour (26 February 1852 - 16 March 1962), 110 years 18 days
  • Ella Ille Rentel (19 May 1852 - 19 September 1962), 110 years 123 days
  • Lovisa Svensson (20 November 1853 - 17 February 1963), 109 years 89 days
  • Ellen Dart (1 November 1854 - 8 October 1963), 108 years 341 days
  • Elizabeth Kensley (12 May 1855 - 6 March 1965), 109 years 298 days
Of the above people, Kensley was the only one not to be given the axe as far as the chronological list of the oldest living people since 1955 is concerned; she, instead, had a dramatically shorter title reign: Her original reign of 1 year 149 days from 8 October 1963 to 6 March 1965 was cut to 66 days from 30 December 1964 to 6 March 1955. Despite this, her title reign as UK's oldest person remains unaltered, since her part-successor to the title was American.