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Valentim also dethrones Eunice Sanborn of Texas, United States, who died 31 January 2011.
Born 9 July 1896, Valentim became the world's oldest person at age 114 years, 118 days on 4 November 2010 upon the death of Frenchwoman Eugénie Blanchard.
Valentim is the first validated supercentenarian from Brazil, as well as being the only Brazilian to ever hold the title of oldest living person in the world.
Besse Cooper is aged 114 years, 265 days as of Valentim's ascension to the title today - four days older than Eugénie Blanchard was at the time of her death.
22 June 2011 - Maria Gomes Valentim died of multiple organ failure on 21 June 2011, aged 114 years, 347 days, just 34 days after she was declared the world's oldest living person. As such, the title passes back to Besse Cooper at age 114 years, 299 days as of 21 June 2011. Cooper is the third person to regain the title of World's Oldest Person after previously being overturned by someone still alive, after Jeanne Calment (21 February 1875 - 4 August 1997) and Elizabeth Bolden (15 August 1890 - 11 December 2006). Cooper is the seventh-oldest "new" titleholder of the world's oldest living person title since 1955, and the oldest person to take the title out of all those who took it at age 114. Including Cooper herself, 49 people have held the title of oldest living person since 1955.