83 Years of Unwavering Love: The Secret of America’s Oldest Married Centenarian Couple

Combined Age of 216, the World's Oldest Married Couple
"We Were Happy Together"

An American couple celebrating their 83rd wedding anniversary has been recognized as the "world's longest-married couple." The couple revealed that the secret to their long-lasting marriage was "because we loved each other."

The Gittens couple from the United States, celebrating 83 years of marriage, has become the world's longest-married couple. LongevityQuest YouTube

Recently, the British newspaper The Guardian introduced Eleanor Gittens (107) and Lyle Gittens (108), who have been officially recognized as the couple with the longest marriage in the world.

Previously, the Global Verification Committee of LongevityQuest, an organization that tracks the world's oldest individuals, officially recognized the Gittens couple, who reside in Miami, United States, as the "world's longest-married couple." The committee cross-checked their 1942 marriage certificate, U.S. census records, and decades of other documentation as part of the verification process.

In an interview with LongevityQuest, Eleanor said, "We love each other." Her husband Lyle also responded, "I love my wife."

On November 4, LongevityQuest announced that the Gittens couple inherited the record after Maria Dino (102) of Brazil, who had been married to Manuel Dino (106) for 85 years, passed away in October. The organization also noted, "The combined age of the Gittens couple exceeds 216, making them the oldest married couple in the world," and described their story as "a remarkable tale of love that overcame war and countless hardships together."

The couple first met in 1941. At the time, Lyle was a player on the Clark Atlanta University basketball team, and Eleanor had come to watch the game. Eleanor recalled, "I don't remember who won. I just remember that it was the day I first met Lyle."

They soon fell in love and decided to get married, even knowing that Lyle would be drafted due to World War II. Lyle received a three-day leave from a U.S. Army training camp in Georgia, and the two were married on June 4, 1942. Lyle said, "During the era of racial segregation, I had to travel long hours in a train car designated for Black passengers just to see my bride. But every part of that journey was worth it for Eleanor."

When Lyle was deployed to the Italian front as part of the U.S. Army's 92nd Infantry Division, Eleanor said, "I didn't know if I would ever see my husband again." Already pregnant with their first child, she moved to New York, where she met her husband's family for the first time.

Eleanor worked at an aircraft parts manufacturing company while raising her family. The couple kept in touch through letters, but most of Lyle's letters were heavily censored and blacked out.

After the war, the couple settled in New York. Later, they took the civil service exam together and worked for government agencies.

At the age of 69, Eleanor earned a doctorate in urban education from Fordham University in New York. She later moved to Miami to live closer to her daughter.

Lyle said, "I miss New York, but I am happy to be able to be with my wife like this." In a LongevityQuest YouTube video, he shared, "We have enjoyed our time together. We have done so much together."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.