Oldest Person in Iceland in History

No one in Iceland has ever reached as old an age as Dóra Ólafsdóttir, who has lived for 109 years and 161 days, according to mbl.is . Prime Minister Katrín Jakobsdóttir paid her a visit at the Skjól nursing home yesterday to congratulate her and bring her flowers. Before Dóra, the record holder was Jensína Andrésdóttir, who passed away in 2019 at the age of 109 years and 159 days.

One Icelander ever reached an older age than Dóra, according to the Facebook page Langlífi (meaning ‘longevity’). Her name was Guðrún Björg Björnsdóttir, born in Vopnafjörður, Northeast Iceland, on October 20, 1888. At the age of three, however, she emigrated with her parents to North America, where she spent the rest of her life. She passed away in Gimli, Manitoba, in 1998, at the age of 109 years and 310 days.

Dóra recently underwent medical examination by deCode Genetics, which turned out well. “Her heart was just like that of a child, and all bodily functions in good order,” states her son, Áskell Þórisson. Dóra also has a daughter, Ása, who lives in the US. Áskell reports that his mother enjoys good health, although her hearing and vision have deteriorated, and needs next to no medication. She still reads daily, including Morgunblaðið . The only thing that bothers her is an occasional hip dislocation.

When the prime minister asked Dóra yesterday about the secret to her longevity, Dóra responded that she has always refrained from smoking and drinking, done a great deal of hiking and swimming, led a quiet live, and always enjoyed reading.

Dóra was born July 6, 1912, in Suður-Þingeyjarsýsla county, North Iceland. Her husband Þórir Áskelsson passed away in 2000, at the age of 89.

Dóra is the eighth oldest resident of the Nordic countries. The oldest one is a Swedish woman, roughly four months her senior.