The world's oldest person, Misao Okawa, turned 116 on Wednesday. Since June 2013, when Jireomon Kimura passed away at 116, she has been the world's oldest living person.

To put things in perspective, Okawa was born in 1898, the year the Spanish-American war began, the post office authorized post cards, and radium was discovered. She also has two children, aged 94 and 92, whom she had before the death of her husband 83 years ago.

Okawa represents a remarkably large amount of centenarians living in Japan (almost 55,000) and is one of the almost 300 super-centenarians (over 110 years old). A Japanese woman will now live an average of 85.9 years, while a Japanese man is expected to live 79.6 years.

The long lifespans of the Japanese have been attributed to factors such as their diets (mainly vegetables, fruits, rice, and fish), community support, and a thriving healthcare system. A study published in the Journals of Gerontology by Yasoyuki Gondo and others suggests that psychological health is also an important factor impacting lifespan. According to the study, strong-willed, curious, and outgoing people live longer than average.

Okawa, when asked about her lifestyle, said that she makes sure to eat three meals a day and sleep for eight hours every night.