On 11 November, Angelina Torres, the oldest resident in Spain, passed away at the age of 112. The leader of the Catalonia government, Salvador Illa, expressed his condolences to the family.
In a statement, Mr. Illa said that last year he was lucky to meet Angelina Torres. The old lady is described as a wise woman, full of faith and kindness, very hard-working and strong.
Ms. Torres was born on March 18, 1913, in Belvis, Catalonia. She is the 5th child in a family of 7 siblings. As a child, Torres moved to Barcelona and lived the rest of his life in this city.
Torres's life expectancy of 112 years is not just a personal milestone. His life spans 2 centuries, being a living witness to the most fierce changes in the history of Spain and the world.
Born in 1913, Torres spent his childhood when World War I (1914 - 1918) broke out. Immediately followed by the Spanish flu pandemic in 2018, one of the worst health disasters in human history.
As a young woman, the city of Barcelona where Torres lived became one of the focuses of the brutal Spanish Civil War (1936 - 1939). He lived through the difficult years of this conflict, witnessing the collapse of the Republic and the rise of the Franco regime.
She also lived through the entire period of World War II (1939 - 1945) and the entire term of General Franco's policies (1939 - 1975). When General Franco passed away and Spain switched to democratic rule, Torres was 62. She witnessed her country joining the European Union (EU) and hosting the historic 1992 Summer Olympics in her home city of Barcelona.
From a world without antibiotics, without television, Torres has lived to witness the birth of rocket planets, nuclear weapons, spacecraft, and finally the Internet and smartphone revolution.
Ethnology experts call people who are over 110 years old "super lucky". Achieving this age is extremely rare, requiring a combination of genetic factors, lifestyle and a bit of luck.
Spain's Catalonia region, where Torres lives, is part of the Mediterranean region, which is famous for its healthy diet that contributes to longevity.
After Torres passed away, the oldest resident title in Spain today belongs to Carme Noguera Falguera, 111 years old, born in 1914.
