When Emma Morano was a baby, at the turn of the 20th century, the average house in America cost just $5,000, microphones and aspirin were relatively new inventions and William McKinley was President of the United States.

Her home country, Italy, was still in its infancy in a nation, having been formed 30 years earlier. It was also a turbulent time in her country. When Emma was just a toddler, in 1900, King Hubert of Italy was assassinated.

Over the course of her life, she would witness both world wars. She would also see the birth of nuclear power, the airplane, the personal computer, aspirin, television and the Internet.

Emma Morano is 117!

Now, on her 117th birthday, Emma is considered to be the oldest person in the world. To mark this occasion, she sat down for a video interview to explain her philosophy on life and to give some healthy aging tips for the rest of us youngsters.

In terms of nutrition, Emma Morano swears by her healthy egg diet. She said, “I eat two eggs a day and that’s it. I also eat cookies.”

For the most part, she is happy with the way the years have treated her body. Her only lament is that her beautiful singing voice has gone away. All I can say is, if that’s the worst she has to complain about, at 117, she’s doing pretty darn well!

Please take a minute to watch Emma’s interview. Then, let’s start a conversation.

What I love most about this interview is seeing the fire in Emma’s eyes. She may be 117, but, she is clearly enjoying her life… and all of the attention that she must be getting from being the world’s oldest person! For some reason, I just can’t imagine her leaving us any time soon!

Would you want to live as long as Emma? Why or why not? What do you think are the keys to healthy aging? Please join the conversation.

Photo credit: AP