Carrie C. White

Carrie C. White, née Joyner (November 18, 1874? – February 14, 1991), was recognized by the Guinness Book of World Records as the oldest person in the world around the time she celebrated her alleged 114th birthday in 1988.

A resident of a Palatka, Florida nursing home, she had been institutionalized since a nervous breakdown in 1909, about the time of her divorce. Her documentation was described as impeccable, but recent research has indicated she might in fact have been 21 rather than 35 when she was admitted, meaning she may have died at 102 (instead of 116).[citation needed]

If this is the case, Jeanne Calment became the world's oldest living person not when Carrie White died February 14, 1991 (considered the holder of the United States longevity record until it was first broken by Lucy Hannah, then later by Sarah Knauss), but immediately on the death of Florence Knapp in January 1988. However, the 1900 Census match could not be considered an unequivocal identification.

As of December 2009, White is listed as one of the 10 longest lived people ever; however, there is still much debate concerning this case.