MIAMI, FL - 4 November, 2025 - LongeviQuest, the global authority on human longevity and age validation, has officially recognized Eleanor Gittens, 107, and her husband Lyle Gittens, 108, of Miami, Florida, as the world’s longest-married couple.
Married on June 4, 1942, the Gittens recently celebrated their 83rd wedding anniversary. Their record was confirmed following the passing of Manoel Angelim Dino of Brazil, who had previously held the title with his wife Maria de Sousa Dino.
LongeviQuest’s Global Validation Commission verified the record through the couple’s 1942 marriage certificate, multiple U.S. Census entries, and cross-referenced archival materials spanning more than eight decades. At a combined age of 216 years and 131 days, Eleanor and Lyle have also become the oldest married couple ever documented, surpassing the previous record holders from Ecuador.
A Lifelong Partnership
The Gittens met as students at Clark Atlanta University in 1941, when Lyle played basketball and Eleanor was a spectator at a game against Morehouse College. A year later, they were married in Bradenton, Florida, during Lyle’s short leave from Army training at Fort Benning, Georgia. Soon after, he was deployed to Italy with the 92nd Infantry Division, while Eleanor, pregnant with their first child, worked in New York City supporting the war effort.
After two years apart, they reunited and built their lives together in New York, raising three children—Lyle Rogers, Angela, and Ignae—while both holding careers in public service. They shared a lifelong tradition of enjoying a drink together at day’s end—once martinis, now a shared Modelo beer at lunch.
Eleanor later earned her doctorate in Urban Education from Fordham University at age 69, and the couple remained active for decades in the Clark Atlanta Alumni Association and the International Congress for Caribbean Archaeology, often traveling to their favorite destination, Guadeloupe.
Now living near their daughter Angela in downtown Miami, the couple enjoys views of the skyline and cruise terminal. Though largely confined to bed, Lyle still uses his smartphone daily, remarking, “Even at my age, you can still gain knowledge.”
When asked about the secret to their enduring marriage, Eleanor said simply, “We love each other.” Lyle’s answer was just as direct: “I love my wife.”
“It was clear during our visit that their love remains as steady and genuine as it was in 1942,” said a LongeviQuest representative. “They exemplify the spirit of lifelong commitment and shared joy that defines human longevity.”
VIDEO INTERVIEW: https://youtu.be/HXFbw6m5FIE
FULL ARTICLE: https://longeviquest.com/2025/11/eleanor-and-lyle-gittens-the-worlds-longest-married-couple/
About LongeviQuest
LongeviQuest is the world’s leading organization dedicated to the validation, documentation, and celebration of supercentenarians and other longevity-related records. Its Global Validation Commission oversees a rigorous, evidence-based process that ensures accuracy and transparency in the verification of age and lifespan records worldwide.
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Website: https://LongeviQuest.com
