| Lucy Hannah | |
| Birth: | 16 July 1875? Alabama, USA |
| Death: | 21 March 1993 Michigan, USA |
| Age: | 117 years, 248 days? |
| Country: |  USA
|
| Longevity claimant | |
Lucy Hannah (née Terrell; 16 July 1874/5/or 12 August 1894/5? – 21 March 1993) was an American longevity claimant once validated as age 117 but for whom the case was later retracted after further evidence became available. From September 2003 until December 2020, she was officially validated as the fifth-oldest person ever and the oldest African-American person ever, however, the validation was withdrawn.
Biography
Lucy Hannah claimed to have been born as Lucy Terrell in Linden, Marengo County, Alabama, United States on 16 July 1874. The SSA Study in 2003 validated her year of birth as "1875" based on an alleged 1880 census match. For 17 years after her validation it was believed that, at the time of her death, she was the second-oldest living person behind Jeanne Calment (who was five months older than her) and was the oldest person to never hold the oldest living person record. Lucy Hannah died in Detroit, Wayne County, Michigan on 21 March 1993 at the claimed age of 117 years and 248 days.
Age issues
Hannah's age was verified by the Kestenbaum Study on 9 September 2003. However, in 2015, members of The 110 Club (a group dedicated to supercentenarians) have cast doubts on Hannah's claim to 117. According to the research found so far, she could have been born 12 August 1895. That would make her real age 97 years, 221 days. According to the 1943 marriage record she married Fred Francis Hannah, who was born on 16 July 1895, which was further supported by his WWI & WWII Draft Cards.
In the "Exceptional Lifespans" book that was published in December 2020, the validation of Hannah's case was officially withdrawn.
References
- Lucy Terrell Hannah Find A Grave
- Lucy Hannah (Terrell) Geni
- SSA of Lucy Terrell Hannah
- Family in 1880 US Census (no Lucy listed)
- 1943 Marriage Record suggesting a birth 12 August 1895
- Table B - Verified Supercentenarians (Ranked By Age) Gerontology Research Group
- Lucy Hannah census entries The 110 Club
- The First Supercentenarians in History, and Recent 115 + −Year-Old Supercentenarians. An Introduction to the Following Chapters Exceptional Lifespans
- 22.2 Invalidated (False), Exaggerated, and Unvalidated Claims Exceptional Lifespans