Born on November 29, 1899, in northern Italy, Emma Martina Luigia Morano lived through an astonishing stretch of history, from the dawn of the 20th century to the digital age. By the time she passed away in 2017, she was recognized as the world’s oldest living woman and one of the few people ever verified to have reached the age of 117. She spent her entire life in Italy, and her incredible journey inspired people across the globe to uncover the secret to her unmatched longevity.

Morano was the eldest of eight siblings—and the only one to see the dawn of a new millennium. While only 12 other people in recorded history have reached her age, her own family history hinted at strong longevity genes; her mother lived to 91, and several of her siblings became centenarians.

When asked how she had managed to live so long, Morano often credited her stubborn independence and an unusual dietary routine. After being diagnosed with anemia shortly after World War I, her doctor recommended a diet high in protein, which led her to start eating three eggs every single day—two raw in the morning and one cooked as an omelette for lunch. She followed this habit for decades. In her later years, she cut back to two eggs and a couple of biscuits a day, sometimes adding chicken for dinner.

Her longtime physician, Dr. Carlo Bava, who treated her for 27 years, recalled: “When I met her, she ate three eggs per day—two raw in the morning and then an omelette at noon, with chicken at dinner. She barely touched fruits or vegetables.”

But Morano’s diet was not limited to eggs. According to the Mirror, she also enjoyed a daily sip of grappa, a traditional Italian liquor infused with herbs like sage and rue, sometimes accompanied by grapes—a small indulgence she believed kept her spirits high.

Her long life was also marked by resilience in the face of hardship. She endured an abusive marriage, the loss of her only child, and the turbulence of living through two World Wars and over 90 different Italian governments. In 1938, she made a bold decision for her time: she separated from her husband and lived alone for the rest of her life. “I didn’t want to be dominated by anyone,” she told the New York Times. Despite remaining legally married until his death in 1978, she never remarried.

Morano’s extraordinary life was not just about diet and genetics—it was about determination, independence, and a refusal to be broken by life’s challenges. Her story remains a powerful reminder that longevity can be influenced by both what’s on your plate and what’s in your spirit.