Happy Birthday to Atlanta’s Oldest Resident
Image via City of Atlanta.
Today is the 111th birthday of Atlanta’s oldest resident, Willie Mae Hardy.
Hardy was born on this day in 1908, right around the time the Henry Ford’s Model T went into production in Detroit, and the Wright brothers took flight for the first time, according to the Smithsonian. Hardy lived through both World Wars and has seen six generations of children grow up in her family, according to city materials.
Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms wrote Hardy to congratulate her today. “For more than a century, and as the oldest living Atlanta resident, you have served as a pillar of inspiration and support to your family, friends and community,” the letter reads. “The City of Atlanta is proud to join your loved ones in celebrating your life and legacy, and we salute the impact you have made to our great city.”
Currently, the world’s oldest person is 116-year-old Kane Tanaka of Fukuoka, Japan, according to the Guinness Book of World Records.