Soledad Mexia (August 13, 1899 – August 30, 2013) - 114 years, 20 days old. was a Mexican-American supercentenarian who at the time of her death was the world's fifth-oldest living person and the oldest living resident of California. She is the oldest Mexican-born person ever.

Biography

Soledad Mexia was born in Sinaloa, Mexico on August 13, 1899. She had seven children, 24 grandchildren, 45 great-grandchildren and two great-great grandchildren, and lived most of her life in San Diego, California.

Due to her longevity, scientists in Los Angeles affiliated with the Gerontology Research Group, UCLA, and Stanford University took blood samples from Mexia and her family members as part of a study comparing genes from supercentenarians with a control group, looking for evidence of genes that protect against common fatal illnesses.

Health and death

She suffered a wound in her leg in the spring of 2010. As the wound failed to respond to antibiotics, in July of that year her leg was amputated below the knee. On August 30, 2013, Mexia died from natural causes, seventeen days after her 114th birthday, at a hospice in Chula Vista, California.