In a heartwarming tale of enduring love, a Brazilian couple has set a new Guinness World Record for the longest marriage, celebrating an astonishing 84 years together.
Manoel and Maria exchanged vows in 1940 at the chapel of Boa Ventura in Ceará, Brazil, and have since built a life filled with love, family, and devotion.
The couple’s story began in 1936 when Manoel traveled to the Almeida region in Boa Viagem to collect a shipment of rapaduras, a traditional Brazilian candy.
It was there that he first met Maria, and although their relationship did not blossom immediately, a chance encounter in 1940 reignited their connection.
Manoel, convinced that Maria was the one, declared his love for her, and Maria accepted, marking the beginning of their lifelong commitment.
Over the years, Manoel and Maria have overcome numerous challenges, including Maria’s mother’s initial hesitation about the relationship.
Determined to prove his worth, Manoel built a home for them, gaining the family’s approval and paving the way for their wedding.
The couple went on to work together in agriculture, cultivating rolled tobacco to support their growing family.
Today, Manoel and Maria are proud parents of 13 children, grandparents of 55, great-grandparents of 54, and great-great-grandparents of 12.
Despite their advanced age, the couple remains devoted to each other, with Maria attributing their long-lasting marriage to love. “And that’s something even the most advanced computer could never calculate!” she exclaimed.
The Guinness World Record for the longest living marriage was confirmed by LongeviQuest with assistance from Manoel and Maria’s extended family.
While the couple holds the record for the longest living marriage, the longest marriage ever recorded between different sexes was that of David Jacob Hiller and Sarah Davy Hiller, who were married for 88 years and 349 days until Sarah’s passing in 1898.
