Centenarian Couple Celebrates 83 Years of Marriage, Breaks World Record

On November 8, 2025, a remarkable milestone was celebrated as Eleanor, 107, and Lyle Gittens, 108, were officially recognized as the world's longest-married couple. The Miami-based pair have been married for an astounding 83 years, having tied the knot back in 1942.

The couple's remarkable achievement was verified by LongevistQuest, a website that keeps records of centenarians. They were able to provide official documentation, including the couple's 1942 marriage certificate and U.S. Census records, to confirm the longevity of their union.

The Gittenses inherited the title of the world's longest-married couple after the previous record holders, Manoel Angelim Dino, 106, and his wife Maria de Sousa Dino, 102, of Brazil, passed away. The Gittenses' love story is one of endurance, as they weathered the challenges of war and hardship during their eight-plus decades together.

Eleanor and Lyle first met at a college basketball game in 1941, when Lyle was playing for Clark Atlanta University and Eleanor was a spectator. They married the following year, just before Lyle was deployed to serve in Italy with the U.S. Army's 92nd Infantry Division. Despite the separation, the couple remained devoted to one another, with Eleanor moving to New York City to be near Lyle's family and writing letters to him throughout the war.