A Brazilian couple has made history by breaking the Guinness World Record for the longest marriage of a living couple, celebrating an incredible 84 years of marital bliss. As of February 5th, 2025, Manoel Angelim Dino, 105, and his wife Maria de Sousa Dino, 101, are recognized as the oldest married couple in the world.
Their remarkable journey began in 1936 when they first met while working in agriculture in the rural municipality of Boa Viagem, in the northeastern state of Ceará. Manoel, then 21, and Maria, 17, were introduced when Manoel visited Maria’s area to collect a consignment of rapaduras, a traditional Brazilian confection. Although their first encounter didn’t lead to anything, fate brought them back together years later, and they married in November 1940.
Manoel experienced love at first sight, but Maria’s mother was initially opposed to their relationship. Undeterred, Manoel proved his commitment by patiently winning over Maria’s family, even building a house in anticipation of their future together.
In the years that followed, the couple worked in agriculture, cultivating rolled tobacco, and became parents to thirteen children. Nine of their children are still alive, and they have been blessed with fifty-five grandchildren, sixty great-grandchildren, and fourteen great-great-grandchildren.
Now, in their golden years, Manoel and Maria enjoy a peaceful life together. Although Manoel spends much of his time resting due to his age, they share a special nightly ritual. They sit together, listening to the rosary prayer on the radio, followed by watching a mass broadcast on television.
When asked about the secret to their long and happy marriage, Maria simply stated, “Love.”
The previous record for the longest marriage was held by American couple Herbert and Zelmyra Fisher, who were married for 86 years and 290 days until Herbert’s passing in 2011. The longest marriage on record, however, was that of David Jacob Hiller and Sarah Davy Hiller, who were married for 88 years and 349 days before Sarah’s death in 1898.
