Romania’s first supercentenarian celebrates 111th birthday

The oldest person in Romania, a woman from the city of Cugir, central Romania, born in 1915, was celebrated on Monday, July 20, on the occasion of her 111th birthday.

Noja Paladia, who ranks 124th in the world among the longest-living people, holds the official status of the oldest living person in Romania. On her birthday, she was visited by Cugir mayor Adrian Teban. During the visit, the mayor presented the celebrant with a certificate of appreciation, a bouquet and a symbolic amount of money, “as a sign of deep respect and public recognition from the entire local community for a life that has crossed, with exemplary dignity, a century and more than a decade,” according to the Orașul Cugir Facebook page.

The woman lives in her own home together with her 76-year-old daughter, who takes care of her permanently, while the entire extended family is involved in ensuring all the necessary conditions for a peaceful old age, the same source stated.

“The case of Mrs Noja Paladia (born Bâldea) has received international recognition. On April 16, 2026, the international organization Gerontology Research Group (GRG) officially confirmed and validated her supercentenarian status following rigorous demographic checks: 124th place in the official global ranking of the longest-living people currently alive on the planet,” representatives of the local administration said.

According to them, Noja Paladia is also the oldest person in the Balkan region and, at the same time, the oldest woman who has ever lived in Romania, becoming the first female supercentenarian in the documented history of the country.

Paladia is close to reaching the title of the longest-lived person in the entire documented history of Romania, a record held by the late World War II veteran Ilie Ciocan, who recently passed away on May 27, 2026, at the astonishing age of 112 years and 351 days.

Paladia’s secret to longevity is a moderate lifestyle. She never smoked, never drank alcohol, and always ate in moderation. She had many stomach problems due to pregnancies and underwent surgery three times. Her diet, simple and natural, was always based on traditional foods grown in her own garden. She grew up with home-cooked meals, fresh vegetables and dairy products, without excesses.

radu@romania-insider.com

(Photo source: Orașul Cugir on Facebook) ...