Meet Lyle Gittens (108) and Eleanor Gittens (107) — the Miami Couple Honored by Guinness World Records After 83 Years of Marriage and a 216-Year Combined Age
In a remarkable testament to love, longevity, and living history, Lyle Gittens, age 108, and his wife Eleanor Gittens, age 107, have been officially recognized by Guinness World Records as both the oldest living married couple and the oldest married couple ever (aggregate age), with a combined age of 216 years and 132 days as of November 4, 2025. Their love story, stretching back to June 4, 1942, is one of devotion, mutual support, and quiet resilience, even as it stands as a beacon of what enduring partnership can mean in the modern age.
The Gittens’ journey began in 1941 at Clark Atlanta University, where Lyle starred on the college basketball team and Eleanor attended as a student. They began dating that year and married the following summer, on a three-day pass Lyle received from military training during World War II. The timing could not have been more uncertain: Lyle was soon deployed with the U.S. Army’s 92nd Infantry Division to Italy, while Eleanor, pregnant with their first child, moved to New York City and began working in payroll for an aircraft-parts company. They wrote letters to each other constantly, even as censorship cut large portions of his correspondence.
When the war ended, the couple relocated to New York together, where both pursued careers in government service and raised three children — son Lyle Rogers Gittens and daughters Angela and Ignae. Eleanor went on to earn a doctorate in Urban Education from Fordham University at age 69, a rare accomplishment and a marker of the couple’s shared commitment to education and lifelong growth. In recent years, they moved to Miami to live near their daughter Angela, settling into a warm and close-knit family environment surrounded by grandchildren and great-grandchildren.
When asked about the secret to their 83-year marriage, both offered the same simple but powerful answer. Eleanor said, “We love each other.” Lyle smiled and added, “I love my wife.” Beneath those few words lies a story of endurance, patience, and unwavering care — one that has carried them through decades of change and countless chapters of life together. Their secret, family members say, has always been balance: respect for one another’s independence paired with a commitment to always come back to the same table at the end of the day.
The couple’s daily ritual is one of their most charming traditions. In their younger years, they enjoyed a daily martini together. These days, they share a Modelo beer at lunchtime — a modest but symbolic ritual that captures the humor and simplicity that define their relationship. “They still make time to enjoy each other,” their daughter Angela shared. “It’s the little things, the routines, the way they laugh at the same jokes.”
Their marriage has spanned the Great Depression, World War II, the Civil Rights Movement, and the digital age. Through it all, they have remained steadfast partners, adapting to each new era while holding on to timeless values. Both have lived through a century’s worth of milestones — from segregation-era Georgia to the first Black president of the United States — and their shared journey reflects not just personal endurance but cultural history. Lyle’s military service came at a time when Black soldiers often faced racism and limited opportunities even as they served their country. Eleanor’s academic and professional achievements broke barriers for women in education long before gender equality was common.
Their story, therefore, represents not only love but also quiet perseverance. It’s a reminder of how relationships can survive — and thrive — against backdrops of hardship. The couple’s children describe them as “the ultimate team,” noting that they have always faced challenges together, from health scares to financial struggles to moving across states. “They never stop working together,” Angela said. “They just figured out how to make it work, no matter what came their way.”
Their Guinness World Records recognition came this month after verification by both Guinness and longevity research organization LongeviQuest. The certificates, delivered to their Miami home, declared them the “Oldest Living Married Couple” and “Oldest Married Couple Ever (Aggregate Age).” Photos from the moment show the couple side by side, holding framed plaques with quiet pride. Even at 107 and 108, they remain warm, sharp, and remarkably present — quick with a laugh, tender with each other, and still visibly in love.
For many who have followed their story, the Gittens’ marriage stands as a kind of living archive of love’s durability. It’s a narrative that defies the fast-paced nature of modern relationships. “In their day, commitment wasn’t about perfection,” their grandson Hasani Gittens said. “It was about showing up — every single day — even when it wasn’t easy. That’s what they’ve done for 83 years.”
As for the secret to longevity, both in life and marriage, the couple credits faith, good humor, and taking care of each other. They eat balanced meals, stay hydrated, and have never been heavy drinkers or smokers. Lyle jokes that the occasional beer “keeps the heart young,” while Eleanor insists laughter is her real secret. “We laugh a lot,” she said. “We don’t argue for long. We forgive quickly.”
The family adds that even as their physical mobility has slowed, their affection has not. They still reach for each other’s hands, still sit close enough to share small touches, and still offer each other care in the smallest gestures — from adjusting a blanket to sharing a drink. “It’s beautiful,” said their daughter Angela. “They’ve created a home full of peace.”
Their story has inspired couples around the world. Online, tributes poured in following the Guinness announcement, with people writing messages of admiration and awe. “If this doesn’t define love, nothing does,” one comment read. Others praised their “gentle power” and “commitment in a world where people give up too easily.”
In truth, the Gittens’ relationship reminds us that longevity doesn’t come from avoiding life’s difficulties but facing them together. Through war, illness, and cultural upheaval, they’ve leaned on faith, family, and each other. And in a time when many wonder whether lifelong love still exists, they prove that it not only endures but grows stronger with time.
For Lyle and Eleanor, the attention and accolades are humbling. They remain private, modest people who never set out to break a record. “We were just living,” Eleanor told a local station. “We didn’t think about being the oldest or the longest. We just thought about loving each other.”
As they mark their 83rd anniversary, the couple continues to live side by side in Miami, where their laughter and daily beer have become something of a family ritual. In a world obsessed with newness, theirs is a story of staying power — a rare kind of love that has weathered storms, raised generations, and outlasted entire eras.
The Guinness certificate now hangs proudly near their bedside, but the real reward is in the life they’ve built together — a love story that’s still being written, one shared drink and one soft “I love you” at a time.
