In an extraordinary milestone, a couple in Brazil has set the Guinness World Record for the longest marriage of a living couple with 84 years of wedded bliss.
The couple, Manoel Angelim Dino, 105, and Maria de Sousa Dino, 101, are from the rural municipality of Boa Viagem in the northeastern state of Ceará.
Their marriage has been verified as lasting 84 years and 77 days as of 5 February. Alongside Guinness World Records to verify this information was LongeviQuest, a global database that tracks the lives of the world’s oldest individuals.
They met in 1936 while working in agriculture and married after four years while they were 21 and 17 respectively.
However, their journey to a lasting partnership wasn’t without its challenges — they were initially opposed by Maria’s mother, but Manoel won her over by gaining her approval and building a home for their future family.
Over the years, they raised 13 children, nine of whom are still alive, and are now surrounded by a large extended family with 55 grandchildren, 60 great-grandchildren, and 14 great-great-grandchildren.
Though Manoel spends most of his time resting due to old age, they make it a nightly tradition to listen to the rosary and watch mass.
Maria credits their long, happy marriage to love. The couple’s devotion to each other and their enduring commitment to their family has made them inseparable, inspiring many about love that lasts across generations.