Love is a timeless force that binds people together, transcending distance, time, and circumstance. Love knows no bounds for a Brazilian couple who have been married for a record 84 years and have over 100 grandchildren. Manoel and Maria exchanged vows in 1940 at the chapel of Boa Ventura in Ceará, Brazil. The world was a very different place back then—Brazil had yet to win a single FIFA World Cup, and the first programmable electronic computer had not even been invented.

Their story began in 1936 when Manoel travelled to the Almeida region in Boa Viagem to collect a shipment of rapaduras, a traditional Brazilian candy. It was there that he first met Maria. Their relationship, however, did not blossom immediately. A chance encounter in 1940 reignited their connection, and Manoel, convinced Maria was the one, declared his love for her. Maria accepted, marking the beginning of their lifelong commitment.

    Overcoming challenges

Maria’s mother was hesitant about the relationship at first, prompting Manoel to prove his worth. Determined to provide for their future, he began building a home for them. Once he gained the family's approval, the couple wed and embarked on their shared life together.

For decades, they worked diligently in agriculture, cultivating rolled tobacco to support their growing family. They raised 13 children, who later expanded their lineage to 55 grandchildren, 54 great-grandchildren, and 12 great-great-grandchildren.

Now in their later years, Manoel and Maria spend their days in tranquility. Manoel, due to his age, rests during the day, but every evening, he joins Maria in the living room to listen to the rosary prayer on the radio before watching a televised mass.

When asked about the key to a lasting marriage, Maria and her family provide a simple yet profound answer: love. “And that’s something even the most advanced computer could never calculate!”

The Guinness World Record was confirmed by LongeviQuest with assistance from their extended family. While Manoel and Maria hold the record for the longest living marriage, the longest marriage ever recorded between different sexes was that of David Jacob Hiller (b. 1789) and Sarah Davy Hiller (b. 1792), who were married for an impressive 88 years and 349 days until Sarah’s passing in 1898.

Previously, Herbert Fisher (USA, b. 1905) and Zelmyra Fisher (USA, b. 1907) held the record for the longest marriage, having been together for 86 years and 290 days until Herbert's passing on February 27, 2011.