World's Oldest Married Couple, Ages 108 & 107, Share Their 83-Year Love Story
When Lyle Gittens, 108, first saw Eleanor, 107, at a college basketball game in 1939, he knew she was special. Eighty-three years of marriage later, they hold the Guinness World Record for the oldest living married couple — and their secret to love is surprisingly simple.
The Secret Passion
Eleanor remembers the moment vividly: "One night, I went to a basketball game where he was the star player. So I noticed him."
Shortly after, Lyle passed her on campus and said the words that started it all: "You're my SP" — my secret passion.
He tried to impress her with his Harlem-style dancing — the Lindy. "I didn't know how to dance that way," Eleanor admits. Lyle's response? "She's a goody two-shoes."
"Well, that's what they all called me all my life," Eleanor laughs in their recent StoryCorps interview with their daughter, Angela.
A Panic Proposal
The year was 1941. Eleanor was in the graduating class, about to leave their college. Lyle panicked.
"It occurred to me that I would never see her again. I didn't want to lose this girl," Lyle recalls. "I sort of panicked, and with nothing to offer her, I asked her to marry me."
Eleanor's answer? Yes.
"I've been lucky," Lyle says, his voice warm with decades of love. "I look upon us as the princess and the pauper. And the princess and the pauper prevail so far for 83 years."
The Secret to 83 Years of Marriage
When their daughter asks what makes a marriage last more than eight decades, Eleanor shares wisdom that might surprise modern couples:
"I say you have to like the person as well as love. I think liking is even more important."
— Eleanor Gittens, 107
Lyle's answer is even simpler: "There's really no secret. You just live. You live every day, and you become almost one person."
Their Proudest Achievement
After more than eight decades together, raising a family, and becoming the world's oldest married couple, Angela asks her parents: "What is your proudest achievement?"
Without hesitation, Lyle answers: "You."
Laughter fills the room. "Well, I accept that," Angela says.
'I Love My Wife'
As the interview comes to a close, Lyle adds one more thing:
"I love my wife."
Eleanor's response is immediate: "I love him."
A Love for the History Books
Lyle and Eleanor Gittens now hold the Guinness World Record for the oldest living married couple. Their StoryCorps interview is part of the Brightness in Black Project and is archived in the Library of Congress — a permanent testament to a love that has endured through:
- World War II
- The Civil Rights Movement
- The Moon Landing
- The Digital Revolution
- A global pandemic
- 83 Valentine's Days together
What We Can Learn
In a world of dating apps and high divorce rates, Lyle and Eleanor's story offers timeless wisdom:
- Don't wait for perfection. Lyle had "nothing to offer" when he proposed — but he offered himself, and that was enough.
- Like matters more than love. Passion fades, but genuine friendship endures.
- You become one person. It's not about losing yourself — it's about growing together, day by day.
- Simple words matter. After 83 years, "I love my wife" still needs to be said.
A Valentine's Day Message
As couples around the world celebrate Valentine's Day 2026, Lyle and Eleanor remind us what real love looks like: not a single moment of perfection, but thousands of ordinary days lived together, becoming "almost one person."
From a basketball game in 1939 to a Guinness World Record in 2026, their story proves that the best romances aren't found in movies — they're built one day at a time, with liking, living, and love.
Happy Valentine's Day from the world's greatest love story. 💕
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