They married before World War II, raised 13 children and built a family of more than 120 descendants: The remarkable story of Brazil’s couple who held the Guinness record for longest-married living pair
When Manoel Angelim Dino first met Maria de Sousa Dino in the 1930s, the two were young people working in agriculture for their respective families in Ceará, Brazil. Their first meeting did not immediately lead to a relationship. They crossed paths again several years later, and that second meeting changed the course of their lives. Manoel and Maria married on November 20, 1940, at the chapel of Boa Ventura in Ceará, Brazil. They went on to spend almost 85 years together, raising 13 children and watching their family grow across several generations. In February 2025, Guinness World Records recognised them as the ‘longest-married living couple of different sexes,’ recording their marriage at 84 years and 77 days as of February 5, 2025.The title, however, was a record held while both were alive. Manoel died on October 20, 2025, at the age of 106, meaning the couple is no longer the world’s longest-married living pair. At the time of his death, Maria was 102 and they had been married for nearly 85 years.
They met while working for their families
After receiving the family’s approval, the couple married later in 1940. (Photo credit: Guinness World Records)
Manoel, born in 1919, and Maria, born in 1923, first met around 1936 while they were both involved in agricultural work for their families. According to Guinness World Records, Manoel had travelled to the Almeida region in the Boa Viagem district to collect a shipment of ‘rapaduras,’ a traditional Brazilian sweet, when he first encountered Maria. Nothing came of that meeting at the time. It was only after they met again around 1940 that Manoel decided he wanted to pursue a relationship with her. He told Maria how he felt and asked her out. She agreed. There was an obstacle, however. Maria’s mother was initially against the relationship. Manoel worked to earn the family’s trust and began building a home for the future he hoped to share with Maria. After receiving the family’s approval, the couple married later that year.
A life built around family and agriculture
After their wedding, Manoel and Maria worked together to support their growing family. They cultivated ‘rolled tobacco,’ which they sold for income. Over the years, they raised 13 children. Their family eventually expanded to include 55 grandchildren, 54 great-grandchildren and 12 great-great-grandchildren. That gave the couple a total of more than 120 descendants across those three generations when Guinness documented their record in February 2025.
What Maria said was the secret
By the time Guinness documented their record, both Manoel and Maria were centenarians. Their daily routine had become quiet. Guinness reported that Manoel mostly rested during the day because of his age, but often joined Maria in the living room in the evening. The couple listened to the rosary prayer on the radio at 6 p.m., followed by a televised mass. Asked about the secret behind their exceptionally long marriage, Maria and her family gave one simple answer: “love.”
Manoel died after nearly 85 years of marriage
The Brazilian couple’s record as the longest-married living couple therefore came to an end with Manoel’s death. (Photo credit: Guinness World Records)
Manoel died in Boa Viagem on October 20, 2025, aged 106 years and 95 days, according to Guinness World Records. He and Maria had spent nearly 85 years married. The Brazilian couple’s record as the longest-married living couple therefore came to an end with Manoel’s death. In November 2025, Guinness recognised Lyle and Eleanor Gittens of the United States as the new longest-married living couple of different sexes. They had married on June 4, 1942, and had been together for 83 years and 153 days when their record was documented.But the Brazilian couple’s story remains remarkable for another reason: their marriage stretched from 1940 through nearly nine decades of family life, and by the time Guinness recognised them, Manoel and Maria had raised 13 children and become grandparents, great-grandparents and great-great-grandparents to their descendants. Their Guinness record was temporary but their family history spans generations.
