The world's oldest person has died in the United States at the age of 116, CNN reported.

Besse Cooper passed away on Tuesday in Monroe, Georgia, her son Sidney told the television network.

Cooper "had a long, good life. She went very easy," he said.

Guinness World Records gave Cooper the distinction of being the oldest living human in January 2011. She was born August 26, 1896 in Tennessee.

When asked for her secret to longevity, Cooper once said: "I mind my own business and I don't eat junk food."

She married her husband Luther in 1924, and they had four children. As of her 114th birthday, Cooper had 12 grandchildren and more than a dozen great-grandchildren and great-great-grandchildren, according to The Atlanta Journal-Constitution.

In the same year Cooper was born, the first Dow Jones Industrial Average was published, the first modern Olympic games were held and the first Ford vehicle was built.