Elaine Esposito (December 3, 1934 – November 25, 1978) held the record for the longest period of time in a coma according to Guinness World Records, having lost consciousness in 1941 and eventually dying in that condition more than 37 years later. Edwarda O'Bara and Aruna Shanbaug later exceeded Esposito's record of having been in the longest comas.