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Jeanne Louise Calment (IPA: [ʒan lwiz kal'mɑ̃]; February 21 1875 – August 4 1997) was a French woman with the longest confirmed lifespan in history at 122 years and 164 days (44,724 days in total). She lived in Arles for her entire life, and outlived both her daughter and grandson. The wealth of her husband, whom she also outlived, meant that she never had to work, and she lived a relaxed lifestyle. She became well-known from the age of 113, when the centenary of Vincent van Gogh brought reporters to Arles, as she was the last person living to have met the artist. She entered the Guinness Book of Records in 1988, and in 1993 was declared the oldest person who had ever lived (while discounting the disputed case of Shigechiyo Izumi). Her lifespan has been thoroughly documented by scientific study, with more records having been produced to verify her age than for any other case.

Life

Calment was born in Arles, France, and lived there for all of her life. Her father, Nicolas, was a shipbuilder, and her mother, Marguerite, was from a family of millers. Her close family members also lived to an advanced age: her older brother, François, lived to the age of 97, her father to 93, and her mother to 86. In 1896, she married her second cousin (grandson of her great-uncle) Fernand Calment, a wealthy store owner. His wealth made it possible for Calment never to have to work; instead she led a relaxed lifestyle, pursuing hobbies like tennis, cycling, swimming, rollerskating, piano and opera. Her husband died in 1942 after eating a dessert prepared with spoiled cherries.

She had one daughter, Yvonne, who was born in 1898, and a grandson, Frédéric, born in 1926. She outlived her daughter, who died at age 36 in 1934 from pneumonia. Frédéric became a doctor, and Calment outlived him after he died in 1963.

In 1965, aged 90, with no living heirs, Jeanne Calment signed a deal to sell her former apartment to lawyer Andrei-François Raffray, on a contingency contract. Raffray, then aged 47, agreed to pay her a monthly sum of 2,500 francs until she died, an agreement sometimes called a "reverse mortgage". Raffray ended up paying Calment more than the equivalent of $180,000, which was more than double the apartment's value. His widow was still paying Calment until she died, after Raffray had died of cancer at the age of 77.

Recognition

In 1985, Calment moved into a nursing home, having lived on her own until age 110. Nevertheless, she did not gain international fame until 1988, when the centenary of Vincent van Gogh's visit to Arles provided an occasion to meet reporters. She said that in 1888 she met Van Gogh in her father's shop, later describing him as "dirty, badly dressed and disagreeable", and "very ugly, ungracious, impolite, sick".

At the age of 114, she appeared briefly in the 1990 film Vincent and Me as herself, making her the oldest actress ever. A French documentary film about her life, entitled Beyond 120 Years with Jeanne Calment, was released in 1995. In 1996, to celebrate her 121st birthday, a record company released "Time's Mistress", a four-track CD of her speaking over a background of rap and hip hop. After her 122nd birthday, it was decided she should get no more publicity, as her health had seriously deteriorated, and she died five months later.

Record breaking

After her 1988 interview, at age 113, Calment was given the Guinness Records' "world's oldest living person" title. However, in 1990, the title was withdrawn and given to Carrie C. White of Florida, who was claimed to have been born in 1874, although this has been disputed by subsequent census research.

On White's death on February 14, 1991, Calment, then a week shy of 116, became the oldest recognized living person. In 1993, she entered the Guinness Book of Records as the oldest living person, whose birthdate could be reliably authenticated. On October 17, 1995 Calment reached 120 years and 238 days to become the Guinness Records' "oldest person ever", surpassing Shigechiyo Izumi of Japan, whose own claim has also been subject to some doubt. If the cases of Shigechiyo Izumi and Carrie White are discounted, Calment is the first person documented to reach 115, 116, 117, 118 and 119 years old. She is also the only person to have undisputedly lived at least 120 years.

Following Calment's death on August 4, 1997, then almost 117-year-old Marie-Louise Meilleur of Canada became the oldest living recognized person in the world.

Health status

Calment's remarkable health presaged her later record. At age 85, she took up fencing, and at 100, she was still riding a bicycle. Jeanne lived on her own until shortly before her 110th birthday, when it was decided that she needed to be moved to a nursing home. However, Jeanne was still in good shape, and was able to walk until a fall at age 114 years and 11 months, which required surgery. She reportedly attributed her longevity and relatively youthful appearance for her age to olive oil, which she said she poured on all her food and rubbed onto her skin, as well as a diet of port wine, and nearly 2 pounds of chocolate eaten every week. Jeanne Calment smoked until she was 117, and only quit when she could no longer see well enough to light the cigarettes.

See also

• Aging
• Lifespan
• List of the oldest people
• Longevity claims (for information on competing, but unsuccessfully verified claims of longevity)
• Longevity myths (for information on far-fetched claims of longevity)
• Oldest people
• Senescence
• Supercentenarian

References

1. ^ Whitney, Craig R. (1997-08-05). "Jeanne Calment, World's Elder, Dies at 122". New York Times. Retrieved 2008-08-04.
2. The Guinness Book of Records, 1999 edition, p.102, ISBN 0851120709.
3. ^ "Validation of Exceptional Longevity - Jeanne Calment: Validation of the Duration of Her Life". Max Planck Institute for Demographic Research. Retrieved 2008-08-04.
4. "MILESTONES". Time. 1997-08-18. Retrieved 2008-08-04. {{cite news}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
5. ^ "World's oldest person dies at 122". CNN. 1997-08-04. Retrieved 2008-08-04. {{cite news}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
6. ^ "Tribute to Jeanne Calment, memorial - Lasting tribute". Lasting Tribute. Retrieved 2008-08-05.
7. ^ "Believed to be world's oldest, woman in France dies at 122". Houston Chronicle. 1997-08-04. Retrieved 2008-08-05. {{cite news}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
8. ^ Addy, Ronda (2008-05-25). "Life expectancy". Sun Journal. Retrieved 2008-08-06.
9. ^ "The Oldest Human Beings". Recordholders.org. Retrieved 2008-08-06.

Further reading

• Allard, Michel (1998). Jeanne Calment: From Van Gogh's Time to Ours : 122 Extraordinary Years. New York: W.H. Freeman. ISBN 0-7167-3251-3. {{cite book}}: Unknown parameter |coauthors= ignored (|author= suggested) (help)
• Robine, Jean-Marie (1999). Jeune, Bernard; Vaupel, James W. (eds) (ed.). Jeanne Calment: Validation of the Duration of Her Life. Validation of Exceptional Longevity. Odense University Press. ISBN 87-7838-466-4. {{cite book}}: |editor= has generic name (help); Unknown parameter |coauthors= ignored (|author= suggested) (help)CS1 maint: multiple names: editors list (link)

External links

• Jeanne Calment at Find a Grave
• Jeanne Calment at IMDb

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• French supercentenarians
• Guinness World Record holders