Jeanne Louise Calment, born on February 21, 1875, in Arles, France, lived an extraordinary life spanning 122 years and 164 days, making her the longest-lived person in recorded history. Born into a family known for longevity, Jeanne married her double second cousin, Fernand Nicolas Calment, at 21 and enjoyed a comfortable, leisurely lifestyle in Arles’ upper society. She never needed to work, thanks to her husband’s successful drapery business, and pursued various hobbies including fencing, cycling, tennis, and piano playing. At 13, she claimed to have met Vincent van Gogh, describing him unfavorably. Calment remained remarkably active in her later years, riding a bicycle at 100 and living independently until just before her 110th birthday. She gained international fame as she broke longevity records, becoming widely recognized as the oldest living person at 113 and the oldest verified person ever at 120 years and 238 days. Calment briefly appeared in a film at 114 and was the subject of a documentary at 120. Despite her declining health in her final years, including being wheelchair-bound after a hip injury at 115, she continued to captivate the world with her longevity. Jeanne Calment passed away on August 4, 1997, in Arles, leaving behind a legacy that continues to intrigue researchers studying human longevity. While some controversy surrounds the verification of her age, with unproven theories suggesting her daughter may have assumed her identity, Calment’s case remains a fascinating subject in the study of human lifespan limits.

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  1. Fun fact. An attorney offered to pay her rent in exchange of getting her property when she died. She was in her 90's already and the attorney thought she would die in a few years. He ended up passing first.

  2. My great, great, great grandmother on my father side died at 115 years old. I always heard that she died by falling off a cliff in Ireland, but as it turns out those were tall tales. I found information on her when I did my ancestry chart and lo and behold, she moved from Ireland to Newfoundland, where she passed. She was born in 1828 and died in 1942. At one point, she was known as the oldest woman in North America. I’m not sure if this still rings true today, but she held that title. Regardless at 113 she gave a radio address…. She stood tall and straight and had a fabulous memory.. my goodness, at that age.. that is a blessing😂 my father is 80 and still can get on a roof and jump over fences. My uncle is 91 and remains one of the toughest motherf*ckers I’ve ever met. We have some serious longevity on my father side and I hope and pray I get to keep my health and wits for that long🙏🏻

  3. not true, there's an Algerian (my country) Old woman in my country who was born in 1894 making her 130 years old today, idk when this video was made but the Grandma wasn't known until recently

  4. She was alive for the sinking of the titanic the invention of sliced bread, both world wars, the Cold War the invention of color TV the invention of the Internet Time when cars started taking over the great depression she lived through a lot

  5. The oldesst KNOWN person, or maybe the oldest living person in the Western hemisphere. I have heard of a few people around me in Nigeria who have grandparents, grand aunts, great-grand parents etc who live well into their hundreds.

  6. When she was 109, in response to being asked what she ate her entire life that helped her live SO long Jeanina said, "oh dear, a great many things. Antibiotic infused milk from cows, vitamin fruity pebbles cereal, chicken fried in oil made from our corn, lots and lots of corn, cornbread, wheat, pasta, butter, sour patch kids, reeses peanut butter cup ice cream, oreos, milkshakes, cokes, jolly ranchers, tootsie rolls, cinnamon rolls, hawaiin rolls, potato wedges, eggs covered with cheese and cream cheese, pasta doused in tomatoe sauce and ricotta cheese, pork bacon every day, hamburger helper, sloppy joe, pizza pies, apple pies, cake and cookies & marshmallows with hot chocolate."
    She definitely knew the key to a long healthy life full of zest & vitality just like half of America. 😊

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