Oldest person in the world
turned 122 on February 21, 1997
Jeanne Louise Calment
Photo by N'geen Tien-Gamma Liasion
Jeanne Louise Calment was born in Arles, France on February 21, 1875. She once met Vincent Van Gogh in her father's shop. Her genes may have contributed to her longevity as her father lived to the age of 94 and her mother to the age of 86. She married a distant cousin at the age of 21. Her only grandson died in 1963. She rode a bicycle to the age of 100.
In October of 1995, much press coverage announced that Jeanne had exceeded the lifespan of Shigechiyo (Chigechiyo) Izumi, who until then had held the claim to the longest lived human. In fact, work by John Wilmoth indicates that Izumi may have only been 105 when he died, meaning that Jeanne may have outlived Izumi in 1980. If that is accurate, Jeanne would have become the longest lived human in 1991 when she exceeded the longevity of Carrie White, who died at the age of 116.
Quotes attributed to Jeanne Calment:
In life, one sometimes makes bad deals.
Comments on the notary public, Andre-Francois Raffray, who purchased her apartment, promising to pay $500 per month until Jeanne died. He paid twice the market value for the apartment before dying in December of 1995.
Comments on her vision of the future on her 120th birthday.
I've been forgotten by a good God. (or L'Oubliée de Dieu?)
I've only got one wrinkle and I'm sitting on it. (Je n'ai jamai eu qu'une seule ride et je suis assise dessus.)
I'm a normal woman.
I am very brave and I'm afraid of nothing.
I took pleasure when I could. I acted clearly and morally and without regret. I'm very lucky.
Jeanne Calment published a CD and a VCR tape titled "Maitresse du Temps".
Update
Jeanne Calment, the world's oldest person, died at 122 on Monday August 4, 1997.
