Jeanne Calment: the oldest person to have ever lived
Written by Roneel Narayan on February 16, 2022
Jeanne Louise Calment; 21 February 1875 – 4 August 1997) was a French supercentenarian and the oldest human whose age is well-documented, with a lifespan of 122 years and 164 days.
Her longevity attracted media attention and medical studies of her health and lifestyle. She is the only person verified to have lived beyond the age of 120.
According to census records, Calment outlived both her daughter and grandson. In January 1988, at age 112, she was widely reported to have been the oldest living person, and in 1995, at age 120, was declared the oldest person to have ever lived.
Calment died of unspecified causes on 4 August 1997 around 10 a.m. According to media reports, she had been in good health, though almost blind and deaf, as recently as a month before her death.
