Was the ‘world’s oldest woman’ really 122?

Yes, Jeanne Calment is often cited as the longest-lived person in modern history, having supposedly lived to 122 years and 164 days. She was born on February 21, 1875, in Arles, France, and passed away on August 4, 1997. Her longevity has been a subject of much interest, and her case has been extensively documented.

However, her age has been a topic of some controversy. While the French government and various organizations officially recognized her as the world’s oldest verified person, some researchers have raised doubts about the accuracy of her age. Some have suggested that her daughter, Yvonne, might have taken her mother’s identity after Yvonne’s death, allowing Jeanne to continue receiving recognition for an extraordinary age. This theory, however, remains speculative, and no conclusive evidence has emerged to prove it.

Still, regardless of the speculation, Jeanne Calment’s life and longevity remain remarkable, and she is widely regarded as an extraordinary example of human lifespan.

Jeanne Calment is widely recognized as the longest-lived person in recorded history, having allegedly lived to the age of 122 years and 164 days. Her life story has been extensively documented and celebrated, although there are some controversies and theories surrounding her extreme longevity. Below is a detailed account of her life, the verifications of her age, and the ongoing debates about the authenticity of her records.

Early Life

• Birth: Jeanne Calment was born on February 21, 1875, in Arles, a city in the south of France, in the Bouches-du-Rhône department. She was the daughter of Nicolas Calment, a wealthy store owner, and Marguerite Calment.
• Childhood and Family: She had a relatively privileged childhood and grew up in a comfortable middle-class family. Her father, Nicolas, was successful in business, and the family lived in a spacious apartment.
• Education and Early Interests: Jeanne was educated locally and had a love for sports, including cycling, fencing, and tennis. She also enjoyed playing the piano. At an early age, she became aware of her family’s wealth and social status but did not seem overly preoccupied with materialism.

Adulthood

• Marriage: In 1896, at the age of 21, Jeanne Calment married Fernand Nicolas Calment, a wealthy merchant. They had one child, a daughter named Yvonne, born in 1898.
• Tragic Loss: Jeanne’s husband, Fernand, died in 1942 at the age of 73, and her only child, Yvonne, died in 1934 at the age of 36 due to cancer. Her grandchild also passed away at a young age. These losses made Jeanne’s later years even more solitary.
• Widowhood and Longevity: After her husband’s death, Jeanne continued to live in Arles. She lived alone for many years and took part in several hobbies, including painting and playing games. As she grew older, she gained a reputation for maintaining a positive and active outlook on life, which many attribute to her longevity.

The Years of Longevity

Jeanne Calment’s life was not just extraordinary in terms of her age but also in the sheer number of historical events and transformations she witnessed. She lived through:

• The end of the 19th century and the turn of the 20th century
• World War I (1914-1918)
• World War II (1939-1945)
• The rise of the automobile, the airplane, and space exploration
• The advances in medicine and technology

Her long life allowed her to meet many prominent people, including Vincent van Gogh. She famously recalled that as a young girl, she had met the artist when he came into her family’s shop, describing him as a “dirty, ugly” man with a troubled demeanor.

Claim to Fame: The World’s Oldest Living Person

Jeanne Calment was officially recognized by the Guinness Book of World Records and the Gerontology Research Group as the world’s oldest verified person. She became the world’s oldest living person on January 17, 1986, when the previous record-holder, Sarah Knauss of the United States, passed away. Jeanne’s longevity made headlines, and her life was celebrated by the media, researchers, and even the French government.

The End of Life

Jeanne Calment’s later years were marked by her calm acceptance of aging. She became a beloved figure in France, and people from all over the world came to visit her. In her final years, she lived in a nursing home. Despite her advanced age, she remained remarkably lucid and able to communicate with others.

• Death: Jeanne Calment died on August 4, 1997, at the age of 122 years and 164 days. She was survived by no direct descendants, as her daughter and grandchild had predeceased her.

Official Verification of Her Age

Jeanne Calment’s age was verified through multiple sources, including:

1. Civil Records: Birth and marriage certificates were used to verify her identity. Her birth certificate was found in the municipal archives of Arles, and her marriage certificate was also registered.
2. Witnesses and Documentation: She was known to have been interviewed many times by journalists and researchers, and several reliable individuals (such as local officials and physicians) testified to her age.
3. Medical Records: Some researchers looked into the details of her health and medical history. She underwent several physical examinations, and the reports indicated that she had the health of a much younger person for a significant portion of her life.

The Longevity Lifestyle: What Contributed to Her Long Life?

Jeanne Calment’s long life has led to significant interest in the factors contributing to her extreme longevity. Some of the things she attributed to her extended life include:

• Positive Attitude: Jeanne often spoke about the importance of maintaining a positive outlook and avoiding stress. She was known to have a good sense of humor and often made witty comments about her age.
• Diet and Lifestyle: She was a fan of olive oil, which she used both in her cooking and for rubbing on her skin. She also enjoyed a diet of wine, chocolate, and port wine. However, while her diet may have contributed, she also joked that she never exercised too much, and she didn’t follow any strict regimen.
• Genetics: Jeanne often credited her long life to good genes, noting that both her mother and her maternal grandfather lived into their late 80s or early 90s, and her father lived to 93.
• Moderate Alcohol Use: Jeanne Calment was known to drink a glass of port wine every day and occasionally enjoyed a piece of chocolate. These habits were seen by some as contributing to her longevity, though this has not been scientifically proven to be a major factor.

The Controversy: Did Jeanne Calment Really Live to 122?

In 2018, a study by Russian researchers led by Vladimir S. Guriev raised doubts about the veracity of Jeanne Calment’s recorded age. They suggested that her daughter, Yvonne, might have taken her mother’s identity after Yvonne’s death in 1934. According to this theory, Jeanne would have been born in 1896, not 1875, and thus would have only lived to be 99, not 122.

This hypothesis was based on several factors, including discrepancies in the available records and some inconsistencies in Jeanne’s statements over the years. For example, Jeanne herself occasionally seemed confused about her exact birth year in later interviews, which some interpreted as evidence that she had assumed her mother’s identity.

However, this theory has not been conclusively proven, and most experts in the field of gerontology continue to accept Jeanne Calment’s age as accurate. Researchers who have investigated the claim argue that the evidence is circumstantial and that it would be difficult to falsify all of the documents and testimonies verifying Jeanne’s birth year.

Conclusion

Jeanne Calment’s life remains one of the most extraordinary human stories of longevity. Regardless of the controversy surrounding her exact age, her life spans over a century of historical and technological change, and she remains an iconic figure in the study of aging. Whether or not her age is entirely accurate, her story continues to inspire people around the world to think about the possibilities of living longer, healthier lives.

Her case still provides valuable insights into the biology of aging, human genetics, and the environmental and lifestyle factors that contribute to longevity, even as we continue to debate whether extreme lifespans are biologically possible for humans.