How old was the eldest person who ever lived?
It was Jeanne Louise Calment, a French woman who lived to be 122 (21 February 1875-4 August 1997). Interesting facts: She once met Vincent Van Gogh. She was from Arles, where Van Gogh lived for a time. In France people buy the apartments of living people, pay them annuities (e. g., a certain sum per month), and then move in when the owner dies. Good deal if the person dies soon after one makes the purchase. Jeanne Calment was a heroine to the parsimonious French because she sold her apartment twice; she outlived by two years the person who bought it from her first. When she turned 120, reporters asked about her wrinkles. Her wit and vanity did not age; she bristled, “I have only one wrinkle, and I am sitting on it.” Not bad at 120! She evidently rode her bicycle until she was 100. Some people have claimed to be older than 122, but the case of Jeanne Calment (pronounced cal MUH) is documented with indisputable records. In other cases there are dubious documents.
