Jeanne Calment: The Verified Oldest Person in History and the Secret Behind Her 122-Year Life

Jeanne Calment remains one of the most extraordinary figures in human history. Born in 1875 in Arles, southern France, she lived to the remarkable age of 122 years and 164 days, passing away in 1997. Her longevity has been rigorously verified through birth records, census data, marriage documents, and photographs.

Today, her status as the longest-lived human being is universally accepted by demographers, historians, and medical experts—and officially recognized by Guinness World Records.

To this day, Jeanne Calment is the only verified person to have lived beyond 119 years.

Jeanne Calment fête ses 116 ans le 21 février 1991 à Arles, France. (Photo by Germain REY/Gamma-Rapho via Getty Images)

A Life That Spanned Three Centuries

Jeanne Calment’s lifetime reads like a living history book. She witnessed:

• The invention of the light bulb and the telephone

• The construction of the Eiffel Tower

• Two World Wars

• The rise of the automobile and the dawn of the internet age

• The assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand

• The leadership of multiple American presidents

• The growth of the U.S. Civil Rights Movement

Few people in history have observed such profound global transformation firsthand.

An Unconventional Lifestyle

Contrary to what many might expect, Jeanne Calment did not follow a strict health regimen.

• She ate nearly two pounds of chocolate every week

• Enjoyed dessert with every meal

• Smoked cigarettes from age 21 until 117

• Drank port wine in moderation

• Rode a bicycle well into her 90s

• On her 100th birthday, she walked across Arles to personally thank those who congratulated her

On her 120th birthday, she famously told reporters:

“I see badly, I hear badly, I can’t feel anything, but everything’s fine.”

Her humor never faded. Even in old age, she joked that she had “only one wrinkle—and she was sitting on it.”

JEANNE CALMENT THE WORLD’S OLDEST PERSON (Photo by Pascal Parrot/Sygma/Sygma via Getty Images)

The Real Secret Behind Her Longevity

So what truly allowed Jeanne Calment to live so long?

Medical researcher Jean-Marie Robin, who worked with Calment’s physician on her biography, offered a compelling explanation. In an interview with The New York Times, he said:

“I think she was someone who, constitutionally and biologically speaking, was immune to stress.”

Jeanne herself lived by a simple philosophy:

“If you can’t do anything about it, don’t worry about it.”

According to experts, her calm temperament, emotional resilience, and ability to avoid stress played a major role in her extraordinary lifespan.

A Legacy That Still Inspires

Jeanne Calment’s life challenges modern assumptions about aging. She reminds us that longevity is not defined solely by diet or routine, but also by mindset.

Her story suggests that laughter, perspective, and inner peace may be just as powerful as any medical breakthrough.

More than two decades after her death, Jeanne Calment continues to inspire people around the world—proving that a long life is not only about years, but about how those years are lived.