Living long and healthy is the challenge of our times. Those who succeeded in the past did not do so because they were pursuing this as a priority objective in life, but more likely due to a series of fortunate circumstances, combined with a set of favorable factors which included genetic heritage, food choices, lifestyle habits, the environment in which he lived.
The most emblematic case is that of the French super centenarian Jeanne Louise Calment. Born in Arles on 21 February 1875 and also died in Arles on 4 August 1997, she lived 122 years and 164 days (a total of 44,724 days of life) and still holds the record as the longest-lived person of all time, of whom can have certain information.
Confirmed by her birth certificate, her longevity has been carefully documented by scientific studies carried out on the case, which have ascertained that even today Madame Calment represents the only person in the history of humanity to have certainly exceeded the age of 120.
A bit of biography and historical moments
Daughter of Nicolas Calment, a ship carpenter, and Marguerite Gilles, coming from a family of millers, Jeanne was the last of four children. Her family of origin was also particularly long-lived: her older brother lived for 97 years, her father lived for 93, and her mother for 86.
On 1 June 1885 he took part, together with his family, in the writer's funeral Victor Hugo celebrated at the Pantheon in Paris. In 1888 met Vincent Van Gogh, came to visit her husband's shop, looking for canvases to paint on. Later, to those who asked her for anecdotes about her life, she described the famous painter – whom she met when he was already in old age – as “dirty, badly dressed and unpleasant”, as well as “ugly, rude and sick”.
At the age of 21 Jeanne married her second cousin Fernand Nicolas Calment – a marriage she later described as very happy – and from whom Yvonne was born, an only daughter, who died aged just 36, in 1934, due to pneumonia . She left Jeanne with the task of raising her grandson Frédéric Billot, who however was given an equally unfortunate fate: he died in a motorbike accident at the age of 36, the same age as his mother.
Left alone and after living in the home of her nephew's widow until the age of 110, in 1985 Jeanne Calment moved to the retirement home La Maison du Lacwho a few years later created a compact disk entitled Maîtresse du temps (The lady of time), with Calment's voice recalling her life, mixed with traces of rap and other musical genres. Upon her death in 1997, at the age of 122, Jeanne was buried in the family tomb in the Cimetière de Trinquetaille, located in the district of the same name in Arles.
The title of “longest-lived person of all time” was recognized by the Guinness Book of Records in 1988. She is one of eleven people in the history of humanity who have reached 117 years of age, and is also, together with the Japanese Kane Tanaka (1903-2022), French style Lucile Randon (1904-2023) and American style Sarah Knauss (1880-1999) one of four to have turned 118 and together with Kane Tanaka and Sarah Knauss one of three to have turned 119.
The strengths of Jeanne's life
We don't know much about Jeanne's habits, but it is certain that she led an extremely active life: she learned to swim and play tennis when she was young and even started practicing fencing when she was already 85 years old. Not only that: once she reached the age of 100 she continued to ride a bicycle.
As a girl she loved painting and was passionate about decorative arts: she painted screens with floral motifs. Additionally, she enjoyed playing the piano.
To those who asked her for explanations and suggestions, Jeanne Calment replied that its longevity depended on a particularly fast metabolism. She said she hadn't never sick is that his body had always maintained its functions unchanged.
…and some weak points
However, the existence of the French super centenarian also included some “weak points”: every day she did not miss a glass of port And he smoked until he was 117. But considering that both alcohol consumption and smoking can shorten life expectancy, how much longer could he have lived without these “unhealthy habits”?
Source: Vanity Fair
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