In 1888, a 13-year-old girl named Jeanne Louise Calment was helping in her father’s shop in Arles, France, when a scruffy, alcohol-smelling man came in to buy canvas. She found him dirty and unpleasant. She had no idea he was Vincent van Gogh, who would later become one of the world’s most famous artists. Van Gogh died two years later, while Jeanne would live for another 109 years.
Born in 1875, Jeanne grew up in a comfortable family and later married a wealthy cousin. She enjoyed an active life—cycling, swimming, tennis, and more—and never seemed ready to slow down just because she was getting older. Over the decades she outlived her husband, daughter, and grandson, yet kept her independence and sense of humor.
At 100 she was still riding a bicycle. She took up fencing at 85, smoked until she was 117, and credited olive oil, chocolate, port wine, and laughter for her long life. She lived independently until 110 and even released a novelty recording at 120. When asked about her wrinkles, she famously joked that she only had one—and she was sitting on it.
One of the most memorable stories from her later years involved her apartment. At 90 she sold it to a lawyer in exchange for monthly payments for the rest of her life. The lawyer expected a short arrangement, but Jeanne lived another 32 years and outlived him. His family kept paying, ultimately paying more than twice the apartment’s value.
Jeanne witnessed extraordinary changes: she was born in the era of horses and gas lamps and lived long enough to see cars, airplanes, two world wars, the moon landing, and the rise of computers and the internet. She died on August 4, 1997, at the verified age of 122 years and 164 days, becoming the oldest person ever recorded.
Her life was not only remarkable for its length, but for the sheer span of history she personally watched unfold.