World Record: Oldest Person
Is chocolate the secret?
The only person documented to exceed the age of 120 was Jeanne Calment, a French woman who lived to 122 years and 164 days, finally dying in 1997. For those who might wish to follow in her footsteps of extreme longevity, it is worth noting she claimed to enjoy fencing, mountaineering, shooting wild boar, and other everyday hobbies.
Calment was known to eat about one kilo (2.2 pounds) of chocolate a week, which was more than two percent of her body weight (45 kg or 99 lb). Most doctors recommend a weekly chocolate intake of significantly less than one percent of body weight.
Ancient Era
Ancient texts note much older individuals, but verification is difficult. For example, the oldest recorded human mentioned in the Bible was Methuselah, who died at age 969. However it should be noted that women live longer than men on average, and women’s ages were generally not recorded in the book of Genesis. So it’s possible that Methuselah’s wife outlived him. If so, they would likely have also held the record for longest marriage, at 950+ years. However, a marriage of that length strains credulity.
Some scholars interpret Genesis 6:3 to put a cap on the upper limit of lifespan (after Noah’s flood) at 120 years. Curiously Calment is the only person ever known to exceed 120 in the modern era. But, given that she prayed daily, it’s possible she was given a special waiver to exceed the 120-year ceiling.
