Born in 1875 in Arles, France, Jeanne Calment lived through remarkable moments in history. She saw the rise of modern inventions, from the telephone to the Eiffel Tower, and met Vincent Van Gogh, describing him as “ugly and disagreeable.” Calment’s incredible journey through two World Wars ended in 1997 when she died at the age of 122, making her the longest-living human ever recorded.
In 1965, at age 90, she made a viager deal with a lawyer, André-François Raffray, who agreed to pay her a monthly allowance in exchange for her apartment upon her death. However, Jeanne outlived Raffray, who passed away 30 years later, forcing his widow to continue the payments. Calment’s casual remark about the deal, “In life, sometimes you make bad deals,” reflected her humor and insight.
Jeanne’s lifestyle was the epitome of resilience: she smoked cigarettes and drank wine almost every day of her life, even into her later years. She indulged in chocolate, enjoyed port wine daily, and seemed immune to stress, maintaining, “If you can’t do anything about it, don’t worry about it.” Despite her vices, she stayed active, doing armchair gymnastics and taking care of her skin with olive oil.
Her viager deal became legendary, but it was her extraordinary longevity and carefree attitude that truly made her a remarkable figure in history. Jeanne Calment was living proof that life’s unpredictability can defy even the best-laid plans