2 cigarettes, port wine and chocolate

Jeanne Louise was born in Arles, France back in 1875 to Nicolas and Marguerite. In 1896 at the age of 21 she married her double second cousin Fernand a wealthy store owner. His wealth made it possible for Jeanne never to have to work. She led a leisured lifestyle, playing tennis, cycling, swimming and roller-skating among other things.

After her husband died she moved into a nursing home. She recalled she had met Vincent van Gogh when he visited Arles. She recalled him as dirty, badly dressed and disagreeable plus very ugly. She had sold him some colored pencils. She also recalled seeing the Eiffel Tower being built. So just to keep everything on an even keel I’m writing about Jeanne Louise Calment. Does the name ring a bell? Well if not here is the rest of the story. She is the longest recorded person to have lived. Her life span covered 122 years. 164 days. When asked about what she attributed to her longevity she said it was because she had a diet rich in olive oil which she also rubbed into her skin as well as a diet of port wine and 2.2 pounds of chocolate each week and two cigarettes each day. Her lifespan has been thoroughly documented by scientific study.