Oldest Person Ever

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Jeanne Calment, once described by President Jacques Chirac as “a grandmother to the French people”, lived to the grand old age of 122 years 164 days. Born in 1875, she witnessed the construction of the Eiffel Tower and once sold some coloured pencils to Vincent van Gogh, describing him as “dirty, badly dressed and disagreeable”. Calment led an active life, taking up fencing at 85 and still cycling at 100. At the age of 114, she played herself in the film Vincent & Me (990) - becoming the oldest actress to appear in a motion picture. She said her keys to long life were olive oil, port and chocolate. Asked on her 120th birthday what she expected of the future, she replied: ”A very short one.” She finally died in 1997