Jeanne Louise Calment, renowned as the world’s oldest person, lived an extraordinary 122 years and 164 days, passing away in 1997. However, questions about her true identity have emerged over the years, with some suggesting that she may have actually been her daughter, Yvonne. This theory, which claims a deception was made in the 1930s to avoid inheritance taxes, continues to stir debate among historians and scientists.
Born in 1875 in Arles, France, Jeanne came from a respected bourgeois family. She married her third cousin, Fernand Nicolas, at the age of 21, leading a comfortable life filled with travel, sports, and culture. She had one daughter, Yvonne, who tragically died in 1932, followed by her husband’s passing a decade later. Despite these losses, Jeanne focused on raising her grandson, Frédéric, who died in a car accident in 1963.
In her later years, Jeanne made an unusual financial arrangement with a lawyer, François Raffray, selling her apartment for monthly payments until her death. She outlived him by several decades, collecting payments for 32 years. Famous for her humor and unconventional lifestyle, Jeanne continued to enjoy wine, cigarettes, and chocolate well into her 100s. She remained physically active, riding her bicycle and doing gymnastics well past 100. Even at 109, after a kitchen fire, she moved into a nursing home but remained sharp and witty.
At 113, Jeanne became the oldest living person, a title she briefly lost in 1989 but regained in 1991, holding it until her death. She became a symbol of longevity, inspiring documentaries and even recording a musical album. Even after suffering a hip fracture at 115, she impressed researchers with her mental agility, solving math problems and reciting poetry. Upon her death in 1997, she was celebrated as “the grandmother of all France.”
However, in 2018, Russian researchers raised doubts about the authenticity of Jeanne’s age. Geriatrician Valery Novoselov and mathematician Nikolai Zak claimed that Jeanne died in 1934, and her daughter Yvonne took over her identity. They cited inconsistencies in photos, cognitive test results, and Jeanne’s own statements as evidence. Nevertheless, French researchers, including Jean-Marie Robine, have dismissed these claims as unfounded, arguing that such a deception would be impossible to sustain. To this day, the mystery of Jeanne Louise Calment remains unresolved, with authorities refusing to exhume her remains for conclusive proof.