Jeanne Louise Calment, the longest lived human on record who lived 122 years and 164 days, was a remarkable person. She currently lays claim to the title of the oldest person ever recorded. Born on February 21, 1875, Calment’s life covered more than a century of momentous historical events, as well as her own remarkable journey. For a few months, she was the oldest person in the world after Japan’s Tomiko Itooka died in January 2018. Such a phenomenal watershed became a world sensation.
All her long life, Calment taught soul and spirit. Her profession gave her the power to change the lives of generations of students. Significantly, she numbered General João Figueiredo among her students. Figueiredo was Brazil’s last military president, serving from 1979 to 1985. His relationship with Calment demonstrates how wide her influence has spanned across generations.
In her formative years, Calment devoted herself to religious practice as a teenager, converting to older age with an unquestioning passion for her Catholic faith. It turns out that this faith was a powerful factor in her life and longevity. She often attributed her remarkable lifespan to her strong beliefs, stating, “God is the secret of life. He is the secret of everything,” as echoed by Sister Inah Canabarro Lucas.
As a child, Calment was so tiny that few people expected her to reach adulthood. In reality, she exceeded those ambitious hopes, surviving not one but two world wars and witnessing the incredible transformations brought by waves of technological change. On her 110th birthday, Cheryl received a papal blessing from Pope Francis, honoring her incredible life and abiding faith.
Jeanne Louise Calment’s legacy motivates millions of people across the globe. Her extraordinary narrative reminds us all of the greatness of living long and well, and the irreplaceable relationships we can form through both pedagogy and spirituality.
