JEANNE LOUISE CALMENT died on August 4, 1997, in her hometown in southeast France. She was 122 years old!

Advancements in science, health care, and other fields of endeavor are helping people today to live longer. Still, not many individuals reach or surpass the century mark. That may be why the longevity of those who do so sometimes makes the news, as happened in the case of Madame Calment.

According to a document published by the Max Planck Institute for Demographic Research in Germany, researchers validated the age of Madame Calment, mentioned earlier, through the gathering of some “simple verifiable statements” made by her. These had to do with her or her relatives at the time when certain events took place. What she said was then compared with civic, notarial, and church records, as well as with newspaper articles and population censuses. Interestingly, although it was impossible to confirm each and every detail, the direct and indirect evidence available made it possible to confirm the duration of her life.