According to the Guinness Book of World Records, the oldest verifiable person in the world was Jeanne Calment, a lifelong resident of Arles, France, who died on August 4, 1997, at the age of 122...

According to the Guinness Book of World Records, the oldest verifiable person in the world was Jeanne Calment, a lifelong resident of Arles, France, who died on August 4, 1997, at the age of 122 years, 164 days. Her secret: She was “never bored.” She took up fencing at age 85, rode a bicycle at age 100, and released a rap CD at 121. She finally gave up smoking at the age of 120, but not because she was worried about the long-term health consequences: She was blind and unable to see the cigarettes to light up.