How Old Is The Oldest Human

Ever wondered who the oldest human ever was? You might think, "Well, it's probably someone ancient, right?" But let's dive in and see if we can't blow your mind a little.

Meet Jeanne Calment

Alright, picture this: a French lady named Jeanne Calment. Born in 1875, she lived through two world wars, saw the invention of the car, the plane, and even the lightbulb! Now, that's what I call a long life.

Jeanne passed away in 1997, at the ripe old age of 122 years and 164 days. That's like, what, 40,000 days? Mind. Blown.

How did she do it?

You might be asking, "What's her secret?" Well, Jeanne had a few tricks up her sleeve. She was a heavy smoker until she was 117, loved olive oil, and even cycled until she was 100. Now, we're not saying you should pick up a pack of cigarettes, but hey, maybe there's something to this olive oil business?

But here's the kicker: Jeanne's longevity is not the oldest anyone's ever claimed to be. No, no, that title goes to... drumroll please...

'Oldest human' dies in Indonesia 'aged 146' - BBC News

Lil' Li Ching

Meet Lil' Li Ching, a Chinese woman who claimed to be born in 1677. That's right, she was born before the American Revolution! Now, we can't verify this because, you know, no birth certificates back then. But her story is pretty fascinating.

Lil' Li claimed to have lived to be 256 years old. That's like, what, 93,000 days? Insane, right? But again, no official records, so take it with a grain of salt.

109 146 Years Old Photos & High Res Pictures - Getty Images

So, what's the deal?

Here's the thing: while Jeanne's age is well-documented, Lil' Li's is not. So, for now, Jeanne Calment is officially the oldest human ever. But who knows? Maybe one day we'll find out Lil' Li was the real deal.

Either way, it's pretty crazy to think about how long some people have lived, right? It's like, if you lived to be 122, you'd have seen so much history! It's almost enough to make you want to live forever. Almost.