Record longevity of the earth. The oldest man on earth - why don't people live two hundred years? The oldest yoga instructor

Man has always dreamed of living long, approaching eternity. So many attempts have been made to achieve immortality. Previously, they tried to get the philosopher's stone, which gives eternal life, are now on diets, following recommendations from all over the world that promise to prolong life. But there is no evidence of any method; no one has yet managed to extend their life for many years. But still, people who seem to have made an agreement with death exist. Let's find out who they are, the longest-livers of the planet.

In 1933, in the most famous magazines A note appeared about the death of Lee Ching-Yun, who turned 256 years old. Perhaps this is the world's longest-living person in history. For your long life path he had more than twenty wives and became the father of one hundred and eighty children.

As stated, the secret of Lee Ching-Yun's longevity lay in the fact that he tried to be calm and balanced in any life circumstances. The centenarian tried to maintain a special diet; his diet consisted mainly of rice and wine. Unfortunately, there is no reliable information about the childhood and adolescence of the centenarian. What is known for certain is that his homeland is China, Sichuan province. Lee lived there all his life. At the age of ten, he was educated beyond his years and managed to travel to many wonderful places where he collected medicinal herbs. What the longest-living person on earth did next is unknown.

Lee Ching-Yun at his advanced age looked surprisingly young, and no one could give him more than 60 years of age. It is this striking circumstance that raises doubts about his true age. Lee himself claimed that he was born in 1736, allegedly he was 197 years old. But research by a professor from Minkuo University, Wu-Chang-shin, proved that Li’s real date of birth was 1677, and the Chinese rulers managed to congratulate him on both his hundred and fiftieth and bicentenary.

Jeanne Kalman (1875 – 1997)

This woman has earned the title of the oldest representative of the fair sex. She may not be the longest-living woman, but she has no equal among women. Her age was 122 years 164 days. Its homeland is the town of Arles, in France. For my long life she was lucky to witness many discoveries: Zhanna saw the first car, cinema at the very beginning, stainless steel, television and the first airplanes.

This is not the only amazing event in her life. At the age of thirteen, Jeanne had the opportunity to meet Van Gogh, whom she did not like at all.

Jeanne Kalman had a certain natural protection from unrest, it was she who became the reason for such a long life. Her contemporaries also said that Jeanne had an amazing sense of humor, which, as she herself believed, was the secret of longevity.

Zhanna was very active and did not lead a very “exemplary” lifestyle; until her century, she pedaled and indulged in alcohol and cigarettes and did this until the end of her days. Kalman believed that humor, mobility and good digestion help her live for such a long time.

Sarah Knauss (1880 -1999)

The second longest-living woman among women, reaching the age of 119 years 97 days. This amazing lady did not live long enough to see the new century; she ended her journey on December 30, 1999. By the way, Sarah was not at all affected by the fact that she was the record holder among centenarians; her reaction was always unambiguous: “So what?”

As Sarah's daughters say, she was always surprisingly calm; it seemed that nothing could agitate her. Who knows, perhaps this is the secret of longevity, because, as you know, stress noticeably shortens the days of our life.

Sarah had the opportunity to witness seven wars and bury her husband, with whom she had been together for 64 years.

Lucy Hannah (1875 -1993)

Lucy was not awarded the title of oldest woman only because she lived during the same period as record holder Jeanne Calment. But we cannot fail to note the woman who lived 117 years and 248 days; by the way, this is an absolute record among African Americans.

Hannah lived in Alabama, United States. She managed to give birth to eight offspring, six of whom she buried. By the way, Lucy is not the only long-liver in her family. Her birth mother lived to be 99 years old, and two sisters lived to be a hundred years old.

Maria Louise Mailer (1880 – 1998)

Another representative of the fair half of humanity, who delayed her death, ended her life at the age of 117 years 230 days, almost equal in age to Lucy Hannah. An interesting fact: Maria lived in a nursing home with her son, and her daughter at that time was ten years shy of a hundred.

Marie Louise was born in Quebec, Canada. During her life, she managed to get married twice and give birth to ten children. As the centenarian herself believed, she owed her long life to hard work. Although her lifestyle cannot be called absolutely healthy. Maria could drink a glass of wine, and she smoked almost all her life, quitting almost thirty years before her death.

Maria Capovilla (1889 - 2006)

A resident of Ecuador, Maria Capovilla, was born in 1889, which is when the Eiffel Tower was introduced to the world. Despite the fact that she is the last on our list, since she lived 116 years and 347 days, Maria still had the chance to become a record holder. She is considered the oldest not only among South Americans, but also among everyone southern hemisphere. Maria died a month before her 177th birthday.

Maria was born in military family and lived among the Ecuadorian elite. As witnesses to her life say, Maria could boast of powerful health, and anyone could envy her energy. Capovilla never smoked, although she could occasionally afford alcohol.

At the age of 99, Maria suddenly found herself on her deathbed. But she managed to survive, and, despite the proximity of death, Maria continued to walk on her own, studied the press, was interested in news on TV, and was generally famous for her excellent health. She had five offspring, two of whom she buried. The remaining children were 78, 80 and 81 years old at the time of Mary's death.

The secrets of longevity have been of interest to people for a long time. This question periodically makes many people think about how to achieve ideal health, harmony with oneself and become a long-liver. Most often, when asking such questions, people return to the food system or spirituality, to traditions coming from antiquity or genetic history family. The average life expectancy in the CIS countries is 60–65 years, the life expectancy rate in the countries is slightly higher Western Europe. But there are people who have revealed their secrets to longevity. In history, centenarians are people who have reached their 90th birthday. Li Ching-Yun (or Li Jing-Yun) is rightfully considered the oldest man in the world among men.

Elder from China

The birth data of Li Ching-Yun states that he was born in 1677, although the old man himself says that he was born in 1736. In 1930, a professor at Chengdu University discovered Imperial Government Records from 1827, which mentioned his 150th anniversary from the authorities. The Chinese leadership did not ignore the centenarian further, congratulating him, but on his 200th birthday.

An old man was born in Sichuan province. When he was ten years old, Lee began collecting, processing and distributing herbs that were considered medicinal. Even then, he began to study and study everything that helps achieve long life and health. The old man’s diet was not varied: Lee ate herbal decoctions, wine and boiled rice. At the age of 71, Li moved to Cai City in 1749. After offering his work, he became a tactical adviser and teacher of art history.

In the obituaries of the New York Times for 1933, it was announced that a long-liver of world significance, Lee Ching-Yun, had died at the age of 256. By that time, the long-liver had become a widower no less than 23 times. His heirs numbered about 180 people. Did he live for 256 years or, as Lee himself claimed, for 197 years? How old the oldest person in the world was was not actually known exactly, but it is much longer than the longevity record of French native Jeanne Calment.

The oldest French woman

Jeanne Calment was born in Arles in 1875. The record holder grew up in a fairly wealthy family of a ship owner. When Zhanna turned 21, she married one of her distant relatives. She had a daughter, but, unfortunately, over time, Zhanna had to bury almost all of her relatives.

During her long life, she almost never refused to eat tasty food or good wine. She loved vegetables and garlic. The only thing the Frenchwoman tried to avoid was conflicts and quarrels. Kalman always boasted about her health, having a bad habit of smoking, and she smoked until she was 117 years old, remaining in excellent health. physical fitness. Having mastered fencing at the age of 85, and practicing cycling until the age of 100, she was active and vigorous until the age of 114. When she reached her 114th birthday, disaster struck - the active centenarian fell and broke her hip. This made her life much more difficult, but still did not prevent her from living to 122 years old. Zhanna Kalman August 4, 1997.

Another long-lived woman

Leading the list of the oldest women alive today, Misao Okawa sadly passed away in April 2015. And while the Guinness Book of Records has not recorded a new record holder among women, it is Misao who is in first place.

She was born in Osaka on March 5, 1898. She got married in 1919, during her marriage she had three children, from whom four grandchildren and six great-grandchildren were born. Misao never refused to eat delicious food, and she never suffered from any special health problems. She considered sleep to be her secret to health and longevity: a good, healthy 15 hours of sleep.

Modern centenarian

As for the long-livers who are still living today, they include a resident of Bolivia (the central part of South America) Flores Laura. Flores deservedly occupies this place of honor. Based on official document, Bolivian born July 16, 1890.

Flores achieved a long life with the help of nutrition: he spends a lot of time on the move and eats exclusively what he grows with his own hands - these are grains, potatoes and legumes. He eats only lamb as meat, and drinks water exclusively from high-mountain springs. Alcoholic drinks he never tried it and never used it. Perhaps this is why serious illnesses are unfamiliar to him. The 125-year-old man speaks only Spanish and still cannot read or write. Hearing often disappears, but his vision is still good. He has three children, from whom there are sixteen grandchildren and thirty-nine great-grandchildren. Laura still walks without a cane.

As history shows, every centenarian still has his own version of what leads a person to health and long life. Some people think it's a dream, some people say it's proper nutrition, and someone - about . Each of these assumptions gave humanity people whose long lives exceeded any rule of existence.

Duration human life depends on many factors: lifestyle, nutrition, place of residence, genetic predisposition to certain diseases. In the CIS countries, the average life expectancy is somewhere around 60 years for men and 65 for women. In Western European countries this figure is slightly higher. But the people who will be discussed further broke all records and demonstrated great love to life.

Supercentenarians

Most old man in history

The person who lived the longest was a woman (statistically, women live longer than men). The name of this heroine is Jeanne Louise Calment, this woman was born back in 1875 on February 21 in France, and died on August 4, 1997. Her total life expectancy is 122 years and 164 days (44724 total quantity days). Zhanna became a person who lived the most long life of all those known to science. The woman outlived her daughters and even her grandchildren. Information about the life expectancy of this heroine is carefully documented in scientific papers.

Oldest man

There is some debate regarding the age of the oldest man. claims that the record holder is the Japanese Shigechiyo Izumi. He is said to have been born on June 29, 1865, and died on February 21, 1986. If the date of his birth is correct (apparently no documents have survived), then the centenarian from Japan lived 120 years and 237 days. Only a long-liver from France, Jeanne Calment, survived it. Shigechio was not only the oldest man on the planet, he also set the record for the longest labor activity for a person, 98 years old. Surprisingly work experience The Japanese live much longer than the average life expectancy in Europe today. His name was recorded in Japan's first census in 1871. Interestingly, the man started smoking at the age of 70. However, after the death of a centenarian, the Department of Epidemiology in Tokyo and the Institute of Gerontology reported that based on the records family registration Shigechiyo died at the age of 105 years. Whether this is true or not, we probably won’t be able to find out.

The second candidate for the right to be called the oldest man who ever lived on Earth is Thomas Peter Thorvald Christian Ferdinand Mortensen (August 16, 1882 - April 25, 1998). Although Thomas's date of birth is not shrouded in darkness, the Guinness Book of Records nevertheless considers him second, after Shigechio Izumi. Christian Mortensen is the oldest person born in Denmark, he is one of the ten oldest people on the planet. In total he lived 115 years and 252 days. There can be no doubt about Christian Mortensen's lifespan, and there are birth records, church baptism records, and even Danish census records that indicate his date of birth is correct.

Oldest person alive today

The oldest woman turned out to be Anna Eugenie Blanchard (born February 16, 1896), a French centenarian. The woman has lived for more than 114 years and 142 days.
The oldest man alive today is Walter Breuning, born on September 21, 1896, a long-lived American. At the age of 113 years 290 days, he ranked 4th among the oldest people on the planet, ahead of him were only three women, one of whom was Anna Blanchard.

Jeanne Calmont (February 1875 - August 1997) set a world record for life expectancy - 122 years and 164 days (and this is an absolutely verified fact). Jeanne is French, she was born in Orly. When the Eiffel Tower was built, she was 14 years old. At the age of 114 she starred in films, and at 117 she quit smoking.

Madame Calmon has always led an active lifestyle. At the age of 85 she was engaged in fencing, and at 100 she rode a bicycle. Zhanna was married to her cousin, they lived together for 46 years. Madame survived her daughter Yvonne and grandson Frederic.

There is a legal curiosity associated with Kalmon's longevity. At the age of 90, Jeanne, who had no heirs, entered into an agreement with the 47-year-old lawyer Raffrey: he was to inherit the old woman’s house in exchange for paying her rent every month until her death. The cost of the house was approximately equal to the amount he would pay in 10 years. However, fate could not hold back its smile. Raffrey not only paid Jeanne for 30 years, but also died before her, at 77, and his widow continued the payments according to the law.

The whole world learned about Calmon when, in 1988, in honor of Van Gogh’s centenary, she told in an interview how she met the artist at the age of 14. “He was dirty, poorly dressed and gloomy.” Jeanne also attended Hugo's funeral.

Kalmon became the oldest actress in the world, at 114 years old, starring in documentary film"Vincent and I." And the oldest patient of the surgeons, when at 115 she underwent hip surgery.

And Zhanna quit smoking at 117 years old. And not because I felt bad. It was just that she, who had almost lost her sight, found it unpleasant to ask for a light every time. She took care of herself until she was 110 years old and only then moved to an orphanage.

Sayings of Madame Calmon:

“God forgot about me!”
“I only have one wrinkle, and I’m sitting on it.”
"I'm in love with wine."
“I was not young a hundred years ago.”

When Jeanne was asked on her 120th birthday what she thought the future would be, Madame gave an ingenious answer: “Very short.”

Throughout history, there have been people whose life expectancy exceeded our wildest expectations.

All of these people lived more than 115 years, which means they can be called supercentenarians (people who lived to at least 110 years). Some of them drank and smoked all their lives, and some were very healthy image lives and all went down in history with their own secret to longevity.

There are several people, such as the Japanese Shigechiyo Izumi, who, according to some estimates, reached 120 years old, as well as Shirali Muslimov, an Azerbaijani shepherd, who allegedly reached the age of 168 years - centenarians who have reached an unprecedented old age. But these cases have not been confirmed.

Here are 10 supercentenarians whose lifespans have been tested.

10. Christian Mortensen (1882-1998)

Danish-American centenarian Christian Mortensen, who lived 115 years, 252 days, is considered oldest man of those registered. He was born on August 16, 1882 and died on April 25, 1998.

Mortenson is unusual not only because he was a man (only 9.8 percent of verified supercentenarians are men), but also because he smoked several cigars a week during the 95 years of his life. He was also single for most of his life, which usually has a negative impact on longevity. But Mortenson became an exception to the rule here, having been married for only 10 years.

This amazing man immigrated to America in 1903, where he worked as a tailor and milkman. So what is the secret of longevity, according to Mortenson himself? "Friends, good cigars, consumption large quantity good water, abstinence from alcohol, an optimistic outlook on life and singing will ensure you a long life,” he asserted.

9. Maggie Pauline Barnes (1882 -1998)

Maggie Pauline Barnes was born into slavery on March 6, 1882. She died on January 19, 1998 at the age of 115 years and 319 days. Although little is known about her, her age alone suggests amazing life. Not only did Maggie endure the hardships of slavery in the United States, but she also outlived 11 of her 15 children.

The woman died from complications caused by a minor infection in her leg. Her story is all the more surprising given that at the beginning of the 20th century, the average life expectancy was 47 years for white women. Caucasian and 40–42 years for African Americans. And although this gap is increasingly narrowing, Bruns has done the impossible by living 75 years longer average duration life.

8. Bessie Cooper (1896 -)

Bessie Cooper was born on August 26, 1896. She recently celebrated her 116th birthday, becoming the oldest living person in the world. When asked the secret to her long life, she replied, “I don’t pry into other people’s business,” and added, “And I don’t eat junk food.”

Bessie's life spans three centuries, she lived through two world wars and many other historical events.

Cooper worked as a school teacher, and after her husband died at the age of 68, she lived alone on the family farm. At 105, she moved into a nursing home.

7. Elizabeth Bolden (1890 - 2006)

Elizabeth Bolden lived from August 15, 1890 to December 11, 2006. At the time of death she was 116 years 118 days old.

She was born into a family of freed slaves in Tennessee, USA, and her life was not easy. Her longevity genes were apparently not passed on to her children, and only two of Elizabeth's seven children were alive at the time of her death. And yet, one of her descendants may be able to set a new longevity record. When she died, she left behind more than 500 direct descendants, including 75 great-great-great-great grandchildren.

Although Boden hasn't spoken much since her stroke in 2004, she happily celebrated her 116th birthday by trying two of her favorite treats: ice cream and candy.

6. Tain Ikai (1879 -1995)

With an incredible lifespan of 116 years 175 days, Tein Ikai is both the oldest confirmed specimen in Japan and Asia. The woman was born on January 18, 1879 into a family of farmers in the city of Kansei in Japan. She married at age 20 and had 4 children, whom she outlived by the time of her death on July 12, 1995.

Thane enjoyed making embroidery and ceramics. She ate mostly rice porridge, which, combined with a traditional Japanese diet, may have helped protect her from heart disease and cancer.

An autopsy after her death revealed that the centenarian died of kidney failure. So far, she is the only supercentenarian who has undergone an autopsy.

5. Maria Capovilla (1889 - 2006)

Ecuadorian centenarian Maria Capovilla was born on September 14, 1889, the same year the Eiffel Tower was unveiled to the public. Having lived 347 days to 116 years, she became the oldest South American woman in history, as well as the most long-lived person in the southern hemisphere. Capovilla died on August 27, 2006, just under a month shy of her 117th birthday.

She was the picture of health and energy almost until the end of her life, although she drank a little alcohol, but never smoked. She was born into the family of a colonel and lived among the elite of Ecuador, and in 1917 she married an officer, Italian by birth, Antonio Capovilla.

When she was 99 years old, she suddenly fell ill and was practically buried in catholic church. But she survived, and after that she walked without a cane, read newspapers, watched TV and was in good health. Three of her five children were alive at the time of her death, and they were 78, 80 and 81 years old.

4. Maria Louise Mailer (1880 – 1998)

Marie Louise Mailer was 117 years 230 days old when she died on April 16, 1998. Interestingly, at the time of her death, one of her sons lived in the same nursing home as herself, and her daughter was 90 years old.

The French-Canadian centenarian was born in Quebec, Canada on August 29, 1880. Her first husband died of pneumonia when she was 30 years old. Mailer then moved to the Quebec-Ontario border, where she met her second husband, Hector Mailer.

The woman believed that her longevity was due to hard work and this is not surprising, given that she had 10 children and two marriages. The centenarian also liked to occasionally drink a glass of wine, and quit smoking when she was 90 years old, 27 years before her death.

3. Lucy Hannah (1875 -1993)

Lucy Hannah was never awarded the title of oldest person in history, simply because she lived at the same time as Jeanne Calment, who received this title.

Despite this, Hannah lived to a ripe 117 years and 248 days and is the oldest African American woman and the third oldest person in history.

She was born in Alabama in the USA on July 16, 1875. In 1901 she married John Hannah and had 8 children, 6 of whom she survived. Two of Hannah's sisters lived to be 100 years old, and her mother lived to be 99 years old.

2. Sarah Knauss (1880 -1999)

Sarah Knauss is the second oldest person in history. She died at the age of 119 years 97 days. This amazing woman was born on September 24, 1880 and died on December 30, 1999, just a few days shy of the 21st century. Obviously this didn't bother Sarah at all. When she was told that she had become the oldest person in the world, she replied: “So what.”

Her daughters described their mother as incredibly calm, undisturbed by anything. Perhaps this was the secret of her long life, since excessive stress negatively affects human health.

Knauss survived 7 American wars, the Great Depression and the death of her husband after 64 years of marriage. At the time of her death, she was already older than the Brooklyn Bridge and the Statue of Liberty in the United States.

1. Jeanne Kalman (1875 – 1997)

Jeanne Kalment is the oldest person who has ever lived on Earth, and so far no one has been able to beat her record of 122 years 164 days. She was born in Arles, France on February 21, 1875 and died on August 4, 1997. During her life, she witnessed the invention of the automobile, cinema, stainless steel, television and airplanes.

Surprisingly, she even met Vincent van Gogh when she was 13, whom she described as "dirty, unkempt and scowling."

Kalman, like Sarah Knauss, had “immunity to stress.” She could also boast of wit and at every birthday she announced a new secret to longevity.

The centenarian rode a bicycle and drank port until she was 100 years old, and also smoked almost until she died. She claimed that laughter physical activity and a strong stomach helped her live to an old age. And her best advice there was a saying: “If you can’t do anything about it, don’t bother.”