The longest-living person on planet earth. The most famous centenarians

Probably each of us has had the thought that we would like to live as long as possible. Perhaps someone would not mind claiming the title of “Longest living person in the world.” So, who are the centenarians and what is the secret of their longevity?

A long-liver among the human race is considered to be one whose age is significantly greater than the average statistical norm. Each country has its own age for centenarians. For example, in the USA this figure is 85 years, in Russia - 90 years. The global longevity is 90 years.

If we rely on official data from the Book of Records, the longest-living person in the world among women is Jeanne-Louise Calment from France, who reached 122 years, and among men, Jiroemon Kimura from Japan, who lived to 116 years. Let's get to know them a little better.

Longest living person in the world: Jeanne Kalment

In her life, this respectable lady has never faced work, which, in her opinion, is the secret of longevity. Instead of wasting time sitting in the office, Kelman worked out. Her program included a wide variety of sports - from tennis to fencing. My long life the French woman attributed it to the fact that she ate a lot of vegetables and practically did not eat meat products. It is worth noting that Zhanna Kelman smoked even at one hundred and seventeen years old. The reason for giving up smoking was not the state of her health, but the very fact that she had to ask someone to light a cigarette, since she herself had almost lost her sight. Zhanna Kelman died in August 1997.

Famous centenarians of the 21st century: Jiroemon Kimura

He was born in the city of Ketango and worked at the post office until retirement. But instead of a well-deserved rest, I decided to take up agriculture. Kimura celebrated his 116th birthday with a huge number of relatives: 15 grandchildren, 24 great-grandchildren and 14 great-great-grandchildren. The mayor of Ketango came to see him personally for his birthday. In order to live at least a hundred years, you need to eat fish. This is the secret of longevity from the point of view of this centenarian. The Japanese did not drink alcohol, did not overeat, but smoked. Jiroemon Kimura died on June 12, 2013.

If we take historical data, then the title of “The Oldest Man in the World” deserves the Chinese Lee Ching-Yun. He died in 1933 at the age of 256 years. Throughout his life he had 23 wives and 180 heirs. Physically, Lee Ching-Yun was strong: at the age of 70 he taught martial arts in the Chinese army. To strengthen his health, the man drank infusions from medicinal herbs which he collected himself. Doing exercises with early childhood, peace of mind, eating rice and wine is the secret of Lee Ching-Yun's longevity. According to Chinese archives, the world's longest living man received congratulations from the Imperial Government of China on his 150th and 200th anniversaries.

The most famous country in terms of the number of centenarians is Japan, second place belongs to Sweden, and Great Britain is in third place. The secret to the longevity of the inhabitants of these countries can be considered the consumption of large quantity seafood, soy, green tea. According to modern scientists, the most long-lived people have a certain genetic combination that allows them to live long. All over the world there are such unique people only about 5%. Of course, life expectancy is influenced not only by this factor, but also by many other things: our lifestyle, various diseases, stress, ecology, nutrition.

In the interdisciplinary science called “sociobiology” there is a special concept - longevity, or longevity. It combines all cases of high “survival” - a phenomenon in which a person steps over the maximum possible age limits. On modern stage Persons over 90 years of age are recognized as centenarians, but for some even this is not a number at all! So how old were and are the oldest people in the world?

Many of the oldest people in the world have died by now, for example, Jeanne Louise Calment, who became the absolute record holder in terms of age achieved both among those who have already died and among those living. Zhanna was born in French city Arle on February 21, 1875, and died on August 4, 1997 - she was 122 years and 164 days old!

Kalman was born into a bourgeois family. Her father Nicolas, who has excellent knowledge of shipbuilding art, was a member of the city council. Margaret's mother, who came from a family of millers, was involved in farming. The family had to endure a lot of grief - even before Zhanna was born, her parents buried 2 small children, a boy and a girl. However, the heirs who appeared after the Kalmans were distinguished by good genes and health. For example, Jeanne's brother, Francois, was also included in the category of centenarians - he was able to celebrate 97 birthdays.

Jeanne lived in Arles all her life. Already in adulthood, the woman recalled how, as a 13-year-old teenager, she worked part-time in her father’s shop, where she met... Vincent Van Gogh himself, a Dutch post-impressionist artist! However, then the guest did not make any impression on Zhanna. Kalman noticed that the creator was dirty, smelled bad and was unfriendly.

It so happened that Jeanne survived her husband Fernand Nicolas, who was her second cousin and died of poisoning from spoiled berries, and her daughter Yvonne, who died of pneumonia, and her grandson Frederic Jean-Paul Billot, who was killed in a car accident. To maintain the opportunity to live comfortably, lonely 90-year-old Jeanne made a deal with lawyer François Raffret - the latter had to pay the woman 2,500 French francs monthly in exchange for her apartment, which became the property of the lawyer only after Calman's death. Alas, Raffre never saw this apartment. He assumed that the old woman would soon pass away, but he simply did not expect to encounter a person whose age would be the greatest ever. world history! As a result, the man died first, and the obligation to pay 2,500 French francs monthly for 2 years passed to his widow. The apartment still went to the Raffre family, but they paid for it three times the real market value.

Kalman smoked and also did not give up wine and chocolate, which she loved very much. The latter sweet, containing beneficial antioxidants, is in principle called by researchers as perhaps the key to longevity - it turned out that almost all of the oldest people on Earth ate a lot of chocolate. If we talk about Zhanna, she also included fruits, vegetables, olive oil, and was also actively involved in sports: fencing, tennis, cycling.

The next person is considered the oldest of all who currently lives on Earth - the Japanese woman Chie Miyako is 117 years old. Just like Jeanne Calment, Tie is a woman - geneticists have found that it is the fair sex who, as a rule, live to the age of 115. On the list of the oldest verified centenarians in history, there are only 6 men per 100 women.

Tie was born on May 2, 1901. Today she lives in the port city of Yokohama. The secret of longevity in the case of Miyako is swimming and skiing, as well as the traditional Japanese diet, consisting of rice and fish that are healthy for the body. Miyako stopped eating meat, and also gave her preference to raw food eating - a practice that involves giving up any thermally processed food (whether frying, boiling, steaming, oven-cooking, etc.).

A few years ago, Tie could easily get on her skis and go down a steep slope, but at the moment she has difficulty moving and practically does not leave her home. Sports have been replaced by reading books: in a week a woman reads 2-3 complete works.

Japan is a country rich in centenarians in principle. Most recently, the title of oldest person in the world belonged to Chiya's compatriot, Nabi Tajima, who lived a total of 117 years and 260 days. She was born on August 4, 1900, i.e. turned out to be only 1 year older than Miyako. Although Nabi, who passed away on April 21, 2018, did not live to see her 120th birthday, she left behind a great legacy in the form of a close-knit family consisting of:

• 9 children;
• 28 grandchildren;
• 56 great-grandchildren;
• 35 great-great-grandchildren.

Kane Tanaka and Shimoe Akiyama

2nd and 4th place in modern ranking The oldest people in the world are also representatives of Japan - Kane Tanaka and Shimoe Akiyama, who celebrated their 115th birthdays in 2018. Tanaka adds another 204 days to this round date, and Akiyama adds 67 days.

Kane was born on January 2, 1903. During her life, she saw not only her native country, but also the United States, where she went in the 1970s to visit her nephews and nieces. Even today, a woman can clearly remember her impressions of the trip, despite how much time has passed! Tanaka lives in a nursing home in Fukuoka Prefecture, where she receives constant support because... Kane is no longer able to walk without a walker. The Japanese woman calls her enduring faith in God the secret of her longevity.

Her compatriot, Shimoe Akiyama, was born just a few months later - on May 19, 1903. He currently lives in Aichi Prefecture, where not a single resident can compete with her in terms of the number of years.

Their record holders maximum quantity have existed for years modern Europe. Thus, the representative of Italy, Maria Giuseppe Robucci-Nargiso, who has lived for a total of 115 years and 127 days, is today the oldest person not only in her native country, but throughout the EU. In a similar global nomination, she takes an honorable 3rd place - after Chie Miyako and Kane Tanaka.

Maria was born on March 20, 1903. At the age of 25, she married Nicola Nargiso, to whom she gave birth to 5 children - Concetta, Angelo, Giuseppe, Filomena and Antonio. The family was able to survive the 1940s, but still faced serious financial problems. In 1982, Maria Giuseppe's husband died.

For her 100th anniversary, the Italian was invited to participate in the TV show “La vita in diretta” (Italian – “Life in live"). Robucci-Nargiso was shown as an active, active woman who, even at such a respectable age, chopped wood on her own!

4 years ago, the centenarian injured her hip as a result of an unfortunate fall, so she had to lie on the operating table. However, even this did not knock Maria down. Surprisingly, today both the Italian herself and one of her sons, Angelo, who is also quite old - 86 years old, are alive.

The woman states that 3 things helped her reach such a great age:

• Mediterranean diet;
• faith in God;
• optimistic attitude in life.

Lucille Randon

5th place in the global ranking of living centenarians is occupied by Lucille Randon, a representative of France, who celebrated her 114th birthday in 2018. Lucille was born on February 11, 1904 in the family of school teacher Paul Randon, who at that time taught in the city of Ales. The girl was born not alone, but together with her twin sister, who died a year later.

Already at the age of 12, Lucille began working as a governess in one of the Marseille families, and at the age of 16 she moved to Versailles, where she got a job as a home teacher for children. She continued to work as a teacher for wealthy families until 1945, when she decided to enroll as a nurse at a hospital in the city of Vichy, where help was needed in caring for the elderly and orphans. She worked like this for 28 years, after which she devoted herself to serving God, entering first a Savoy monastery and then, at the age of 105, a local monastery in Toulon.

The oldest of the men

The absolute record holder can also be distinguished among the representatives of the stronger half of humanity - we're talking about about the late Japanese Jiroemon Kimura, born April 19, 1897 and died June 12, 2013. None of the men could compete with the age of Kimura, who lived 116 years and 54 days.

Jiroemon devoted the entire 45 years of his life to working in the post office, but upon reaching 90 years old he decided to start running a personal farm - a farm. Despite the fact that the man’s legs soon became weak, until the end of his days he remained active and positive: he was interested in politics, gave interviews to journalists and reporters, communicated with the younger generation, and watched sumo competitions. Kimura called regular exercise the key to longevity. physical exercise and a healthy but moderate diet. Jiroemon urged not to overeat, even if the food is very tasty, and to always use moderation.

Kimura died of pneumonia on hospital bed. He gave birth to 7 children, 14 grandchildren, 25 great-grandchildren and 13 great-great-grandchildren, and always instructed his relatives to support each other and live happily.

Unconfirmed centenarian

However, not all the oldest people are tested, verified and included in official statistics. For example, the living Indian Mahashta Mursasi states that he was born on January 6, 1835. This means that the man must be no less than 183 years old!

However, the Guinness Book of Records refuses to recognize Mursasi as a record holder, citing insufficient supporting documents. It is not possible to ask doctors who have ever treated Mahashta, because... last man, who worked with him, died back in 1971.

Mursasi was born in big city Bangalore back when India was British colony. He worked as a shoemaker all his life until he retired... At the age of 122. The man could not even imagine that he would celebrate his 180th birthday. Murashi, who enjoys every passing day, has a philosophical attitude towards life, and therefore thanks death for such a long reprieve. Until representatives of the Guinness Book of Records conduct a genetic examination and find out the real age of Makhashta, the championship laurels will belong to the 112-year-old Japanese Masazo Nonako.

The oldest Russian woman

IN Russian Federation it also has its oldest resident - we are talking about Nana Tsukovna Shaova, who lives in the Kabardino-Balkarian village of Zayukovo. The only documents confirming a woman’s age are a passport and a certificate from the Russian Book of Records. However, the date of birth in these papers is conditional, because the birth certificate has not been preserved, and Nanu herself does not remember exactly what day she was born. She only remembers the year - 1890. This means that by now she is already 128 years old.

How old is the oldest person in the world

Each of us would like to live long. The thought of the end of one's existence terrifies a person.

The maximum age for more or less active existence is considered to be 85 years.

But there are people who, to the surprise of everyone, have long since crossed the threshold of average life expectancy.

Centenarians of the Earth

In the Russian Federation alone there are 350,000 of them. Society is more surprised by people who live to be 100 years old.

Oddly enough, there are numerous cases of people claiming to be well over a hundred.

The problem is that it is not always possible to officially confirm the age of a person who has lived for a century, or even more.

Therefore everything known to the world centenarians are divided into confirmed (verified) and presumed.

Reasons for the longevity of the world's longest living people

Science has long been trying to solve the mystery of the longevity of each “oldest person.”

After interviewing those over a hundred years old, doctors identified several factors that contribute to longevity.

Special diet

The oldest people in the world live in Japan, in the city of Okinawa. Scientists conclude that the reason for this is the peculiarities of the local population.

Eggs, dairy products and meat are consumed very little here.

And vegetables, grains and fish are the daily food of the Japanese. Centenarians from other countries of the world are very ascetic in food.

Almost all centenarians do not have meat products in their diet; they eat mainly fish, vegetables and cereals.

Fast food and carbonated drinks are the enemy of longevity

All the people on the list of the oldest people on the planet have never consumed fast food or sugary carbonated drinks.

Natural juice, milk and water are the best drinks for those who want to live long.

Tea and coffee will not cause harm if you do not abuse them. Not all centenarians are abstainers. They advise drinking alcohol in very moderation.

Work prolongs life

Laziness is a bad habit. To live long, you need to be busy every day. Those who like to lie on the couch are less likely to become long-livers.

Violet Brown is the most old woman on Earth

Work is necessary for mental and physical balance. A person must feel needed and be busy.

Sport

Physical activity in any form is very beneficial for the body. Without exception, all centenarians go in for sports to the best of their ability.

It is not necessary to engage in professional sports; even simple walking and exercise in the morning can improve a person’s health.

Mental development

New information provides a stimulus for new life to the human mind.

Active spiritual life

It does not matter how each person develops his spirituality.

The main thing is that prayer or meditation, going to a religious institution or anything else gives faith in higher powers. Such awareness gives peace and confidence in the future.

Minimum stress

For such long life, many centenarians have had different events happen: bad and good. But you should never despair and give up.

Israel Krishtal is the oldest man in the world

A positive attitude is one of the main factors for a long and happy life. It is better to get rid of it through exercise.

Communication with youth and children

Centenarians love to communicate with young people. They say that they draw strength from communicating with new generations and are charged with positivity.

Children are a source of happiness. You should not avoid communicating with your children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren. Besides troubles, children bring new emotions and force a person to be more inventive.

Be closer to nature

Fresh air and the energy of nature are what give strength to many people, even if they don’t notice it.

Communication with nature is a must for those whose goal is to live a very long life.

List of officially confirmed centenarians of the earth

The oldest women on Earth:

The oldest men in the world:

The most famous unverified centenarians

In addition to officially confirmed centenarians, there are also those whose dates of birth can no longer be confirmed. Nevertheless, there is some confirmation.

Here is a list of the most famous centenarians:

• Li Qingyun – 256 years old. Most old man throughout history. Scientists are still researching his biography to understand the reality of such a long life;
• Shirali Muslimov is 168 years old. This man's passport indicates that he is exactly 168 years old;
• Hu Yemei – 125 years old. A resident of the island of Taiwan, died at 125 years old;
• Mahmud Bagir oglu Eyvazov – 152 years old. Is oldest resident Azerbaijan.

Conclusion

Their age will impress anyone, as these numbers seem simply unimaginable.

Some people believe that it is possible to live for such a long time, others believe that this is some kind of mistake.

Even those confirmed cases of longevity that are in the public domain should inspire people to strive for a healthy lifestyle.

By following the rules of longevity, everyone has the opportunity to try to become the longest-living person in the world.

Video: The oldest inhabitants of the earth

Thanks to the development of modern medicine, people's life expectancy is constantly increasing. Comprehensive health programs adopted in different countries, information about proper nutrition and healthy way life, innovative methods of physiotherapy and fundamentally new medicines- all this does its job. In our review we will talk about where in the world people live the longest.

1. Luxembourg

81.33 years
Citizens of one of the smallest countries in Europe have one of the highest life expectancies in the world. Luxembourg is also notable for having the largest amount of alcohol sold in Europe per capita (although these figures are skewed by the large number of foreigners who come to the country to buy alcohol).

2. Republic of Korea

81.43 years
The Republic of Korea (South Korea) focuses on the health of its citizens even more than some Western world. Even though Koreans live long, they face a serious and growing pollution problem. environment and urbanization. Almost half of all 51 million Koreans live in the Seoul metropolitan area. Moreover, there is increasing concern in South Korea causes mental health, since the country recorded the most high level suicides in industrial developed countries ah (26 deaths per 100,000 inhabitants).

3. New Zealand

81.56 years
New Zealand is a paradise for any adventurer. Thanks to its outstanding diversity of animals, as well as its unique climate, New Zealand is one of the most comfortable places to live on Earth. The calm and sedate way of life in this country has become famous throughout the world.

4. Canada

81.78 years
One of the most developed countries on the planet, Canada is also one of the most popular among immigrants. However, Canada is also the most educated country in the world - more than half of adults (51%) have at least a bachelor's degree. Despite the huge number of immigrants who come to the country each year (Canada receives 10% of the world's refugees each year), life expectancy numbers are not falling as much as might be expected.

5. France

81.84 years
The French are known as some of the healthiest people in the world. A combination of a healthy Mediterranean diet, one of best systems health care in the world, as well as good quality life helps the French live to an average age of 81.84 years. It's also interesting that France has one of the largest discrepancies between men's and women's lifespans, with the average French woman living six years longer than the average French man.

6. Sweden

81.93 years
Across Scandinavia, the average life expectancy is over 80 years - one of the healthiest regions in the world. The record holder in Scandinavia is Sweden, which has very high quality water, and low levels of air pollution. An important factor is also that the Swedes’ diet includes a lot of fish and berries, which reduces the risk of cardiovascular diseases.

7. Israel

82.07 years
Some scientists believe Israel's genetically mixed population helps extend life expectancy in the country. Israelis also have much stronger ties to their families and communities than many other countries.

8. Australia

82.09 years
Despite Australia's many challenges - a steadily rising obesity rate, as well as the world's highest rate of skin cancer - Australians live to an average of 82.09 years. Some of the main reasons for this are the program to reduce the smoking rate in the country, as well as the high literacy of Australians.

9. Spain

82.27 years
Spaniards live long lives largely due to their Mediterranean diet and favorable climate. Spain also has one of the lowest suicide rates in the world.

10. Iceland

82.3 years
Icelanders can thank their unique climate for their longevity. effective system health care and a huge amount of fresh fish in your diet. At the same time, Icelanders live in one of the least polluted countries on Earth. Iceland makes full use of geothermal energy, and local residents get hot water straight from the island's hot springs.

11. Singapore

82.64 years
Most residents of Singapore (which is the only island city-state in the world) live over 82 years. This is largely due to the government, which strictly regulates the number of cars on the roads and has also introduced complex system healthcare, focusing on the prevention of chronic diseases.

12. Switzerland

82.66 years
In the alpine paradise of Switzerland, high incomes, clean air and happy people. One of the main reasons why the Swiss live so long is that Switzerland is a leader in investing in healthcare, talent development and education for its citizens. In combination with low level crime and strong social cohesion, it produces amazing results.

13. Italy

82.84 years
The high ranking of Italians on the list is a mystery, since the country has poor healthcare and lower incomes than other countries on the list. However, Italy has the third highest life expectancy in the world. In addition to the previously mentioned Mediterranean diet and excellent temperate climate, Italy has long had a more close-knit community than most other countries.

14. Japan

83.3 years
Some researchers call the Japanese the most healthy people on the planet. The country is also famous for the number of centenarians (people over 100 years old) per capita: 34.85 per 100,000. Largest quantity long-livers lives on the island of Okinawa, where they eat a lot of algae.

15. Hong Kong

83.73 years
On the one hand, it is strange that Hong Kong residents are in first place, since there is very little living space for one person, as well as constant stress at work. But the Cantonese diet, tai chi exercise (which almost everyone does), and brain-stimulating mahjong have resulted in Hong Kong residents living an average of 84 years.

It was thanks to the achievements of medicine that and appeared.

In the most ancient book it is said that a person lives “...70 years, and with greater strength 80 years...”. According to average statistics, this figure is much less, but what can be said about the unique exceptions to the rules? About those who live longer than others. About people who personal experience they know what life is like after a hundred years.

According to historical data, the longest living person in the world lived in China. His name was Li Qingyun. This man was born in 1677 and died at the beginning of the twentieth century (1933). In total, he lived 256 years, and, according to eyewitnesses, he looked 50 years younger. How did he manage to live so long? During his lifetime he was often asked such a question, and he paid attention first of all to proper nutrition and exercise.

It is known that he was so physically strong that at the age of 70 he became a teacher in the Chinese martial arts army. In addition to nutrition and exercise, from early childhood he devoted a lot of time to collecting and studying medicinal herbs, from which he often made infusions that strengthened health. Therefore, in modern history of humanity, this is the most unique man who lived the longest.

Centenarians today

According to the UN decision, a person can be considered a centenarian if his age exceeds 90 years. All over the world you can find people who live the longest, but in some countries they are especially numerous. For example, in Japan there are about 50 thousand centenarians, and these are only those who survived the turn of the century. Of these, approximately 87% are women, whose average lifespan in this country is about 86 years.

Especially outstanding personalities entered the Guinness Book of Records. Now it includes Misao Okawa, a Japanese woman who is 115 years old. She is considered the oldest woman in the world. Before her was Koto Okubo, who died earlier this year at the age of 115 years and 19 days.

As for long-living men, the oldest is now almost 116 years old. He is the oldest living person in the world. He lives in Kyoto (Japan) and his name is Jiroemon Kimura. He twice became a Guinness World Records holder and, born in 1897, achieved three centuries during his lifetime. During his lifetime, people invented the television, the car and the Internet. While he lives, Britain has had 6 monarchs, the USA - 20 presidents, Japan - 5 emperors, collapsed Soviet Union, and with it the communist regime.

This amazing man was a postman for 40 years and a farmer until he was 90. He has a very big family: 7 children (he survived two of them), 14 grandchildren and granddaughters, 25 great-grandchildren and already 13 great-great-grandchildren. According to him, life expectancy depends on moderation in food. Therefore, he recommends never eating more than necessary, even if the dish is very tasty.

Centenarians in the past

Other longest-living people who have already died are also worthy of attention. There are not many of them, so they will be listed below.
Long-lived women:

• Jeanne Kalman lived 122 years and 164 days (02/21/1875-08/04/1997);
• Knauss Sarah lived 119 years and 97 days (09/24/1880-12/30/1999);
• Hana Lucy lived 117 years and 248 (07/16/1875-03/21/1993);
• Maria Louise Mailer lived 117 years and 230 days (08/29/1880-04/16/1998);
• Maria Esther de Capovilla lived 116 years and 347 days (09/14/1889-08/27/2006);
• Ikai Tane lived 116 years and 175 days (01/18/1879-07/12/1995);
• Elizabeth Bolden lived 116 years and 118 days (08/15/1890-12/11/2006);
• Besie Cooper lived to be 116 years old and 100 years old (08/26/1896-12/4/2012).

Long-lived men:

• Christian Mortensen lived 115 years and 252 days (08/16/1882-04/25/1998);
• Emiliano Mercado del Toro lived 115 years and 156 days (08/21/1891-01/24/2007);
• Brüning Walter lived 114 years and 205 days (09/21/1896-04/14/2011);
• Chunanji Yukichi lived 114 years and 189 days (03/23/1889-09/28/2003).