Ranked: The World’s Oldest People in History

 Ranked: The World’s Oldest People in History, Longest Living Humans Ever

Key Takeaways

• The longest verified human lifespan belongs to Jeanne Calment of France, who lived 122 years and 164 days, significantly above the other records.
• Women are the leaders when it comes to extreme longevity, with all 10 oldest recorded people being female, while men’s maximum verified lifespans are several years shorter.

Human longevity has fascinated scientists and historians for centuries. Across cultures and generations, certain individuals have lived well beyond the average human lifespan, offering insights into health, genetics, and lifestyle.

In this graphic, we visualize the world’s oldest people in history, highlighting extreme cases of longevity among men and women.

Data & Discussion

The data for this visualization comes from Wikipedia, which compiles verified records from official sources like the Gerontology Research Group or Guinness World Records.

The World’s Oldest Women in History

The world’s oldest women have all lived beyond 115 years, with Jeanne Calment of France reaching an incredible 122 years, 164 days.

Born in 1875, she witnessed the Eiffel Tower’s construction, both world wars, and the rise of modern technology. She attributed her longevity to a Mediterranean-style life: applying olive oil to her skin, enjoying chocolate and wine, and staying physically active.

Name	Place of death or residence	Birth date	Death date	Age (years, days)
Jeanne Calment	🇫🇷 France	Feb. 21, 1875	Aug. 4, 1997	122 years, 164 days
Kane Tanaka	🇯🇵 Japan	Jan. 2, 1903	Apr. 19, 2022	119 years, 107 days
Sarah Knauss	🇺🇸 United States	Sep. 24, 1880	Dec. 30, 1999	119 years, 97 days
Lucile Randon	🇫🇷 France	Feb. 11, 1904	Jan. 17, 2023	118 years, 340 days
Nabi Tajima	🇯🇵 Japan	Aug. 4, 1900	Apr. 21, 2018	117 years, 260 days
Marie-Louise Meilleur	🇨🇦 Canada	Aug. 29, 1880	Apr. 16, 1998	117 years, 230 days
Violet Brown	🇯🇲 Jamaica	Mar. 10, 1900	Sep. 15, 2017	117 years, 189 days
Maria Branyas	🇪🇸 Spain	Mar. 4, 1907	Aug. 19, 2024	117 years, 168 days
Emma Morano	🇮🇹 Italy	Nov. 29, 1899	Apr. 15, 2017	117 years, 137 days
Chiyo Miyako	🇯🇵 Japan	May. 2, 1901	Jul. 22, 2018	117 years, 81 days

Third in this ranking is Sarah Knauss, the oldest person ever from the United States. Prior to her death, there were six living generations within her family. Staff members at the nursing home Sarah lived in remembered her for her calm temperament.

The World’s Oldest Men in History

Jiroemon Kimura of Japan claims the title of the world’s oldest man, living 117 years, 54 days. He attributed his longevity to staying active and only eating until about 80% full (a Japanese concept known as hara hachi bunme).

Name	Place of death or residence	Birth date	Death date	Age
Jiroemon Kimura	🇯🇵 Japan	Apr. 19, 1897	Jun. 12, 2013	116 years, 54 days
Christian Mortensen	🇺🇸 United States	Aug. 16, 1882	Apr. 25, 1998	115 years, 252 days
Emiliano Mercado del Toro	🇵🇷 Puerto Rico	Aug. 21, 1891	Jan. 24, 2007	115 years, 156 days
Juan Vicente Pérez	🇻🇪 Venezuela	May. 27, 1909	Apr. 2, 2024	114 years, 311 days
Horacio Celi Mendoza	🇵🇪 Peru	Jan. 3, 1897	Sep. 25, 2011	114 years, 265 days
Walter Breuning	🇺🇸 United States	Sep. 21, 1896	Apr. 14, 2011	114 years, 205 days
Yukichi Chuganji	🇯🇵 Japan	Mar. 23, 1889	Sep. 28, 2003	114 years, 189 days
Tomás Pinales Figuereo	🇩🇴 Dominican Republic	Mar. 31, 1906	Sep. 24, 2020	114 years, 177 days
Joan Riudavets	🇪🇸 Spain	Dec. 15, 1889	Mar. 5, 2004	114 years, 81 days
Fred Harold Hale	🇺🇸 United States	Dec. 1, 1890	Nov. 19, 2004	113 years, 354 days

Why Do Women Live Longer Than Men?

Women typically live longer than men for a mix of biological and behavioral reasons.

For example, estrogen may offer cardiovascular protection, and women generally engage less in risky behaviors like heavy drinking or dangerous occupations.

Recent studies across mammal species also suggest that having two X chromosomes may provide females with greater resilience against harmful mutations, giving them a genetic edge in longevity.