Jeanne Calment, French super-centenarian; holds records for the world's substantiated longest-lived person (b. 1875)
Jeanne Louise Calment (French: [ʒan lwiz kalmɑ̃] (listen); 21 February 1875 – 4 August 1997) was a French supercentenarian and the oldest human whose age is well-documented, with a lifespan of 122 years and 164 days. Her longevity attracted media attention and medical studies of her health and lifestyle. She is the only person verified to have lived beyond the age of 120.
According to census records, Calment outlived both her daughter and grandson. In January 1988, at age 112, she was widely reported to have been the oldest living person, and in 1995, at age 120, was declared the oldest person to have ever lived.
1997Aug, 4
Jeanne Calment
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Events on 1997
- 19Jan
Hebron
Yasser Arafat returns to Hebron after more than 30 years and joins celebrations over the handover of the last Israeli-controlled West Bank city. - 21Jan
Newt Gingrich
The U.S. House of Representatives votes 395-28 to reprimand Newt Gingrich for ethics violations, making him the first Speaker of the House to be so disciplined. - 5Feb
The Holocaust
The so-called Big Three banks in Switzerland announce the creation of a $71 million fund to aid Holocaust survivors and their families. - 2Jun
Oklahoma City bombing
In Denver, Timothy McVeigh is convicted on 15 counts of murder and conspiracy for his role in the 1995 bombing of the Alfred P. Murrah Federal Building in Oklahoma City, in which 168 people died. He was executed four years later. - 1Jul
Tony Blair
China resumes sovereignty over the city-state of Hong Kong, ending 156 years of British colonial rule. The handover ceremony is attended by British Prime Minister Tony Blair, Prince Charles of Wales, Chinese President Jiang Zemin, and U.S. Secretary of State Madeleine Albright.