World's Oldest Person Dies at 115

Jeanne-Louise Calment, according to records, is the oldest person who ever lived. She was 122 when she died Aug. 4, 1997, in Arles, France.

The Guinness Book of World Records had listed Jeanne-Louise Calment as the oldest living person whose birth date could be authenticated by reliable records. Interestingly, Calment continued to smoke until the age of 119.

Gertrude Baines' physician, Dr. Charles Witt, said that she likely died of a heart attack while asleep. "I saw her two days ago, and she was just doing fine. She was in excellent shape. She was mentally alert. She smiled frequently."

The oldest person in the world (and challenger to Jeanne-Louise Calment) is now Kama Chinen, 114, who lives in Japan. Chinen was born May 10, 1895.

Gertrude Baines was described as a modest woman who liked to watch the "Jerry Springer Show" and eat fried chicken, bacon and ice cream, sans dentures in fact. Hardly the stuff of healthy diets, yet she managed to live 115 years nevertheless. Baines' physician, said that when he visited her earlier this week, she only complained that her bacon was soggy and arthritis was causing pain in her right knee.

The oldest person who has ever lived is Jeanne-Louise Calment, according to Coles. She was 122 when she died Aug. 4, 1997, in Arles, France.