Making Records
When she was 120 years 238 days, Calment made it into the Guinness Book of World Records as the oldest person in recorded history. She beat the record of Shigechiyo lzumi of Japan, who died in 1986 at age 120 years 237 days. Calment said her achievement is no big deal. "It's not impressive at all," she said on her 120th birthday. "It's natural to grow old." That's true, but consider this: the average American woman lives to be 79. Living 41 years beyond that makes Calment"the Michael Jordan of aging," says Dr. Thomas Perls, an expert on old age at Harvard University. "The chances of you or me getting to be her age are similar to our chances of playing basketball like Jordan says Perls. Calment made another record around the time of her 120th birthday. This one was a"rap" record called "Time's Mistress.