A resident of a Palatka, Florida nursing home, she had been institutionalized since a nervous breakdown in 1910, about the time of her divorce. Her documentation was described as impeccable, but recently research has indicated she might in fact have been 21 rather than 35 when she was admitted.
If this is the case, Jeanne Calment became the world's oldest person not when Carrie White died February 14, 1991 (considered the United States longevity record until broken by Sarah Knauss) but immediately on the death of Florence Knapp (October, 1873 - January, 1988).
| Preceded by: Florence Knapp |
Oldest Person in the World | Succeeded by: Jeanne Calment |