Yoga instructor Bette Calman may be 83, but she's still bending over
backwards to spread the benefits of the ancient Indian discipline. The
nimble grandmother can really pull some shapes and with her set hair
and pearl earrings she looks as glamorous as Greta Garbo in a pink
jumpsuit. With 40 years of teaching under her belt, the Australian
wonder is living proof that a lifetime's dedication to yoga will keep
you flexible as a rubber band.
World's Oldest Mother (70-year-old)
Meet Rajo Devi Lohan, the Indian woman who, in November 2008, gave
birth to her first child – at the age of 70. She said she had waited
for more than 40 years for this child and that she plans to breastfeed
her for at least three years. And, who knows, maybe she will.
World's Oldest Conjoined Twins (57-year-old)
When Maureen Galyon gave birth in 1951, she had no idea she was
expecting two babies – let alone conjoined twins. The tots, joined at
the torso, were not expected to survive the night as baffled doctors
tried to work out if they could be separated. Now, at 57, Ronnie and
Donnie are the world's oldest conjoined twins and have amazed the
medic world by hanging onto life for so long. And, as their health
declines and they near their dying days, the pair have opened their
doors to a documentary team to reveal the secrets of their
extraordinary life together. Although every day is a struggle as the
men have to coordinate the simplest of tasks, they have a close,
loving relationship and are able to live together in their own home in
Dayton, Ohio
World's Oldest Father (90-year-old)
The world's oldest father has done it again recently, fathering a
child for at least the 21st time, at the age of 90. Indian farmer Nanu
Ram Jogi, who is married to his fourth wife, boasts he does not want
to stop, and plans to continue producing children until he is 100. Mr
Jogi admits he is not certain how many children his series of four
wives have borne him – but counts at least 12 sons and nine daughters
and 20 grandchildren
World's Oldest Cat (29-year-old)
Until he passed away at the ripe old age of 31 in July 2001, the
world's oldest catwas chasing spiders without the equivalent of a
feline walking cane. Spike, a British ginger and white tom, had been
certified as the world's oldest living cat by the Guinness Book of
Records in 1999, when the sprightly kitty was just 29.
Measured in human years, Spike was an amazing 140 years old, though
many veterinarians dispute the validity of such human/cat comparisons.
(Perhaps it's just jealousy; Spike retained all his original teeth and
hair!) Either way, Spike beat the odds – domestic longhairs have a
life span of about 15 years. His owner, Mo Elkington, an
aromatherapist from Dorset, England, purchased Spike in 1970. She fed
him a steady diet of fish and cat food, with a little aloe vera mixed
in to protect him against arthritis and rheumatism.
World's Oldest Model (80-year-old)
In an age obsessed with youth and beauty, Daphne Selfe is a welcome
reminder that the two are not inextricably linked. The grandmother is
in the 60th year of an extraordinary modelling career thanks to her
graceful posture, striking cheekbones and her long, lustrous – and
unashamedly grey – hair. At the age of 80, she is Britain's oldest
catwalk model, gracing runways for Dolce & Gabbana, Tata-Naka and
Michiko Koshino
World's Oldest Bottle of Champagne (184-year-old)
One tasted white truffles, another gingerbread. But the esteemed wine
critics that gathered to taste the world's oldest Champagne were at
least agreed on one thing: that they were enjoying the opportunity of
a lifetime. 12 of the wine industry's top tasters had been given the
rare chance to give their verdict on the world's oldest bottle of
Champagne. Only two bottles now remain of the Perrier-Jouet 1825
Vintage, recognised by The Guinness Book of Records as the oldest
remaining Champagne in the world.
World's Oldest Brand (124-year-old)
Lyle's Golden Syrup has been named as Britain's oldest brand, with its
green and gold packaging having remained almost unchanged since 1885.
The Guinness Book of Records gave the breakfast and teatime sweetener,
whose tins bear the image of a lion and a biblical quotation, the
prized honour.
World's Oldest Sculpture (35,000-year- old)
Scientists have discovered the oldest piece of sculpture ever created
– and it depicts a voluptuous 'pin-up' woman. The 35,000-year- old
carving shows a woman with enormous breasts and other sexual
characteristics like an enlarged stomach and large thighs. The
six-centimetre carved mammoth tusk, which is thought to have been a
symbol of fertility for early man, is known as 'Venus' and was
discovered in several fragments which were then pieced together.
Radiocarbon dating showed that the figurine, which was found in a
German cave, is at least 35,000 years old, predating later similar
finds by 5,000 years or more. The fragments were recovered along with
stone, bone and ivory tools used by the first Home Sapien populations
to settle in Europe.
World's Oldest Working Microwave (40-year-old)
They are part and parcel of most kitchens now. But in the Swinging
Sixties, microwave ovens were cutting-edge technology. Frederick
Stephens was among the first in Britain to buy one and 150,000 meals
later, it is still going strong. The 78-year-old believes it is the
country's oldest still in everyday use. He paid $300 – equivalent to
more than $3,900 in today's money – for the brown Panasonic NE-691 and
has used it every day in the four decades since
World's Oldest Joke (3900-year-old)
You might think your dad's joke about what you call blood-sucking
referrees ("vumpires" haha) is old, but that's nothing. A team of
academics from the University of Wolverhampton have discovered the
world's most ancient gag. Guess what it's about? Yep. Farts.
"Something which has never occurred since time immemorial; a young
woman did not fart in her husband's lap," goes the joke, which
apparently dates back to ancient Sumeria circa 1900 BC.
World's Oldest Flute (35,000-year- old)
discovered, according to archaeologists, offering the latest evidence
that early modern humans in Europe had established a complex and
creative culture. A team led by University of Tuebingen archaeologist
Nicholas Conard assembled the flute from 12 pieces of griffon vulture
bone scattered in a small plot of the Hohle Fels cave in southern
Germany. Together, the pieces comprise a 8.6-inch instrument with five
holes and a notched end. Conard said the flute was 35,000 years old
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