FRANCE – Simone Thiot and Paulette Olivier were born on January 30 1912, before the outbreak of the First World War and the sinking of the Titanic.  Due in March, doctors gave the pair a slim chance of survival after arriving three months prematurely, with Simone weighing less than a kilo and her sister just 1400 grams. They were born to parents Marie Lamolie, a dressmaker, and Joseph, a carpenter, they told The Local. The sisters marked the big day at their retirement home in Onzain, central France, where they have become something of a local celebrity. They were sent flowers from the local council, prompting them to gush “we’re being very spoiled”.

(INDEPENDENT UK)…[+]