1787 THE OLDEST SOLDIER IN THE WORLD
In a life spanning three centuries, Jean Thurel fought in numerous wars, survived serious injury and served under no less than three kings and an emperor
The year was 1787, and a veteran soldier made This way to the gleaming opulence of the Palace of Versailles. Less than five years before a wave of republicanism washed the monarchy from power and turned France upside down, Louis XVI performed an unusual act.