Briton, John Tinniswood, becomes world’s oldest man at 111, calls it ‘pure luck’

The 111-year-old from England, United Kingdom, John Alfred Tinniswood is now the world’s oldest living man and he says his longevity was “just luck”. Born in 1912, Tinniswood said there is no special secret to his diet, although he eats fish and chips every Friday.

World’s oldest man

Guinness World Records (GWR) confirmed that Tinniswood is now the world’s oldest man after the death of Juan Vicente Pérez Mora, 114, earlier this month.

The Guinness also awarded the title to the 111-year-old after 112-year-old Gisaburo Sonobe, from Japan, was confirmed to have died on March 31.

As of April 5, Tinniswoodwas111 years and 223 days old, according to the GWR.

Born in Liverpool, on August 26, 1912 – the same year that the Titanic sank – Tinniswood is currently living at a care home in Southport, where the staff has reportedly described him as a “big chatterbox”.

Speaking about the secret to his longevity, he said, “You either live long or you live short, and you can’t do much about it.”

Tinniswood also said that he does not follow any particular diet except for eating a portion of battered fish and chips every Friday.

“I eat what they give me and so does everybody else. I don’t have a special diet,” he told the Guinness World Records official.

The 111-year-old does not smoke and rarely drinks alcohol and his advice for staying healthy is to practice moderation.

“If you drink too much or you eat too much or you walk too much; if you do too much of anything, you’re going to suffer eventually,” said Tinniswood.

Notably, the 111-year-old was not fazed when he became the world’s oldest man, having become the oldest man in the UK in 2020. “Doesn’t make any difference to me,” he said.

About his life

The 111-year-old is a great-grandfather, has lived through both world wars and is the world’s oldest surviving male World War IIveteran.

Tinniswood was 27 when the Second World War broke out, and despite having eyesight issues served an administrative role for the Army Pay Corps.

After the war, the 111-year-old went on to work in accounts for Shell and BP up until his retirement more than 50 years ago.

He met his wife, Blodwen, at a dance in Liverpool and one of his fondest memories is of their wedding in 1942. The couple was together for 44 years before Blodwen passed away in 1986.

Tinniswood has four grandchildren and three great-grandchildren. Since he turned 100, in 2012, he has received a birthday card each year from the late Queen Elizabeth.

His advice to the younger generation is, “Always do the best you can, whether you’re learning something or whether you’re teaching someone.”

He added, “Give it all you’ve got. Otherwise it’s not worth bothering with.”

(With inputs from agencies)