‘It’s pure luck’: Briton takes title as world’s oldest man

A 111-year-old man from England is now the world’s oldest living man, and said the secret to his longevity is “pure luck”.

John Alfred Tinniswood was born in Liverpool on 26 August 1912 – the same year the Titanic sank – and is a great-grandfather currently residing at a care home in Southport, where staff describe him as “a big chatterbox”.

Mr Tinniswood’s exact age is 111 years 223 days as of April 5, according to Guinness World Records.

112-year-old Gisaburo Sonobe from Japan was initially expected to be the new record holder, but he was recently confirmed to have passed away on March 31.

Despite his advanced age, Mr Tinniswood can still perform most daily tasks independently – he gets out of bed unassisted, listens to the radio to keep up with the news, and still manages his own finances.

On the secret to his longevity, the record-holder told Guinness World Records: “It’s pure luck.”

“You either live long or you live short, and you can’t do much about it,” he added.

Beyond eating a portion of battered fish and chips every Friday, Mr Tinniswood said he does not follow any particular diet.

“I eat what they give me and so does everybody else. I don’t have a special diet,” he said.

“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,” he added.

Mr Tinniswood lived through both world wars and is the world’s oldest surviving male World War Two veteran, as he worked in an administrative role for the Army Pay Corps.

In addition to accounts and auditing, his work involved logistical tasks such as locating stranded soldiers and organising food supplies.

A lifelong Liverpool FC fan, Mr Tinniswood was born just 20 years after the club was founded in 1892 and has lived through all eight of his club’s FA Cup wins and 17 of their 19 league title wins.

When asked how the world around him has changed throughout his life, Mr Tinniswood said: “The world, in its way, is always changing.

“It’s a sort of ongoing experience… It’s getting a little better but not all that much yet. It’s going the right way.”

Mr Tinniswood met his wife, Blodwen, at a dance in Liverpool and the couple enjoyed 44 years together before Blodwen passed away in 1986.

Since turning 100 in 2012, he received a birthday card each year from the late Queen Elizabeth, who was his junior by almost 14 years.

Having become the UK’s oldest man in 2020, Mr Tinniswood is unfazed by his new-found status as the oldest man in the world.

“Doesn’t make any difference to me,” he said. “Not at all. I accept it for what it is.”

Giving advice for younger generations, he said: “Always do the best you can, whether you’re learning something or whether you’re teaching someone.

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

The oldest man ever was Jiroemon Kimura from Japan, who lived to the age of 116 years 54 days and died in 2013.

The world’s oldest living woman and oldest living person overall is Spain’s Maria Branyas Morera, who recently celebrated her 117th birthday.