NewStats: 3,265,145 , 8,185,784 topics. Date: Friday, 13 June 2025 at 03:55 PM 2m38y

"It's pure luck": Inside the life of world's oldest man as he takes title aged 111

111-year-old John Alfred Tinniswood from England is now the world’s oldest living man, following the death of 114-year-old Juan Vicente Pérez (Venezuela).

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

Born in Liverpool on 26 August 1912 – the same year the Titanic sank – John’s exact age is 111 years 223 days as of 5 April 2024.

John is a great-grandfather and currently resides at a care home in Southport, where staff describe him as “a big chatterbox”.

After confirming him to be the oldest man alive, Guinness World Records Official Adjudicator Megan Bruce travelled to Southport to present John with his certificate and learn more about his long life.

Despite his advanced age, John 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.

According to John, the secret to his longevity is “pure luck”.

He said: “You either live long or you live short, and you can’t do much about it.”

Beyond eating a portion of battered fish and chips every Friday, John says he doesn’t follow any particular diet: “I eat what they give me and so does everybody else. I don’t have a special diet.”

John doesn’t smoke and rarely drinks alcohol. His main 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,” he said.

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

John has also lived through both World Wars; he was 27 when the second one broke out, and despite having eyesight issues, he found purpose by working in an istrative role for the Army Pay Corps. In addition to s and auditing, his work involved logistical tasks such as locating stranded soldiers and organizing food supplies. As such, John is the world's oldest surviving male World War II veteran.

After the war, John worked in s for Shell and BP up until his retirement in 1972.

When asked how the world around him has changed throughout his life, John replied: “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.”

John met his wife, Blodwen, at a dance in Liverpool. One of his fondest memories is of their wedding in 1942, a year before having their daughter, Susan. The couple enjoyed 44 years together before Blodwen ed away in 1986.

John now has four grandchildren and three great-grandchildren.

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

Having become the UK’s oldest man in 2020, John is unfazed by his new-found status as the oldest in the entire world. “Doesn’t make any difference to me,” he said. “Not at all. I accept it for what it is.”

His advice for younger generations is: “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 (1897–2013) from Japan, who lived to the age of 116 years 54 days.

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

https://www.guinnessworldrecords.com/news/2024/4/its-pure-luck-inside-the-life-of-worlds-oldest-man-as-he-takes-title-aged-11-768255

I'll win it at my old age.

Rubbish.
Living without a working preeq is akin to death.

111yrs oldest man alive? I doubt that, Guinness world record (GWR) never go south Western Nigeria, older people are there.

Hehehe

Àìrìnjìnà la ò rí abuké òkéré


My great grandfather is 139 although a bit fragile now

My grandfather is 106 and still agile

KillIgbohoN0W:
Rubbish.
Living without a working preeq is akin to death.

You have a point.

But then living long to see his descendants is also a blessing.

Igb0sCriminals:
Hehehe

Àìrìnjìnà la ò rí abuké òkéré


My great grandfather is 139

My grandfather is 106

Which puts you around 50 years old yet you spend your days constituting a nuisance on Nairaland for free.

.

May we live long for our children

Make dem come my village

Dem go see men of 125 and above dey smoke pipe with all pleasure
WGR na politics too
Come my villa make dem hail

120 y year old dey Ekpoma - Edo state and Idanre - Ondo State.

...












They should check Tinubu first

Nothing concern me but E dey mind


Methuselah

He can't be the oldest living man on earth, we have men that are older than him in my village

KillIgbohoN0W:
Rubbish.
Living without a working preeq is akin to death.

Small pikin still dey do you.

Dey play, my grand pa is about 122 years today

Long life with good health na gift from God

Pure rubbish. Let them come to Oye Ekiti here and see pple older than 111. The oldest person in oye here is older than 111.

Depriest2020:
111yrs oldest man alive? I doubt that, Guinness world record (GWR) never go south Western Nigeria, older people are there.

Check well well na hunger and poverty make them look old, them be never really old like that

With this particular record,I now believe theà GWR is a joke...

Make dem come Naija come see people wey senior that person by far.

[Oldest based on commercial documentation

thatsleepboy1:


Pure rubbish. Let them come to Oye Ekiti here and see pple older than 111. The oldest person in oye here is older than 111.

Easybet1:
Dey play, my grand pa is about 122 years today

Wittyness

Tinubu is begging them to put his name as the first Drug Criminal to successfully govern a country and still inflate so much pains on his useless ers as their PRESIDENT.


Anyway he deserves it.

My older than that for Naija

Lie

Nigerian reading this: "But there's a 133 year old man in my village and my grandmother is 137 years."

They have not seen my grandma that is begging God to take her away at 126.


This guys should do their findings very well before claiming to know everything in the world.

KillIgbohoN0W:


Which puts you around 50 years old yet you spend your days constituting a nuisance on Nairaland for free.

I've known long time that the tribal bigots here are all old unfruitful men. No real successful man will spend and dedicate his life to tribal bigotry because success knows no tribe or religion. A successful man be anything but hateful and he goes off the line due to actions of others, he will apologize the moment he realizes it.

Hmmmm

Malroux:
I pray to be the next.

Who wan dey feed you because chichi you no get

Man's not Hot