‘Just luck, no special secret to long life’: World’s oldest living man turns 112

Celebrating his 112th birthday at his care home in Southport, Merseyside, John Tinniswood, the world’s oldest living man, has announced that there are no “special secrets” to pass on about his longevity which he attributed to “just luck”.

A diehard Liverpool FC fan, Tinniswood became the world’s oldest living man in April this year when 114-year-old Juan Vicente Pérez Mora died in Venezuela.

Born in Liverpool on August 26, 1912, Tinniswood told the Guinness World Records (GWR) that he had “no idea at all” why he had lived so long.

‘Take it in my stride’

“I don’t feel that age, I don’t get excited over it. That’s probably why I’ve reached it. I just take it in my stride like anything else, why I’ve lived that long I have no idea at all.”

“I can’t think of any special secrets I have. I was quite active as a youngster, I did a lot of walking. Whether that had something to do with it, I don’t know. But to me, I’m no different [to anyone]. No different at all,” he added.

On how the world has changed over the course of his life, he said: “It’s no better in my opinion, or hardly any better, than it was then. Probably in some places it is, but in other places it’s worse.”

No particular diet

Beyond eating a portion of battered fish and chips every Friday, 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.

Tinniswood lived through both world wars and is the world’s oldest surviving male Second World War veteran. 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.

He went on to work as an accountant for Shell and BP before retiring in 1972.

He met his wife, Blodwen, at a dance in Liverpool, and they married in 1942. Their daughter Susan was born in 1943 and the couple enjoyed 44 years together before his wife died in 1986.

Greetings from monarch

Since turning 100 in 2012, he has received an annual birthday card from the monarch, first from the late Queen Elizabeth II, who was his junior by almost 14 years, and then from King Charles III.

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, is Japan’s 116-year-old Tomiko Itooka.