John Alfred Tinniswood, the world’s oldest living man, has died at the age of 112, as confirmed by his family and the Guinness World Records.
Photo: Guinness World Records/website
Tinniswood, died on Monday, November 25, at the Southport care home where he lived. He was surrounded by “music and love,” according to his family.
His family also remembered him as a “great conversationalist” throughout his long life: “John had many fine qualities. He was intelligent, decisive, brave, calm in any crisis, talented at maths and a great conversationalist.”
The Englishman was born in 1912 — the same year the Titanic sank, the last emperor of China abdicated, and the first Oreo cookie was sold. He survived two world wars and two global pandemics and lived through five British monarchs: George V, Edward VIII, George VI, Elizabeth II, and King Charles III.
During World War II, he served in the Royal Army Pay Corps, where he was responsible for finances, food supplies, and locating stranded soldiers. In 1942, he married his wife, Blodwen, and they enjoyed 44 years together before she passed away from lung cancer in 1986.
Following his retirement, Tinniswood volunteered as a church elder and remained a dedicated Liverpool Football Club fan.
When he turned in 2012, he began receiving annual birthday cards from the late Queen Elizabeth II and King Charles III. Eight years later, he was regarded as the oldest man alive in the United Kingdom.
In April 2024, the Guinness Book of Records recognized him as the world’s oldest man following the death of 114-year-old Juan Vicente Pérez from Venezuela.
What were his secrets to living a long life? Tinniswood once said: “You either live long or you live short, and you can’t do much about it.”
According to Guinness World Records, Tinniswood stayed active throughout his old age by keeping up with the news daily and managing his own finances. He didn’t follow any specific diet regimen, revealing that he simply ate whatever was given to him.
The oldest living man on record was Japan’s Jiroemon Kimura, who was born in 1897. He passed away in 2013 at the age of 116.
Currently, the world’s oldest living person and the oldest living woman is Japan’s Tomiko Itooka, who is 116 years old.
Tinniswood, who lived a long and eventful life, once shared a piece of advice for the younger generation: “Always do the best you can, whether you’re learning something or whether you’re teaching someone.”
May you rest in peace, John Tinniswood.
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