“Just luck”, says oldest man in the world, aged 111

This Friday (05), the Guinness World Records (GWR), the global authority on record breaking, announced that John Tinniswood with 111 years and 222 days old It is the oldest man alive .

He acquired the record following the death of Juan Vincente Mora on 2 April 2024. John was born in Liverpool, United Kingdom in 1912 and now resides in a nursing home in Southport, Merseyside.

According to information from Guinness World Records, he met his wife Blodwen during the Second World War and they married in 1942, living together for 44 years until her death. Their daughter Susan was born in 1943 and John retired in 1972.

For the records authority, the elderly man shared the secret of his longevity: “just luck”. He further added: “You either live long or you live short, and there’s not much you can do about it.”

John also shared his perspective on how times have changed: “The world, in its own way, is always changing. It's kind of an ongoing experience […] It's getting a little better, but still not that much. It’s going in the right direction.”

He comments that he doesn't believe that living so long is related to specific lifestyle choices: “I eat what they give me and so does everyone else. I don’t have a special diet.” However, John shares that he enjoys his favorite meal, fish and chips, every Friday.

The elderly man received the certificate this Thursday (04) and commented on the milestone: “It doesn't make any difference to me. No way. I accept it for what it is.”

Finally, he still leaves some advice for younger generations: “Let them follow their own path in the world […] we are all different in different ways.”

Who was the oldest man of all time?

According to Guinness World Records, the oldest man who ever lived was Jiroemon Kimura (1897–2013) of Japan, who lived to the age of 116 years and 54 days. Already the oldest woman in the world who is still alive is the Spanish Maria Branyas Morera, who recently celebrated her 117th birthday.