World’s Oldest Man Celebrates 112th Birthday in Merseyside

The world’s oldest living man, John Alfred Tinniswood, celebrated his 112th birthday at a care home in Southport, Merseyside. Despite his remarkable longevity, Tinniswood attributes his long life to nothing more than “just luck.”

Born in 1912, the same year the Titanic sank, Tinniswood has lived through more than a century of history. Earlier this year, he became the world’s oldest living man after the passing of 114-year-old Juan Vicente Pérez from Venezuela. Tinniswood had already been recognized as the UK’s oldest man, a title he earned in 2020.

A dedicated Liverpool football fan, Tinniswood was born just 20 years after the club was founded. His life has spanned nearly all of Liverpool’s highs and lows, including their eight FA Cup victories and numerous league triumphs. Reflecting on his time as a fan, Tinniswood said, “I’ve seen them through it all. The good and the bad.”

Tinniswood’s life has been marked by many personal milestones. He met his wife, Blodwen, at a dance in Liverpool, and the couple remained together for 44 years until her death in 1986. They had one daughter, Susan, who was born in 1943. Tinniswood is now a great-grandfather.

During World War II, Tinniswood served in an administrative role with the Army Pay Corps, making him the world’s oldest surviving male veteran of the conflict. After the war, he worked as an accountant for Shell and BP before retiring in 1972.

Remarkably, Tinniswood continues to live independently, managing his own finances and keeping up with current events on the radio. “I don’t feel that age,” he remarked, adding, “I just take it in my stride like anything else. Why I’ve lived that long, I have no idea at all.”

Tinniswood insists that he follows no special diet, except for his Friday tradition of fish and chips. “I eat what they give me, and so does everybody else,” 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.”

Reflecting on his life, Tinniswood suggested that moderation might be key to his longevity. “You either live long or you live short, and you can’t do much about it,” he said. “But to me, I’m no different [to anyone]. No different at all.”

Every year since his 100th birthday in 2012, Tinniswood received a birthday card from the late Queen Elizabeth II. He has lived through the reigns of five British monarchs and the tenures of 24 UK prime ministers. Reflecting on the changes he’s witnessed over his lifetime, he said, “The world, in its way, is always changing. It’s getting a little better but not all that much yet.”

When asked for his advice to younger generations, Tinniswood shared a simple but powerful message: “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.”

Tinniswood’s 112 years on this earth place him among the ranks of history’s oldest people. The oldest man ever recorded was Jiroemon Kimura of Japan, who lived to be 116 years and 54 days old before passing in 2013. Currently, the world’s oldest living person is 116-year-old Tomiko Itooka, a woman from Japan who assumed the title earlier this month following the death of 117-year-old Maria Branyas Morera of Spain.

The oldest person on record is Jeanne Louise Calment of France, who passed away in 1997 at the age of 122 years and 164 days. While Tinniswood may not have reached these extraordinary ages, his life is a testament to endurance, resilience, and, as he would say, a bit of luck.