Experienced Two World Wars in Lifetime
Answered "I Was Lucky" About the Secret to Longevity
John Alfred Tinniswood, the oldest man in the world from the United Kingdom, passed away at the age of 112. On the 26th (local time), BBC and other foreign media reported that Tinniswood, the world's longest-lived man, died the day before at a nursing home in Southport, northwest England. He became the oldest man in the UK in 2020, and in April of this year, following the death of Vicente Perez from Venezuela at the age of 114, who previously held the record, he was officially recognized as the world's oldest man.
His family described him as "intelligent, decisive, brave, calm in any crisis, talented in mathematics, and a good conversationalist," adding that "his final moments were filled with music and love." Born in Liverpool, UK, on August 26, 1912, the year the Titanic sank, Tinniswood lived through two world wars. He married his wife Blodwen in 1942 and they were together for 44 years until her passing in 1986. He is survived by his daughter Susan, four grandchildren, and three great-grandchildren.
John Alfred Tinniswood of the United Kingdom, the oldest man in the world, passed away at the age of 112. Guinness World Records website
During World War II, he served in the Royal Army Pay Corps, handling accounting and auditing duties. After the war, he worked for Royal Mail and later in the accounting departments of Shell and BP before retiring in 1972. After retirement, he served as an elder at Blundellsands United Reformed Church and also engaged in preaching activities. In an interview with the BBC, he said about the secret to his longevity, "I was quite active and walked a lot when I was young, but I don't really know why I lived so long." He added, "I'm no different from anyone else. There's no special secret. Purely luck." However, he advised, "If you do anything too much?drink too much, eat too much, or walk too much?you will eventually suffer."
He moved to a nursing home in Southport just before his 100th birthday. Nursing home staff said, "His kindness and passion for life inspired both the staff and other residents." Since turning 100 in 2012, he received birthday cards every year from the British royal family. His family expressed gratitude, saying, "We want to thank many people in the UK and around the world who recently celebrated Tinniswood's birthday," and added, "He really enjoyed the birthday greetings sent from all over the world."
His family also said, "Tinniswood always liked to express his thanks," and showed appreciation to the caregivers who looked after him for many years. The oldest living person in the world currently is Japanese woman Itooka Tomiko (116), and the record for the longest-lived man is also held by a Japanese man, Jiroemon Kimura, who passed away in 2013 at the age of 116 years and 54 days.
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