Great-grand dad John Tinniswood has been crowned oldest man by the Guinness World Records following the death of the former oldest man in the world, Juan Vicente Pérez Mora, who died on Wednesday, April 3, 2024, just weeks before his 115th birthday.
Following Mora’s death, Tinniswood, who now lives in a care home in Southport, Merseyside, holds the title.
The dad-of-one, who was born in 1912, has lived through two world wars, the fall of the Soviet Union and, more recently, the Covid pandemic.
Before his retirement in 1972 he worked as an accountant for Shell and BP.
He became the UK’s oldest known living man after 108-year-old Harry Fransman passed away on 25 September 2020 and he even met the late Queen Elizabeth.
On his most recent birthday, he was given a card from King Charles and Queen Camilla to mark the momentous occasion.
He is now looking forward to turning 112 on August 2 of this year.
Tinniswood tells his friends the secret to his long life.
He spoke “everything in moderation” is the key to longevity, “Moderation in all things and keep on moving about. To sit down in a chair all day is no good.”
His family said in a joint statement that the modest great-grand dad was taking the news that he is now the oldest man alive “with a pinch of salt.”
“We are incredibly proud of John, who is a wonderful and much loved father, grandfather, great grandfather and friend, and we are very lucky that John is with us today,” the statement said, before thanking his carers for taking care of him.
