At the age of 111 years and 224 days, John Alfred Tinniswood from England now officially holds the title of the oldest living person in the world.
The Guinness World Records announced this on Friday, two days after the death of the previous titleholder, Juan Vicente Pérez, at the age of 114, just one month before his 115th birthday.
“Whether you live long or short, there’s not much you can do about it,” Tinniswood said in an interview with Guinness, where he was awarded the title.
Tinniswood, who does not smoke, drinks rarely, and eats fish & chips every Friday, said that the secret to his longevity is “simply luck.”
“I don’t have a special diet,” he added. Indeed, he advises moderation in life. “If you drink too much, eat too much, or walk too much, if you do too much of anything, you will eventually suffer,” he pointed out.
Born in Liverpool on 26th August 1912, the same year the Titanic sank, he has lived through two World Wars, as well as the pandemics of the Spanish Flu (1918) and Covid-19, while holding the record for the oldest surviving male veteran of World War II, according to Guinness.
A passionate fan of his hometown football team, he has witnessed their conquest of 19 Championships and 8 FA Cups.
The great-grandfather currently resides in a care home in the English seaside town of Southport.
The care home manager, Katie Howard, told the BBC that it was an honour to look after Tinniswood, a “wonderful person with so many stories to tell,” who “enjoys reading the newspaper and listening to the radio.”
The oldest living woman in the world is 117-year-old Maria Branyas Morera, who lives in Spain.
