The World’s Oldest Living Man Turns 112, But Doesn’t 'Feel That Age': Meet John Alfred Tinniswood

The Guinness World Record holder for World’s Oldest Living Man just turned 112 years old. John Alfred Tinniswood, born August 26, 1912, celebrated his birthday at his care home in Southport, England, with his family and friends, Guinness reported. And yet, the supercentenarian doesn’t seem to be all that impressed by his own title. 

What has John Alfred Tinniswood said about turning 112 years old?

“It didn’t affect me in any way really, to be honest with you,” Tinniswood admitted about his new title, which he officially earned at 111 years old. “Personally, it doesn’t mean a thing.” 

Part of the reason, he explained, is because he doesn’t feel significantly different at this record-breaking age. 

“I don’t feel that age, I don’t get excited over it,” he said about his latest birthday. “That’s probably why I’ve reached it. I just take it in my stride like anything else.”

What is John Alfred Tinniswood’s secret to longevity?

According to the man himself, Tinniswood doesn’t feel he does or has done anything out of the ordinary to help him age well. In fact, he went so far as to call his long life “pure luck.”

“You either live long or you live short, and you can’t do much about it,” he proclaimed. 

However, he did a lot of walking and particularly enjoyed running when he was young, he noted. With the exception of a two-day fruitless experiment back in the day, he’s never smoked, he added, and has also rarely consumed alcohol. As far as his diet, he says he eats fish and chips every Friday simply because that’s what he’s fed.

With that said, Tinniswood does have some words of wisdom about moderation: “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,” he said.

He is still incredibly self sufficient, getting in and out of bed on his own each day and performing many of his daily tasks unassisted. He still manages his own finances and keeps up with world politics by listening to the radio.

John Alfred Tinniswood’s historic long life 

Living for over 11 decades, Tinniswood has witnessed more than his fair share of major historical events. It all started the year he was born. Though he would be too young to actually understand or have memories of the events, 1912 was the year the Titanic sank, Arizona became a U.S. state and the 268-year reign of China’s Qing dynasty came to an end.

Tinniswood has also lived through both World Wars. He was 27 when World War II began, and despite having eyesight issues, he worked in an administrative role for the Army Pay Corps. In addition to accounts and auditing, his work involved logistical tasks such as locating stranded soldiers and organizing food supplies. Tinniswood is also the world's oldest surviving male World War II veteran. 

After the war, he worked in the accounts department for oil and gas companies Shell and BP until his retirement in 1972. 

He met his wife, Blodwen, at a dance in Liverpool, and they married in 1942. One year later, they welcomed their daughter, Susan. The couple were married for 44 years before Blodwen passed away in 1986. They have four grandchildren and three great-grandchildren.

Since turning 100 in 2012, Tinniswood received a birthday card each year from the late Queen Elizabeth II. He became the UK’s oldest man in 2020.

The record holder is also a massive Liverpool FC fan. He has lived through all eight of his club’s FA Cup wins, and 17 of their 19 league title wins. 

“It’s no better in my opinion, or hardly any better, than it was then,” Tinniswood said about the way the world has changed over the course of his life. “Probably in some places it is, but in other places it’s worse. The world has gone smaller because of modern travel, principally caused by the airplane. But since then, I can’t think of anything else that’s made the world much different. That’s only my opinion. Otherwise, it’s about the same.” 

John Alfred Tinniswood offers advice 

Ultimately, Tinniswood’s advice for life is: “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.”

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