World’s oldest man, age 111, shares secrets to living a long life

How has the world’s oldest man lived such a long life?

For starters, no smoking, little alcohol and a fair amount of good luck have contributed to his lengthy life… 

And maybe a weekly batch of fish and chips, too.

John Alfred Tinniswood of England, 111 years and 223 days old as of April 5, 2024, has been named the world’s oldest man by Guinness World Records.

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He received the new title following the death of Juan Vicente Pérez of Venezuela, who died at 114 years old. 

Tinniswood lives in a care home in Southport. The staff who care for him describe him as "a big chatterbox."

Even at his age, Tinniswood is able to do a lot on his own, including getting out of bed each morning, listening to the radio for his daily dose of news and managing his own finances. 

What’s his secret? 

Tinniswood told Guinness that his longevity is mostly due to "pure luck." 

"You either live long or you live short, and you can’t do much about it," Tinniswood told Guinness. 

There is no winning diet that Tinniswood follows, although he does enjoy an order of battered fish and chips every Friday. 

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"I eat what they give me and so does everybody else. I don’t have a special diet," Tinniswood said. 

Although there is no particular diet that Tinniswood follows, he does not smoke and rarely consumes alcohol. He noted the importance of practicing moderation in everything people do.

"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.

In Tinniswood’s lifetime, he has seen both world wars. He worked in an administrative role for the Army Pay Corps and also had a hand in tasks such as locating stranded soldiers and organizing food supplies. 

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After that, he worked in accounts for Shell and BP until his retirement in 1972. 

He also spent 44 years married to his wife, Blodwen; they met at a dance in Liverpool. 

She passed away in 1986. Today, Tinniswood has four grandchildren and three great-grandchildren. 

Beginning with his milestone 100th birthday, which he celebrated back in 2012, he received very special birthday cards from the late Queen Elizabeth II.

His advice for younger generations?  

Always give your best.

"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 told Guinness. 

To date, the oldest documented living man ever was Jiroemon Kimura from Japan, who lived to be 116 years and 54 days old. 

The oldest documented living woman, who happens to be the oldest living person overall, is Maria Branyas Morera from Spain, who is currently 117 years old. 

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