Congratulations John Alfred Tinniswood! The 111-year-old is considered the oldest living man in the world since the death of 114-year-old Juan Vicente Pérez (Venezuela), according to Guinness World Records.
Tinniswood was born in Liverpool on August 26, 1912 – the same year the Titanic sank. He is one of the few Britons to have survived two world wars. At the time of the award he was 111 years and 223 days old.
John Tinniswood (111) is the oldest living man in the world
Tinniswood was happily married for 44 years until his wife Blodwen died in 1986. The couple has four grandchildren and three great-grandchildren. He now lives in a care home in Southport, where staff describe him as a “big chatterbox”, according to Guinness World Records. He is still fit and largely independent. This means he can get out of bed without anyone’s help, he catches up on world news on the radio and manages his own finances.
And how does he feel as the oldest man in the world? “No different,” replies the likeable 111-year-old when handing over the world record certificate. And his secret? “No idea. I guess just luck.”
These are his longevity habits
However, some of his habits certainly correspond to the longevity rules: Tinniswood
does not smoke and
rarely drinks alcohol.
The Mediterranean diet is usually recommended as the key to a long, healthy life. Tinniswood, on the other hand, does not adhere to any particular diet. “I eat what they give me, just like everyone else,” he says. He also enjoys fish and chips every Friday.
Tinniswood’s main advice for people who want to live as long as he does is to do everything in moderation. “If you drink too much, eat too much, run too much, if you do too much of anything, eventually you’re going to suffer,” he said. “To live a healthy life, you shouldn’t overtax your body.”
Getting along with people, broadening your horizons and always doing your best
Also to get along with people , is essential, as he told the BBC. “We are all different. It’s up to us to take advantage of this difference, otherwise everything will go wrong.”
In 2022, he also told the BBC that it was also important to “have his to expand horizons “. More specifically: “Don’t stay on one thing all the time, otherwise you’ll be on a narrow path.” And whatever you do, “you should always do your best, whether you’re learning something or teaching someone,” he said. “Give it everything you have. Otherwise it’s not worth the effort.”
This is also consistent with research that links a positive attitude, a sense of community and purpose with longevity.
Perhaps you could also add serenity and down-to-earthness as longevity aspects. Ultimately, Tinniswood simply attributes his old age to “pure luck”. “You either live a long time or you live a short life and there’s not much you can do about it,” he says.
Also read: They are planning a longevity clinic in Switzerland – “Longevity” doctors reveal what is important for healthy aging