John Tinniswood, the world's oldest living man, has celebrated his 112th birthday at a care home in Southport, Merseyside. Born on August 26, 1912, the same year the Titanic sank, he attributes his remarkable longevity to 'just luck'. Speaking to Guinness World Records, he said: 'I don't feel that age, I don't get excited over it. That's probably why I've reached it.'
Mr Tinniswood, who became the world's oldest man in April, does not believe he has any special secret. He noted that he was active in his youth, doing a lot of walking, but added: 'Why I've lived that long I have no idea at all.' He also dismissed the idea of a special diet, saying: 'I eat what they give me and so does everybody else.' He enjoys battered fish and chips every Friday.
Reflecting on the changes he has witnessed, Mr Tinniswood said the world is 'no better in my opinion, or hardly any better, than it was then. Probably in some places it is, but in other places it's worse.' He reiterated that longevity is 'just luck' and that 'you either live long or you live short, and you can't do much about it.'
A veteran of the Second World War, Mr Tinniswood served in the Army Pay Corps. After the war, he worked as an accountant for Shell and BP before retiring in 1972. A lifelong Liverpool FC fan, he was born just 20 years after the club's founding and has seen all eight of their FA Cup victories and 17 of their 19 league titles.
He met his wife, Blodwen, at a dance in Liverpool, and they were married for 44 years until her death in 1986. Their daughter Susan was born in 1943. Since turning 100, he received annual birthday cards from the late Queen Elizabeth II. The oldest man ever was Japan's Jiroemon Kimura, who lived to 116. The world's oldest living person is Japan's Tomiko Itooka, also 116.
