John Tinniswood
- Full name: John Alfred Tinniswood
- Lifespan: (26.08.1912 – present)
- Age: 112 years
- Birthplace: Liverpool, Merseyside, England, UK
- Last residence: Southport, Merseyside, England, UK
- Application date: 22.09.2022
- Validation date: 26.08.2023
- Validation source: Guinness World Records/Marisa Tinniswood/Oliver Trim/Waclaw Jan Kroczek
Biography
John Tinniswood was born on 26 August 1912 in Merseyside, England, UK and his life’s melody has echoed through the pages of history.
During World War II, despite challenges with his eyesight, Tinniswood found purpose in an administrative role with Royal Mail. Fate led him to a dance in Liverpool, where he met his beloved Blodwen. Their marriage in 1942 was the beginning of a beautiful journey, blessed with the arrival of their daughter Susan in 1943. For 44 years, they stood side by side until Blodwen’s passing in 1986.
Tinniswood’s professional journey took him through the realms of finance, serving as an accountant for Shell and BP until his retirement in 1972.
In his later years, residing in a care home in Southport, Tinniswood remained a Liverpool FC enthusiast, a passion that undoubtedly added to the vibrancy of his life. Even at the age of 107 in 2019, he navigated daily tasks independently, a testament to his resilience. He was able to get out of bed unassisted, read the newspaper every morning, and still managed his own finances. Tinniswood is an avid Liverpool FC fan. He has said that his secret to longevity is “eating battered fish and chips every Friday”.
Following the death of 108-year-old Harry Fransman on 25 September 2020, he became the oldest known living man in the UK.
Celebrating his 110th birthday in August 2022, Tinniswood embraced the title of supercentenarian.
On 1 June 2024, following the death of 112-year-old Georges Thomas of France, he became the oldest living man in Europe.
On 29 June 2024, following the death of 112-year-old Shi Ping of China, he became the oldest documented living man in the world, however Guinness World Records recognized him almost three months earlier, on 4 April 2024, two days after the death of 114-year-old Juan Vicente Perez Mora of Venezuela.
As of his 110th birthday, John Tinniswood lived in a care home in Southport, Merseyside, England, UK.
In 2024, he turned 112. He was then the fourth-oldest known living person in the United Kingdom, behind Ethel Caterham, Mary Florence Walker and Mary Keir.
Longevity recognition
- WORLD’S OLDEST LIVING MAN (29.06.2024 – present)
- Oldest living man in Europe (01.06.2024 – present)
- Oldest living man in the United Kingdom (25.09.2020 – present)
Validation
The case of John Tinniswood was verified using modern scientific age validation criteria by the Guinness World Records, Marisa Tinniswood, Oliver Trim, GRG Correspondent for the UK, and Waclaw Jan Kroczek, and validated by the Gerontology Research Group (GRG) on 26 August 2023.
John Tinniswood at age 112.
Photo courtesy of the Guinness World Records.
John Tinniswood at age 107 in 2019.
John Tinniswood at the age of 106, with a 1912 copy of The Times newspaper which was printed on the day he was born.
John Tinniswood at age 108.
John Tinniswood on his 109th birthday in 2021
John Tinniswood on his 110th birthday in 2022
John Tinniswood on his 111th birthday in 2023
John Tinniswood (aged 111) in September 2023
Photo courtesy of the Tinniswood family, BBC News, and Gerontology Wiki.
