Englishman John Alfred Tinniswood, 111, becomes the world's oldest man following the deaths of 114-year-old Venezuelan Juan Vincente Pérez and 112-year-old Gisaburo Sonobe in Japan. The two centenarians died within days of one another, reports The Guinness Book of World Records, which now profiles a man with memories preceding World War I.
11-year-old John Alfred Tinniswood from England is now the world's oldest living man, following the death of 114-year-old Juan Vicente Pérez (Venezuela). 112-year-old Gisaburo Sonobe from Japan was initially expected to be the new record holder, but he was recently confirmed to have passed away on 31 March. Born in Liverpool on 26 August 1912 – the same year the Titanic sank – John's exact age is 111 years 223 days as of 5 April 2024.
How did you make it so far, John? Fish and chips—in moderation.
The retired accountant and great-grandfather said moderation was key to a healthy life. He never smokes, rarely drinks and follows no special diet, apart from a fish and chip supper once a week. "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," Tinniswood told Guinness World Records. But ultimately, he said, "it's pure luck. You either live long or you live short, and you can't do much about it."
He's six years behind the world's oldest woman, Spain's Maria Branyas, 117, and three behind England's oldest woman, Ethel Caterham, 114.
The oldest human was Jean Calment, whose claimed 122-year run has come under question as the supercentenarian death distribution becomes a well-populated long tail. The simple statistical problem: many people have now lived into their late 110s, but no-one has ever died at 120 or 121. Kane Tanaka, the world's second oldest person, died in 2022 at 119.
