John Alfred Tinniswood was born on 26 August 1912 in
Liverpool, England.[3][2] During
World War II, he could not enlist as a soldier due to his poor eyesight, and as a result, he held an administrative role within the
Royal Army Pay Corps as an accountant and auditor.[4] He was also involved in logistical tasks, such as locating stranded soldiers and organising food supplies.[4] He met his future wife, Blodwen (née Roberts), at a dance during the war;[5] they married in 1942 and their only child, Susan, was born the following year.[2][6] Tinniswood went on to work as an accountant for
Royal Mail and
Shell-Mex and BP before retiring in 1972.[2][4][3] Blodwen died from lung cancer in 1986, after 44 years of marriage.[7][6][1]
Later life
In his later years, Tinniswood moved to a care home in
Southport, Merseyside.[5] His 110th birthday in August 2022 was accompanied by a live music performance at his residence, and he also received a clock paying tribute to
Liverpool F.C., of which Tinniswood is an avid fan.[8] As of April 2024, he has four grandchildren and three great-grandchildren.[4]
Health and longevity
Tinniswood became the oldest living British man on 25 September 2020, upon the death of 108-year-old Harry Fransman.[5][3][9] In interviews given on his 109th and 111th birthdays, he stated that the key to his longevity was "moderation".[10][11] After being issued a certificate by Guinness World Records for being the world's oldest man he also stated that his longevity was "pure luck" and that "You either live long or you live short, and you can’t do much about it”.[12][13]
He became the oldest living man in Europe on 7 January 2024, upon the death of 111-year-old
André Ludwig of France.[9] On 2 April 2024, upon the death of 114-year-old
Juan Vicente Pérez of Venezuela,[14][a] he became the
oldest validated living man in the world and received recognition from Guinness World Records two days later.[2][3] Due to his administrative and logistical role during the Second World War, he was also said to be "the world's oldest surviving male World War II
veteran."[4][15]
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abSome sources inaccurately state that Tinniswood's predecessor was Gisaburō Sonobe of Japan (6 November 1911 – 31 March 2024). While it was thought at the time of Pérez's death that Sonobe would succeed him, it was soon revealed that Sonobe had died on 31 March, two days before Pérez.