A man deemed the oldest in the world this past spring has passed away at age 112, Guinness World Records has announced.
John Tinniswood of Southport, England died Monday at a nursing facility where he lived.
“His last day was surrounded by music and love,” his family told Guinness World Records in a statement, adding that they are grateful for the people who cared for him.
Tinniswood became the world’s oldest living man in April 2024 at age 111, after 114-year-old Juan Vicente Pérez from Venezuela passed away, Guinness said on its website.
Tinniswood said living so long was simply “pure luck.”
According to Guinness, the oldest man ever was Japan’s Jiroemon Kimura, who lived to be 116 years and 54 days old.
The world’s oldest living woman and oldest living person overall was Spain’s Maria Branyas Morera, who passed away in August at age 117.
World’s oldest man received birthday cards from Queen Elizabeth II
According to Guinness World Records, Tinniswood was born in August 1912 in Liverpool, the same city where he was raised and met his wife, Blodwen.
The pair met at a dance and married in 1942, then a year later, they had their daughter, Susan. He and his wife were married for 44 years before she passed away in 1986, Guinness said.
Tinniswood served in the Royal Army Pay Corps during World War II, where he was tasked with administering finances, organizing food supplies and locating stranded soldiers, Guinness wrote.
In August, Guinness said Tinniswood was the world’s oldest surviving male World War II veteran.
He later worked for Shell and BP before retiring in 1972 at 60 years old.
Prior to Tinniswood’s Guinness World Record title, Queen Elizabeth II sent him a birthday card every year for 10 years, starting when he was 100 years old, Guinness said.