Tinniswood died on Monday at a care home in Southport, England, according to a news release from Guinness World Records (GWR) on Tuesday.
“His last day was surrounded by music and love,” his family told GWR in a statement, according to the release.
Born August 26, 1912, Tinniswood had held the record for the world’s oldest living man since April 2024, following the death of 114-year-old Juan Vicente Pérez of Venezuela.
Tinniswood didn’t have any particular explanation for how he managed to live for so long, describing it as “pure luck,” according to GWR.
“You either live long or you live short, and you can’t do much about it,” he told GWR earlier this year.
“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,” he said.
And while he can’t tell them how to live as long as he did, Tinniswood did have some life advice for younger generations.
“Always do the best you can, whether you’re learning something or whether you’re teaching someone,” he added.
“Give it all you’ve got. Otherwise it’s not worth bothering with.”
Tinniswood is survived by his daughter, Susan, four grandchildren and three great-grandchildren.
“John had many fine qualities. He was intelligent, decisive, brave, calm in any crisis, talented at maths and a great conversationalist,” said the family in a statement.
According to GWR, the oldest man ever was Jiroemon Kimura of Japan. He was born in 1897 and died in 2013 at the age of 116.
This year has also seen the death of the world’s oldest person.
US-born Maria Branyas Morera passed away at the age of 117 years 168 days, making her the eighth-oldest person with a verifiable age in history, said GWR in a statement at the time.
The title of the oldest person ever recorded belongs to Jeanne Louise Calment.
Born on February 21, 1875, her life spanned 122 years and 164 days, according to GWR.
