London:

The world’s oldest living man, 111-year-old Briton John Tinniswood, said his longevity was “just luck” and there was no special secret to his diet – although his favourite food was fish and chips every Friday.

Tinniswood, who has been retired for more than half a century, inherited the Guinness World Records title from Venezuelan Juan Vicente Perez Mora, 114, whose death was announced earlier this week.

Born in 1912 in Merseyside, northern England, retired accountant and former postal service worker Tinniswood clocks in at 111 years and 222 days.

He gave a pithy reply when asked for the secret to his longevity, however: “You either live long or you live short, and you can’t do much about it.”

Guinness World Records said in a statement that Tinniswood’s claim to the record was assessed by its experts and by the Gerontology Research Group, which catalogues the world’s confirmed “supercentenarians”.

The oldest man ever was Japan’s Jiroemon Kimura, who lived to 116 years and 54 days. The oldest living woman and oldest living person overall is Spain’s Maria Branyas Morera, aged 117.

Tinniswood gave a somewhat measured view on the state of the world.

“The world, in its way, is always changing. It’s a sort of ongoing experience… It’s getting a little better but not all that much yet. It’s going the right way.”

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

Caracas, Venezuela:

Venezuelan Juan Vicente Perez Mora, certified in 2022 by Guinness World Records as the oldest man in the world, died on Tuesday at the age of 114, officials and relatives said.

“Juan Vicente Perez Mora has transcended into eternity at 114 years of age,” Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro said on social media platform X.

Perez was officially confirmed as the oldest man alive on February 4, 2022, when he was 112 years and 253 days old, according to Guinness.

A father of 11, as of 2022 he had 41 grandchildren, 18 great-grandchildren and 12 great-great-grandchildren.

The farmer known as Tio Vicente was born in the town of El Cobre, in the Andean state of Tachira on May 27, 1909, and was the ninth of 10 children.

“At the age of five years old, he started working with his dad and brothers in agriculture and assisted with sugar cane and coffee harvesting,” a Guinness statement from 2022 said.

Perez went on to become a sheriff and was responsible for resolving land and family disputes, while still working in agriculture. 

(This story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)

Venezuelan Juan Vicente Perez Mora Perez was officially confirmed as the oldest man alive on February 4, 2022.
| Photo Credit: Instagram/@juanvicenteperezmorasjb

Venezuelan Juan Vicente Perez Mora, certified in 2022 by Guinness World Records as the oldest man in the world, died on April 2 at the age of 114, officials and relatives said.

“Juan Vicente Perez Mora has transcended into eternity at 114 years of age,” Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro said on social media platform X.

Perez was officially confirmed as the oldest man alive on February 4, 2022, when he was 112 years and 253 days old, according to Guinness.

A father of 11, as of 2022 he had 41 grandchildren, 18 great-grandchildren and 12 great-great-grandchildren.

The farmer known as Tio Vicente was born in the town of El Cobre, in the Andean state of Tachira on May 27, 1909, and was the ninth of 10 children.

“At the age of five years old, he started working with his dad and brothers in agriculture and assisted with sugar cane and coffee harvesting,” a Guinness statement from 2022 said.

Perez went on to become a sheriff and was responsible for resolving land and family disputes, while still working in agriculture.