LONDON — For nearly nine months, John Alfred Tinniswood held the title of world’s oldest man, marking his 112th birthday during his reign.

His record-holding status ended Monday when Tinniswood died in a care home in northwest England near Liverpool, where he was born on Aug. 26, 1912, his family said in a statement.

Tinniswood attributed his longevity to “pure luck.”

“You either live long or you live short, and you can’t do much about it,” the retired accountant and great-grandfather told the Guinness World Records when he earned the title in April.

If there was any secret to it, though, he said moderation was key to a healthy life. He never smoked, rarely drank and followed no special diet.

“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 said.

Tinniswood was born a few months after the sinking of the Titanic. He lived through two world wars and served in the British Army Pay Corps in World War II.

— The Associated Press