The 96th birthday celebrations of one Normand Tousignant could not have gone any better. The American nonagenarian has just claimed a new Guinness World Records title as the oldest first-time grandfather in history.

This feat comes nearly four decades after Normand and his wife Mary Louise welcomed their daughter, Kerry, into the world.

Normand could not hide his joy, his face breaking into a genuine grin as he unboxed the Guinness World Record certificate during his 96th birthday party this August. And who better to help him unveil the record other than his granddaughter who had made the achievement possible—Madison.

Madison was born on September 22, 2022, when Normand was 92 years and 24 old. According to his daughter Kerry, the coming of the granddaughter has “revitalized” his life. And yes, her parents even relocated closer after the birth of Maddison.

Kerry described her father’s reaction to her pregnancy as “ecstatic, emotional, and proud.”

“A consistent theme of my life has been to treasure moments with my parents,” Kerry reminisced, as reported by the Guinness World Record. “My dad being an older father, I was frequently reminded (both explicitly and implicitly) that we might not have extended time together.

“At my wedding, I cried off my makeup within the first 10 minutes when the momentousness of my dad’s presence – he was then 86 – hit me. At the time, it was the greatest day of my life. Now, it shares that honour with the day Madison was born and the day my dad learned about his record!”

This record was previously held by Australian Charles Smith, who greeted his granddaughter Ilsa at the age of 91 years 209 days.