The oldest insect ever found is the fossilised Rhyniognatha hirsti, which lived in what is now Aberdeen, Scotland, UK, approximately 410 million years ago – that is 30 million years older than any other known insect fossil! The specimen was first described in 1926 by entomologist, Robin John Tillyard (Australia), who, on finding it to be unremarkable, left it to the vaults of London’s Natural History Museum, UK. It remained there for approximately 80 years until entomologists, David A. Grimaldi and Michael S. Engel (both Continue reading →

The oldest international football ground still in use is the Racecourse Ground, Wrexham, Wales, United Kingdom. The first international match was played at the Racecourse on 5 March 1877 when Scotland visited Wales. Wales lost the game 2-0 and in fact did not win their first international until 1882 when they defeated Ireland 7-1. Wales are the third oldest international football team after England and Scotland. Although Scotland have always played at ‘Hampden Park’ this has been at various locations. They only started playing at Continue reading →

Anti-Slavery International is the world’s oldest human rights organisation. Its roots stretch back to 1787 when the first abolitionist society was formed. The British and Foreign Anti-Slavery Society (BFASS) was officially created on 17 April 1839 to crusade against slavery and the slave trade throughout the world. To this day, the organisation continues the fight against human trafficking, traditional slavery, child prostitution and all forms of forced and bonded labour. This broad-based society was at the forefront of the movements to abolish the slave trade Continue reading →

The oldest living creature is the Triops cancriformis, or tadpole shrimps, which are said to be the oldest pedigree of any living creature and fossil evidence suggests that they have hardly changed in the 200 million years they have existed. The tadpole shrimps are classed as endangered in the UK, but 2 colonies were found alive and well in July 2010 in the Caerlaverock nature reserve on the English coast line.

The fossil of a 1-cm-long (0.25 in) centipede found near Stonehaven, Scotland, UK, by bus driver and amateur palaeontologist Mike Newman(UK) is thought to be 428 million years old and the earliest evidence of a creature living on land rather than in the sea. Formally named Pneumodesmus newmani in 2004, the anthropod had spiracles – primitive air-breathing structures on the outside of its body – making it the oldest air-breathing creature yet to be discovered. Newman made his find on the foreshore of Cowie Harbour Continue reading →

The world’s oldest living male grey seal (Halichoerus grypus) is Magnus, who was born in 1963 and lived at Edinburgh Zoo, UK, until 1999 when he moved to The National Seal Sanctuary, Gweek, Cornwall, UK. Magnus weighs approximately 210 kg (460 lb) and although the precise date of birth is not known, he is likely to have been born in October/November.

The oldest written records for a Masonic lodge belong to Aitchison’s Haven kn Muddelburgh, UK. They date back to 9 Jan 1599. The oldest written records for a Masonic lodge that is still in existence today are from The Lodge of Edinburgh (Mary’s Chapel), No 1, Uk. They date back to 31 July 1599.

The origins of Wilkinson Sword (UK), the oldest English sword-manufacturing company, can be traced back to 1772, when it was founded by Henry Nock. Wilkinson Sword was appointed as Royal Gun Maker to King George III in 1804 and James Wilkinson became Nock’s partner, after marrying his daughter.

The oldest manager in the English football Premier League is Sir Bobby Robson (UK, b. 18 February 1933) who was aged 71 years 194 days when he took charge of Newcastle United for the last time against Aston Villa, at Villa Park, Birmingham, United Kingdom, on 28 August 2004. Aston Villa won the match and Bobby Robson was sacked as Newcastle manager two days later despite finishing 5th the previous season following two consecutive Champions League qualifications. Outside of the Premier League Sir Bobby Robson Continue reading →

The world’s oldest family run magic business is Davenports founded in 1898 by Lewis Davenport (UK) at his home on Ryles Road, Plaistow, London, UK in 1903. A shop on Mile End Rd was opened in 1908 and the business was inherited by his son George in 1926. Now run by his granddaughter Betty who took over in 1961, the shop moved to its current location in The Strand in 1984.