The oldest sperm used in successful IVF treatment was 22 years 5 months, achieved by Trevor and Teresa Yoxall (both UK) at St. Mary’s Hospital, Manchester, UK, on 27 July 2007. Mr. Trevor Anthony Yoxall (born 02/10/1964) had his sperm frozen on 18 February 1985. These sperm were used in their assisted conception treatment and eggs from his partner Teresa Yoxall (born 08/02/1969) were successfully fertilised on 29 September 2006. Embryos were created from this successful cycle, which were cryopreserved. Two frozen embryos were transferred Continue reading →

Ceefax was launched in the UK by the BBC on 28 September 1974. It was developed by BBC engineers who were working on a way to provide subtitles for deaf people. They were able to use the ‘spare lines’ on top of an analog television signal to incorporate words and simple pictures. The Ceefax service is still available to analog television viewers.

The oldest stem cell donor is Erica Henderson (UK) who, at 74 years of age, donated cells to treat her younger brother Paul, 69, who suffered from leukaemia. Medical rules state that the life-saving cells can only be donated by people up to the age of 70. However, after doctors found Mrs. Henderson to be “100” fit she was allowed to go through with the procedure. Her brother is now in remission.

The world’s oldest topiary garden is Levens Hall, Cumbria, UK, which has topiary designs that are over 300 years old, with the initial planting and training of them carried out in the 1690s. The shapes include Chess pieces, the Judge’s Wig and the Great Umbrellas. The topiary triming takes many months, using lightweight aluminium scaffolding to reach the higher points. It is usually carried out from late August onwards, once a year. Parts of the Elizabethan Hall itself were built between 1250-1300 and has been Continue reading →

On 12 February 2002, a team of palaeontologists, led by Prof. Peter Doyle (Greenwich University, UK) announced their discovery of the fossilised vomit of an ichthyosaur, a large, fish-like marine reptile. Discovered in a quarry in Peterborough, the 160 million-year-old vomit could provide an insight to the feeding habits of ichthyosaurs. The arrangement of belemnite shells in the vomit suggest that the reptiles may have eaten the shelled creatures whole, and then regurgitated the shells, much in the same way an owl eats a mouse.

The oldest main draw Wimbledon tennis champion is Martina Navratilova (USA, b. 18 October 1956). She was 46 years 261 days when she won the mixed doubles with Leander Paes (India), on 6 July 2003.

Abracadabra, first edited by Goodliffe (UK), became the world’s only international weekly magic magazine when it was first published on 2 February 1946 in Birmingham, UK. Currently edited by Donald Bevan (UK), issue 3,029 was published on 19 February 2004.

The British Ordinary Enthusiasts created a self-supporting line of 131 penny farthing bicycles in Abbey Park, Leicester, UK on 27 July 2003. In accordance with the rules, the line was held for three minutes.

Susan Boyle (UK) is the only British female artist to top both the US and UK album charts with two releases, I Dreamed A Dream in 2009 and The Gift in 2010. The former was the biggest-selling new album in the US and UK in 2009 and the latter was named the Top US Album of 2010 by Billboard magazine.

Ashrita Furman of Jamaica, New York, USA travelled the fastest mile on a pogo stick in 12 min 16 sec at Iffley Field, Oxford, UK on 24 July 2001.    The attempt took place as part of the BBC’s Record Breakers.