The oldest singer to debut with a symphony orchestra is Polly Roesch (USA, b. 06 Decmber 1910) who at the age of 97 years, performed a solo with the Illinois Symphony Orchestra in the Sangamon Auditorium, Illinois, USA, on 15 December 2007. Pauline ‘Polly’ Roesch sang Silver bells. She sang again in the ‘Holiday Pops’ programme again with the same orchestra on 20 Decemeber 2008 when she was 98, and then again on 18 December 2010-to celebrate her 100th birthday.

Chicago, USA, lawyer Paul Harris, together with three friends, started the first Rotary Club on 23 Feb 1905. The club had a total of 30 members by the end of the year. Rotary International consists of 29,500 clubs in 162 countries. Country with the most rotary clubs is USA with 7,485 and next Japan with 2,280.

Ben Graham (USA), playing for the New York Jets, is the oldest rookie to start an NFL season on an active roster. Graham, a punter, was 31 years old, at the start of the 2005 season. Ola Kimrin (Sweden), a placekicker, played in five games at 32 years old for the Washington Redskins, during the 2004 season, becoming the oldest rookie ever to play in an NFL game.

The oldest professional bull rider still featuring in competition is Adriano Moraes (b. 10 April 1970, Brazil) who was 35 years old when he took part in the 2005 World Finals.

In April 1999, a team of American scientists unearthed a 90-million-year-old tick which had been preserved in amber. This blood-sucking parasite from the Cretaceous period was found in a vacant lot in New Jersey. Named Carlos jerseyi, the tiny insect has unusual hairs on its back, which may have been used to detect vibrations. It is a logical conclusion that many dinosaurs carried parasitic ticks, just like today’s animals. Around 35 kg (80 lb) of amber have been extracted from the site in New Jersey, Continue reading →

With a combined age of 76 years 117 days, Karch Kiraly (USA, b. 3 November 1960) and Brent Doble (USA, b. 3 January 1970) became the oldest team to win a pro beach volleyball tournament, at the Huntington Beach Open, in Huntington Beach, California, USA on 17 August 2003.

The oldest male twins ever authenticated were Glen and Dale Moyer (USA), both of whom reached 105. Born on 20 June 1895 they became the oldest living twins on the 23 January 2000. The youngest of four children born to Mahlon and Anna Moyer, Dale is a retired farmer and is 20 minutes older than Glen, a retired teacher. Glen Moyer passed away on 16 April 2001 at the age of 105 years, 9 months 26 days.

The oldest age for a tree that has ever been recorded is approximately 5,200 years old. A bristlecone pine (Pinus longaeva) known as Prometheus was cut down from Mt Wheeler in Nevada, USA in 1963. Although 4,867 rings were counted, the tree was growing in a harsh ennvironment which slowed its development, and thus its actual age is believed to have been approximately 5,200 years old. The ring count was taken at 2.4 m (8 ft) above the base. Prometheus measured 5.1 m (17 ft) Continue reading →

The oldest competitive wakeboarder is Linda Brown (United States, b. 10 December 1945) aged 63 yr 227 days when she competed in the Battle of Bull Run Wakeboard Tournament, Smith Mountain Lake, Virginia, United States, on 25 July 2009. Linda competed in the Women’s division and finished 5th overall. In total over 300 wakeboarders took part with estimated crowds of up to 1,000 people during the tournament.

UK singer Natasha Bedingfield’s recording of ‘Unwritten’ topped the US Adult Contemporary chart on 3 March 2007 – its 51st week on that chart.