# Earliest memories: how old? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [July 29, 2011, 9:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/earliest-memories-how-old/590720 "2011-07-29T09:27:39Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 6\ **Page:** 4
**Author:** ![Dr.Strangelove](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dr.strangelove/32/6613_2.png) [@Dr.Strangelove](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dr.Strangelove)\ **Post date:** [July 31, 2011, 8:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/earliest-memories-how-old/590720/61 "2011-07-31T08:39:26Z")
I have lots of clear memories from preschool, which I guess would make me around 4. There are some fragments from before then–sitting on my dad’s shoulders watching a parade, for instance–but I don’t really believe them. For all I know, I constructed these memories after the fact based on conversations. The preschool memories I’m more confident about, since they involve multiple senses (including my own feelings at the time). ---
**Author:** ![Andy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/aeb1de/32.png) [@Andy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Andy)\ **Post date:** [July 31, 2011, 9:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/earliest-memories-how-old/590720/62 "2011-07-31T09:36:05Z")
I’m 39 and don’t have any certain memories before the age of about 10. I know that seems nuts, but I’ve never been able to ascertain which of my early memories are real and which are embellished fragments. For example, I think I remember a christmas when I was 3 or maybe 4 years old but I’m just not sure whether this arose independently of, or was caused by, a photo of this time (me, my brothers, christmas tree in the background) that I would’ve seen many times over the years. ---
**Author:** ![Jamicat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/c67d28/32.png) [@Jamicat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jamicat)\ **Post date:** [July 31, 2011, 6:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/earliest-memories-how-old/590720/63 "2011-07-31T18:43:09Z")
From year 1 onward… Usually, I remember everything where a picture was involved…no picture…no memory sequence to access. I can smell San Francisco on peoples clothing/belongings at the Airport, last encounter was a few years ago though… And the 65/66 T-Bird also has a distinctive smell…both things come from when I was 1-2 old. They still smell the same last one I was around a few years ago. My Grandparents had said T-Bird when I was born in Arlington Va in 66, and I was in San Fran in 68… I hit the ground running and toured the US before I could form a complete sentence…lol 🆒 If I really think about it…I can grab at least one, if not more, memories from every year from 1-45… ---
**Author:** ![panache45](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/panache45/32/64_2.png) [@panache45](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/panache45)\ **Post date:** [August 1, 2011, 1:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/earliest-memories-how-old/590720/64 "2011-08-01T01:13:07Z")
Another memory, in addition to the two I already mentioned: My brother and I being given a bath in the kitchen sink . . . and I remember that he had an erection. Now, he’s three years older than I am, so I’m guessing we’d be somewhere around 1 and 4. Any older and we’d be collectively too big for the sink. ---
**Author:** ![raventhief](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/raventhief/32/4_2.png) [@raventhief](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/raventhief)\ **Post date:** [August 1, 2011, 5:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/earliest-memories-how-old/590720/65 "2011-08-01T17:00:34Z")
I am 36, and my earliest memory is me standing at the top of the stairs to the basement and seeing both my grandmothers across the dining room and the kitchen counter. I remember thinking something about they were supposed to be watching me but they weren’t! And then I fell down the stairs and cracked my skull. I dont reneger the falling or cracking parts, just the looking across the room and being bratty part. It was my sister’s third birthday party, so I was one year and one month. My mother had gone down to get something from the basement and I wanted to follow her. My sister complained for years that I ruined her birthday party by having to be rushed to the hospital. ---
**Author:** ![Fourtyfold](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/f475e1/32.png) [@Fourtyfold](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fourtyfold)\ **Post date:** [August 1, 2011, 9:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/earliest-memories-how-old/590720/66 "2011-08-01T21:01:39Z")
The earliest I can remember that I know for sure would be at about 7 months - the neighbours girls caught my attention and I crawled over to the fence to get closer. One of my early memories just seems weird to me now. I was learing to walk at the time, and remember reaching _up_ to try and grab a door handle. I’ve been over 6’ for 30 years now. There is no sound to any of my memories before about 3 years. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/earliest-memories-how-old/590720.md?page=3)