The world's oldest joke is 3,900 years old
A 3,900-year-old Sumerian clay tablet holds what is believed to be the world's oldest recorded joke, highlighting humanity's ancient and universal love for humor.
The earliest known joke in written history was found on a Sumerian clay tablet from ancient Mesopotamia, dating back to around 1900 BCE. This 3,900-year-old artifact, discovered in modern-day Iraq, contains a riddle: 'Something which has never happened since the beginning of time: a young woman has forgotten the leather string of her shoe.' Scholars believe its pun-like wordplay and unexpected punchline qualify it as humor.
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