What was the first joke in human history?
Nobody knows for sure. But the oldest joke ever discovered dates back to ancient Sumer around 1900 BC, nearly 4,000 years ago.
It went like this:
“Something which has never happened since time immemorial: a young woman did not fart in her husband’s lap.”
Yeah, that’s it. That’s the joke. Wala nang kasunod. Maybe another fart. 😁
Yes.
Humanity’s oldest surviving joke really is exactly what you think it is.
It may not be funny today. To be fair, we’re hearing it four thousand years late and missing whatever expression, timing, or context made ancient Sumerians laugh in the first place.
Still, there is something oddly charming about it. The oldest joke ever found was not about kings, wars, or gods. It was about an awkward human moment that somehow survived longer than entire empires.
The world’s oldest surviving joke may not belong in a philosophy book, but it earned something even rarer: a place in history.
And no, this is not a joke about jokes. The oldest recorded joke we know really was a fart joke from ancient Sumer around 1900 BC. You can check the record yourself at Guinness World Records.
⌨ ᴛʸᵖⁱⁿᵍ ᴏᵘᵗ ᵒᶠ ᵗʰᵉ ʙˡᵘᵉ ᵈᵃʳᵉᵐ ᵐᵘˢⁱᶜ ᵇˡᵒᵍ
