When are your first memories?

[cre]

Are they related to photographs or actual memories? Do you think you remember things AFTER you learnt to talk? (ie do you think it's possible to remember things if you haven't yet developed a language in which to actually THINK?) I don't know about you, but I think in words, others have told me they think in feelings or images...

[gen2]

My earlieast memories are in images.  I remember visiting my grandfather in hospital just before he died when I was 4.  Other events in my early life were routine so I have no way of saying whether I remember them from the age of 2, 3, 4, or 5.  My memories of those early years are all images, but recent memories (50 years on) are also images.  Aromas/scents also evoke memories.  I doubt if many people will remember events from before they learnt to talk because the brain is still developing in early years. I think the earliest memories have no relation to the acquisition of speech, but more to do with the overall development of the brain.  I think most people's earliest memories will be related to a traumatic event (death, divorce, new sibling) or a life changing event such as moving house.

[jno]

Kids may even remember being born, though presumably as other memorable life experiences pile up these earliest memories get pushed to one side. But have a look at some of the answers here - surprising.

[artee]

I remember when I was 2 sitting in the high chair at one sister's 5th birthday. As soon as everyone left the room for a moment I got out onto the table and ate the candles. I remember the upset of the other 3 sisters when they came back....Now there were no photos of that, but I'm sure my parents would have told the tale sometimes, and maybe that caused me to keep the image forever.  I'm only guessing.

[woofgang]

I can distinctly remember sitting on grass and having a ball rolled to me. I know (because my bum and legs "felt" different in the memory) that I wasn't walking, which ties the memory to less than about 18 months old. I tend to think in words but remember in images and sensations

[jake-the-peg]

I have a memory of feeding the ducks in Hyde Park, I tried to throw a piece extra hard to one at the back and forgot to let go end ended up face first in the Serpentine!

Trouble is this story has been told by my family so many times that I don't know if I truely remember it or if I just remember an early retelling - memories can be tricky things.

[milly143]

My first memory is of my 5th Birthday. My nan was there and she gave me a 'My Little Pony' lunchbox. I remember being so excited about receiving it and the smiles on my Mum and Nan's faces when they say how pleases I was with it. I remember other things from being a young child but I can't place if they were before or after this date.

[dmsjps]

My first memory is from when I was about 18 months old. I had a little brother, who sadly passed away when he was only a few months old, but I always remember being sat on the sideboard with him and a photographer came and took a photo of us. Mum never showed me the photo until I was about 12 (it's the only photo she had of him and she kept it in a drawer in her bedroom), so I know it was definitely a memory and not something I'd been told about.

[BIG DAD]

I have a memory of being in our first house while it was being built, its a very distinct memory of my mum and dad sitting in an unfinished window hole, weird thing is my mum and dad can remenber this also but my mum was about 6 months pregnant, WITH ME............

[spudqueen]

I can remember being in a Church and being very thrilled with my new shoes, my Mums reckoned it was my cousins wedding when I was 16 months old. I can also remember the feel of lacy tights on my legs and wearing frilly plastic pants ( I was born long before the advent of disposable nappies). Obviously I don't know how old I was then, but I should think about 18 months old.