The oldest joke in history is a toilet joke that dates back to ancient Babylonia, around 2,300 BC. The joke, which is a proverb warning new husbands about their flatulent bride, was found on cuneiform tablets and reads: "Something which has never occurred since time immemorial; a young woman did not fart in her husband’s lap."

This discovery was made public through research led by Dr. Paul McDonald, a senior lecturer at the University of Wolverhampton's School of Humanities, Languages and Social Sciences. The team spent two months researching jokes, defined as "having a clear set-up and punchline structure," to prepare for a special episode of Dave's Live at the Apollo in 2008.