May 27, 2025 09:04 PM IST
A two-year-old boy from the UK, Joseph Harris-Birtill, has become Mensa’s youngest member at 2 years and 182 days.
A brilliant two-year-old boy from the UK has become the youngest member of Mensa, the largest and oldest high-IQ society in the world, Guinness World Records said in a report. To join the exclusive club, one must be in the top 2% or have an IQ of at least 132. Joseph Harris-Birtill was officially welcomed into the club at age 2 years and 182 days, becoming the youngest male Mensa member, second only to Joseph Isla McNabb, who was 2 years 195 days old when she joined.
His parents, Rose and David Joseph Harris-Birtill, are lecturers at the University of St Andrews. The couple said their child has always been advanced for his age, right from birth.
“He first rolled over at five weeks, said his first word at seven months, and read his first book out loud from cover to cover at one and three-quarters years. By two-and-a-quarter years old, he was reading out loud fluently for 10 minutes at a time, could count to 10 in five languages and could count forwards and backwards to well over 100,” Rose revealed.
Piano, Greek and cooking
The ambitious two-year-old also knows the Greek alphabet and is now learning Morse code and the periodic table. He is also learning how to play the piano and loves learning new languages, math problems, and cooking.
However, the child does not think he’s smarter than others his age and is always gentle and kind, sharing his toys with others. Joseph’s parents decided to contact Mensa after it became clear that he was advanced due to how early he started reading.
“It is a common misconception that everything is super easy for gifted children. But everyone needs appropriate stimulation and understanding throughout their lives, and highly able learners can sadly have their unique talents dimmed by the pressure to fit into environments that simply haven’t been properly designed for them,” Rose said.
