British two-year-old Joseph Harris-Birtill has become the youngest-ever member of Mensa, an exclusive society for people with an IQ of 132 or above, according to Guinness World Records.
Harris-Birtill, who was born on November 23, 2021, was officially admitted to the organization at the age of 2 years and 182 days, CBS News reported.
“It soon became clear that he was an exceptional little being,” his mother, Rose, told Guinness World Records. “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-quarter years.”
“He’s learning morse code, knows the Greek alphabet, and has recently gotten interested in the periodic table,” she added. “His interests are vast and varied, and he is always keen to learn more and loves a challenge.”
Harris-Birtill’s parents, who both work at the University of St. Andrews in Scotland, told Guinness World Records they reached out to Mensa to find support for their son because of how young he was we he started reading. His mother said Mensa “offers resources and membership for highly able children” and added that she hopes his admittance into the society “can give him a sense of pride when he is older — it’s a very unusual accolade, and the credit is all his!”
Harris-Birtill is just 13 days younger than they youngest female Mensa member, Isla McNabb from America, according to the report. McNabb was admitted into Mensa in 2022. Harris-Birtill is also Britain’s youngest member of Mensa, ahead of Teddy Hobbs who was admitted at the age of 4 in 2023.
Rose said she hopes his son’s story will draw attention to the unique needs of children like him.
“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,” she said. “Joseph is fortunate enough to attend a brilliant nursery and has an excellent music teacher, and in Mensa we hope to provide him with a community of peers as a source of further support as his formidable intellect continues to grow and develop.”
