Senator Robert Byrd of West Virginia

The current US senate turns out to be the oldest on average of any senate in history. It makes a good selling point for young challengers, but it’s really a side effect of increasing longevity. The Senate Historical Office reports that the average age of senators at the start of this, the 111th congress, was 62.7 years. The average in the first congress, over 200 years ago, was a mere 47.

The last three congresses have each been the oldest on record until the next bunch of near-geriatrics arrived? The average is boosted by Senator Robert Byrd of West Virginia, now 92. With 50 years in office, he is not only the longest-serving senator in history but, with six years as a congressman, the longest-serving US legislator of all time. When ambulances were rushed to his Virginia home in September, there was talk of