August 25,1953 - my cognitive birthday

How far back can you remember? When earliest memories occur
Excerpt:

Our first palpable recollections — from vital, early mileposts to seemingly random snapshots of our toddler years — stick for good, on average, when we reach 3 1/2 years old, according to numerous past studies. At that age, the hippocampus, a portion of the brain used to store memories, has adequately matured to handle that task, experts say.

... For whatever reason, one lone moment has been selected and stamped in our brains as the first day our life experiences became worthy of mentally filing away and cataloguing. In a sense, they're our cognitive birthday.

Comments:  My earliest memories center around the birth of my younger brother Roger (who celebrated his 59^th  birthday yesterday.

Roger was born in Fort Wayne Indiana. For whatever reason my sister and I were staying at my Aunt's house in Alto Michigan. I remember walking hand-in-hand with Aunt Eleanor downtown to the 5 and dime store to buy a birthday gift for my soon to be born brother. I remember being in that store. I remember clearly walking down the street with my Aunt. (image below: left box = Aunt's house ... right box = "downtown")

On the day Mom and Roger were discharged from the hospital, I remember Dad telling Nancy (my older sister) and me to wait outside of the hospital for him. Nancy (she was 7) and I (4 years old) played in the bushes outside of the hospital. It seemed like a very long time.

My next 1953 (or 1954) memory was when Dad and Mom bought a 1953 Ford wagon. My sister probably has a picture of it but I do not. It was light blue (like the first picture below). I remember Dad's 1949 Chevrolet (like the picture below - but it was light green)

So here's my question (read the article linked above first): What are your earliest memories and how old were you?

  Image source