
This ceremony has been held nightly since at least the 14th century, although some think it originated in the Middle Ages and has only been delayed once during the Second World War. The keys to the Tower of London are escorted back to the Queen’s residence by the Escort to the Keys. Every evening at 9:52 pm, guards exchange ceremonial words while in Tudor and lock the towers. The oldest ritual of its kind, the Ceremony of Keys occurs nightly at the Tower of London and tickets to the event are typically sold out for a year in advance. The ‘Ceremony of the Keys’ is the traditional locking up of the Tower of London. Locksmiths use skeleton keys today to open locks when the keys have been lost or misplaced. Use of a skeleton key is not very mysterious despite its reputation. There are many theories about skeleton keys and how they got their name, but the truth is that skeleton keys, which are master keys capable of working many locks, are called such because they are stripped down to their essential parts, or skeleton. Skeleton Keys (Hint: No Relation to Haunted Houses) Unlike today’s locks and keys, this form of lock was used exclusively to secure doors and is thought to have been only available to the wealthy or government. The key to these ancient locks was very large and required a grown person, historically a man, to operate. Egyptians Created the First Pin LocksĬrafted from wood, pin locks were first used by Egyptians nearly 3,000 years ago. The lock itself measures more than 56 inches tall and 41 inches wide. The lock and key total 916 lbs, features intricate engraving, and a crest. The world record was awarded in 2003 after a class submission. Pavlovo Arts College in Russia holds the Guinness World Record for the largest padlock ever invented. If found by archeologists today, a slab of wood is unlikely to be recognized as a lock. It is likely that locks older than this artifact have not been found because the most basic locks were a slab of wood that fit into a slot. The predecessor of the Egyptian’s pin lock, this lock was primitive in nature. The oldest known lock dates back to 4,000 years ago and was found in ruins near Ninevah.

The oldest known lock was uncovered in the ruins of Nineveh, the capital of ancient Assyria.
