Maybe it's because I am getting older (the big 4-O is creeping 'round the corner), but lately I have a renewed interest in history. And I am not alone in this sentiment: surely The History Channel is gaining household connections for this very reason. Since I was taught in school that history holds important lessons for the future, I decided to dedicate this space to three Great Historic Achievements. Because we should never forget where we came from.

And now, without further ado, I give you: the three oldest Sanoma Magazines:

1. Sanoma Magazines' oldest magazine is 'The Oldest Magazine In the World'

Weekly Kvety (Flowers) from Sanoma Magazines Praha is the oldest magazine in the world that is still published today. Launched as a quarterly in 1834 by publisher J.H. Pospíšil, Kvety became a bi-monthly and then turned into a weekly decades ago. Kvety's first editor was the famous playwright Josef Kajetán Tyl, who also wrote the lyrics of the Czech national anthem. After 1989, the year of the Velvet Revolution, Kvety adapted to the new era successfully. Today Kvety is well-known for its unique family concept. With an average sold circulation of 115,000 copies it still maintains the number one position in its segment.

2. Sanoma Magazines' second oldest magazine has tripled in appearance!

Four decades after Kvety, in 1876, the first edition of Femeia (Woman) was published in Romania. Femeia is once more proof that magazines can stand the test of time, because in 2008 Femeia has developed into a glossy monthly with the highest readership in its segment, into a popular women's weekly (Femeia de Azi), and into a women's portal. The name of the current publisher? Sanoma Hearst Romania!

3. Sanoma Magazines' third oldest magazine has many ancestors

In The Netherlands our magazine history starts some years after Femeia. In Leiden on 1 July 1913 local publisher A.W. Sijthoff starts publishing Panorama. In 1929 Sijthoff sells Panorama to a publisher called De Spaarnestad. De Spaarnestad merged with De Geďllustreerde Pers in 1964 and became VNU. VNU's magazine division was acquired by SanomaWSOY in 2001. When VNU's and SanomaWSOY's magazine operations merged, Sanoma Magazines was established. Then, in 2002, Sanoma Uitgevers founded Sanoma Men's Magazines as a dedicated publisher for the Dutch men's titles - including Panorama. Accept for some changes in frequency during the Second World War, Panorama never ceased to be published. A quick calculation learns that in all these years close to half a billion copies must have been printed - and we're still counting.

Reading through these short magazine biographies, I was quite impressed. I even felt a strange sensation in my stomach. Could it be... company pride?

Anyway, it's safe to conclude that Sanoma Magazines has a glorious past and a solid base for a bright future. If I've wet your appetite to know more about our history, please visit this long but still basic historic overview that was compiled after some research (thank you everyone who helped!). Of course this overview is nowhere near finished. Our history is continuously developing itself, and so is the way in which we present ourselves. Currently we are working on telling our story more completely and more compellingly. If you would like to contribute, please e-mail your recollections. You can monitor the progress on Sanoma Magazines' website.

Every Village, more media meanderings from Sanoma Magazines' Robin Janszen.