Youngest head of Northern Ireland government takes office (also first woman)
Prime Ministers
1921 Sir James Craig (later Lord Craigavon), age 50
1940 J.M. Andrews, age 69
1943 Sir Basil Brooke (later Lord Brookeborough), age 54
1963 Terence O'Neill, age 48
1969 James Chichester-Clark, age 46
1971 Brian Faulkner, age 50
First Ministers
1998 David Trimble, age 53
2007 Ian Paisley, age 81
2008 Peter Robinson, age 59
2016 Arlene Foster, age 45
Only one of the 19 Secretaries of State for Northern Ireland was appointed at a younger age than Arlene Foster is today - the incumbent, Teresa Villiers, who was 44 when she was appointed in 2012. Peter Mandelson was her youngest predecessor, appointed ten days before his 46th birthday in 1999.
1921 Sir James Craig (later Lord Craigavon), age 50
1940 J.M. Andrews, age 69
1943 Sir Basil Brooke (later Lord Brookeborough), age 54
1963 Terence O'Neill, age 48
1969 James Chichester-Clark, age 46
1971 Brian Faulkner, age 50
First Ministers
1998 David Trimble, age 53
2007 Ian Paisley, age 81
2008 Peter Robinson, age 59
2016 Arlene Foster, age 45
Only one of the 19 Secretaries of State for Northern Ireland was appointed at a younger age than Arlene Foster is today - the incumbent, Teresa Villiers, who was 44 when she was appointed in 2012. Peter Mandelson was her youngest predecessor, appointed ten days before his 46th birthday in 1999.