Top 50 things everyone should do by the age of 50

Seeing the Northern Lights is on the list.

While many expect to have fallen in love, got married, bought a house and had children by the time they reach the big 5-0, Brits aged over 50 also think you should have learned a second language, quit a job and gone skinny dipping.

Staying out all night partying, jumping into a pool fully clothed and learning to say 'no' to your mother also made the list. It also emerged less than four in 10 over 50s have accomplished all of their life aims, with another 39 per cent believing life really does begin at 50.

The study, of 2,000 over 50s carried out with OnePoll, found buying a house is top of the list of things to do before you turn 50, followed by having children, getting married, falling in love and eating fish and chips on the pier.

How many of these have you done?

1. Buy a house

2. Have kids

3. Get married

4. Fall in love

5. Eat fish and chips on the pier

6. Donate blood

7. Read 100 books

8. See your favourite musician/band live

9. Learn a language

10. Attend a music festival

11. Own a dog

12. Learn to say no to your mother

13. Stay out all night partying

14. See the Northern Lights

15. Visit Stonehenge

16. Be able to remember which side of your car the petrol cap is on

17. Travel somewhere alone

18. Sleep underneath the stars

19. Watch a meteor shower

20. Dance in the rain

21. Become an expert at something

22. Quit a job

23. See a volcano

24. Visit all seven continents

25. Throw a coin in the Trevi fountain

26. Take a helicopter ride

27. Have sex on a beach

28. Swim with dolphins

29. Go skinny dipping

30. Ride a gondola in Venice

31. Make a snow angel

32. Take part in a protest

33. Own your own business

34. Go in a hot air balloon

35. Ride an elephant

36. Climb Snowdonia

37. Jump into a pool fully clothed

38. Backpack across Europe

39. Perfect a signature dish

40. Drink beer at Oktoberfest

41. Run a marathon

42. Get a tattoo

43. Ride a Vespa

44. Watch comedy at Edinburgh Fringe

45. Write a novel

46. Write a journal

47. Spend a month technology free

48. Try drugs

49. Have a threesome

50. Go to an airport and pick a random flight