Star Wars: 10 Things You Didn't Know About R2-D2
7. R2-D2 Is The Only Witness To The Skywalker Saga
There's never been a confirmed Canon age for R2-D2, but suffice to say he's getting on a bit. He was built sometime before 32BBY, when the events of The Phantom Menace take place, and considering how much personality and experience he had, it's safe to assume he wasn't brand new at the time.
His age puts him in a unique place in Star Wars, as he's been an eyewitness to some of the most important events in the galaxy, in particular the Skywalker Saga.
He was there on Tatooine when Qui-Gon Jinn discovered Anakin Skywalker and took him to Coruscant, later flying with the young Jedi in the Clone Wars, before witnessing his fall to the Dark Side. He was also present at the birth of Luke and Leia, and would later play an important role in both their lives, working alongside Leia in the Rebellion before becoming Luke's astromech co-pilot.
This makes him the only character to have seen the Skywalker Saga from start to finish, and given that droids have a computer memory, he's probably one of the most reliable people to ask. If only he could write, his memoirs would be worth a fortune.