In 1942, Chinese sailor Poon Lim survived 130 days drifting alone in the South Atlantic. A German U-boat torpedoed his ship and he climbed into a life raft. Lim stayed alive by catching rainwater in a canvas tarp and fishing with a bent nail. At first he counted the days by tying knots in a rope, but then simply began counting full moons. He reached Brazil in April 1943, 20 pounds lighter but able to walk unaided. “I hope no one will ever have to break that record,” he said.
Trivia
The Madness of Crowds
Countries with the densest populations:
- Monaco – 16,620 inhabitants per square kilometer
- Singapore – 6,389
- Vatican City – 2,093
- Malta – 1,261
- Maldives – 1,163
- Bahrain – 1,035
- Bangladesh – 1,002
- Barbados – 647
- Republic of China (Taiwan) – 636
- Nauru – 621
… and the least dense:
- Guyana – 3 inhabitants per square kilometer
- Canada – 3
- Libya – 3
- Mauritania – 2
- Iceland – 2
- Botswana – 2
- Suriname – 2
- Australia – 2
- Namibia – 2
- Mongolia – 1
Taken as a whole, the population density of the planet is 43 inhabitants per square kilometer.
Single-Border Countries
Countries bordered by only one other country:
- Lesotho – by South Africa
- San Marino – by Italy
- Vatican City – by Italy
- Qatar – by Saudi Arabia
- South Korea – by North Korea (across the demilitarized zone)
- Denmark – by Germany
- The Gambia – by Senegal
- Monaco – by France
- Brunei – by Malaysia
- Canada – by the United States
- Portugal – by Spain
- Dominican Republic – by Haiti
- Haiti – by Dominican Republic
- Brunei – by Malaysia
- Papua New Guinea – by Indonesia
- East Timor – by Indonesia
- Republic of Ireland – by the United Kingdom
Human Life Expectancy
Average human lifespan, by era:
- Neanderthal: 20 years
- Neolithic: 20 years
- Classical Greece: 28 years
- Classical Rome: 28 years
- Medieval England: 33 years
- End of 18th century: 37 years
- Early 20th century: 50 years
- Circa 1940: 65 years
- Current (in the West): 77-81 years
Today the average Zambian dies at age 37, the average Japanese at age 81.
Shuttle Power
At full power, a space shuttle’s engines generate as much energy as 23 Hoover Dams.
Lightning Strikes
The average lightning bolt carries enough energy to light a 100-watt light bulb for two months.
Common Surnames
Most common surnames in the United States …
- Smith
- Johnson
- Williams
- Jones
- Brown
- Davis
- Miller
- Wilson
- Moore
- Taylor
… and in the United Kingdom:
- Smith
- Jones
- Williams
- Taylor
- Brown
- Davies
- Evans
- Wilson
- Thomas
- Johnson
Wide Awake
The world record for going without sleep was set in 1965 by 17-year-old high school student Randy Gardner, who stayed awake for 264 hours, or 11 days.
He spent it playing pinball.
Death Tolls
- 300 million – smallpox, worldwide, 20th century
- 200 million – bubonic plague, worldwide, 1300s
- 62 million – World War II
- 60 million – Mongol conquests, 13th century
- 19 million – AIDS, worldwide to date
- 1 million – Irish potato famine, 1846-1849
- 830,000 – Shaanxi earthquake, China, 1556
- 650,000 – Deaths in the Roman Colosseum for public entertainment, 80-404
- 36,000 – Krakatoa eruption, Indonesia, 1883
- 15,000 – Holy Inquisition, 1184-1800
- 1,517 – RMS Titanic, 1912
- 300 – Great Chicago Fire, 1871
- 270 – Pan Am Flight 103, Lockerbie, Scotland, 1988
- 36 – Hindenburg disaster, Lakehurst, N.J., 1937
- 7 – Space shuttle Challenger, Florida, 1986
- 4 – Kent State shootings
Stature
Tallest U.S. presidents:
- Abraham Lincoln 6’3.75″
- Lyndon B. Johnson 6’3.5″
- Thomas Jefferson 6’2.5″
- Chester A. Arthur 6’2″
- George H.W. Bush 6’2″
- Franklin D. Roosevelt 6’2″
And shortest:
- John Adams 5’7″
- John Quincy Adams 5’7″
- William McKinley 5’7″
- Benjamin Harrison 5’6″
- Martin Van Buren 5’6″
- James Madison 5’4″