Almanac - AbsoluteAstronomy.com

TOP TEN LISTS

World's Most Dangerous Animals

Deadliest animals in the world ranked by estimated number of human fatalities per year

Best Selling Musicians

Top selling musicians of all time ranked by estimated number of albums sold

Best Selling Books of All-Time

Best selling novels worldwide ranked by estimated number of copies sold

Fastest Manned Aircraft in the World

Fastest manned aircraft (excluding spacecraft) ranked by top speed

World's Most Practiced Religions

Major religions of the world ranked by estimated number of followers

Worst Genocides of the Twentieth Century

The ten worst genocides of the 20th century listed by dictators responsible; ranked by number of deaths

World's Fastest Land Animals

The fastest land animals in the world ranked by maximum speed

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Today in History

Thursday, 16 April 2026

2007

Virginia Tech massacre: The deadliest spree killing in modern American history. Seung-Hui Cho, kills 32 and injures 23 before committing suicide.

2004

The super liner {{RMS|Queen Mary 2}} embarks on her first trans-Atlantic crossing, linking the golden age of ocean travel to the modern age of ocean travel.

2003

The Treaty of Accession is signed in Athens admitting 10 new member states to the European Union.

1992

The ''Katina P.'' runs aground off of Maputo, Mozambique and 60,000 tons of crude oil spill into the ocean.

1990

The "Doctor of Death", Jack Kevorkian, participates in his first assisted suicide.

1972

Apollo program: The launch of Apollo 16 from Cape Canaveral, Florida.

1963

Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. pens his Letter from Birmingham Jail while incarcerated in Birmingham, Alabama for protesting against segregation.

1953

Queen Elizabeth II launches the Royal Yacht {{Ship|HMY|Britannia}}.

1947

Texas City Disaster: An explosion on board a freighter in port causes the city of Texas City, Texas, to catch fire, killing almost 600.

Bernard Baruch coins the term "Cold War" to describe the relationship between the United States and the Soviet Union.

FACTOIDS

Vincent van Gogh

Vincent Van Gogh sold only one painting in his lifetime.

Blue Whale

The blue whale is the largest animal that has ever lived.

Gold

Every ton of seawater contains approximately 1 milligram of dissolved gold.

Mosquito

Studies show that mosquitoes prefer biting blondes to brunettes.

Timelines

People's Republic of China

Afghanistan