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, 24 April 2025

2007

Iceland announces that Norway will shoulder the defense of Iceland during peacetime.

2006

King Gyanendra of Nepal gives into the demands of protesters and restores the parliament that he dissolved in 2002.

2005

Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger is inaugurated as the 265th Pope of the Roman Catholic Church taking the name Pope Benedict XVI.

Snuppy, the world's first cloned dog is born in South Korea.

2004

The United States lifts economic sanctions imposed on Libya 18 years previously, as a reward for its cooperation in eliminating weapons of mass destruction.

1996

In the United States, the Antiterrorism and Effective Death Penalty Act of 1996 is introduced.

1993

An IRA bomb devastates the Bishopsgate area of London.

1990

STS-31: The Hubble Space Telescope is launched from the Space Shuttle ''Discovery''. thumb lifts off, carrying Hubble into orbit.]]

Gruinard Island, Scotland, is officially declared free of the anthrax disease after 48 years of quarantine.

1980

Eight U.S. servicemen die in Operation Eagle Claw as they attempt to end the Iran hostage crisis.

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