Review by Martha Quillen
Information – February 2004 – Colorado Central Magazine
The World Almanac and Book of Facts 2004
Published by World Almanac Books, New York, NY
ISBN 0-88687-911-6
RECENTLY A FRONT PAGE STORY in The Denver Post warned that the FBI viewed possession of almanacs as a possible indication of terrorist activities. And the organization specifically cited The World Almanac because it lists biggest cities, highest buildings, largest reservoirs, major dams, biggest hydro plants….
And it’s true. The World Almanac contains scads of information that the average terrorist — or U.S. citizen — may need to know in one handy reference book.
Here it is, a wealth of information in a deceptively modest package, and it includes lists of: current cabinet members, Supreme Court justices, and congressmen; Pulitzer Prize winners; Popes; astronauts and cosmonauts; sports personalities; Hollywood stars (with their birth dates); Academy Awards; U.S. Presidents, Vice Presidents and first ladies; foreign rulers, kings and royal houses; U.S. governors; historical figures; bestselling books, movies and albums; four-year colleges and universities (including the price of tuition, fees, room and board, and the number of teachers and students); historical events; nations; generals; volcanoes; churches; and cities.
It also includes stats on crime, employment, birth, death, marriage, divorce, population, and health care; plus government addresses; and maps and flags; and information about astronomy, geology, scientific inventions, and holidays.
If you want to know when Easter will be this year, look it up in The World Almanac.
If you want to know the national address for the Green Party, or the Red Cross, or the Republican National Committee, check The World Almanac.
For years, Ed and I worked in newspaper offices where people frequently called to ask questions. But editors and reporters don’t actually know everything. Instead, the ones who want to seem smart, keep The World Almanac next to their phones.
It’s quicker than the internet; more compact than a library; and more convenient than calling an expert. But as the editor of The World Almanac recently pointed out, the book doesn’t actually contain any information that isn’t available at libraries or on the internet. And it doesn’t reveal any confidential reports, state secrets or previously unpublished addresses. The World Almanac merely stuffs volumes of public information and stats into one volume.
So if you buy the paperback edition and you’re over forty, you’ll probably need a magnifying glass to read it. But The World Almanac is a great book — and a great buy — for adults, students, patriots, ordinary citizens (and apparently terrorists, too).
And it offers more than a voluminous myriad of facts; it also contains a table of contents, a general index, a quick index, and a quick sports index so you can find them. Every year we buy a copy of The World Almanac for every member of our family, and we use them often.
HERE ARE A FEW FACTS gleaned from The World Almanac and Book of Facts 2004:
“In 1623, the first mechanical calculator, capable of adding, subtracting, multiplying, and dividing was developed by the German mathematician Wilhelm Schikard; the only 2 models Schikard made, however, were destroyed in a fire.”
“Laura Welch Bush was born in Midland, TX, Nov. 4, 1946. She graduated from Southern Methodist University, earned a master’s in library science at the Univ. of Texas at Austin, and became a librarian and teacher in Texas public schools. She and George W. Bush were married in 1977; in 1981, their twin daughters, Jenna and Barbara were born.”
So who was the U.S. Heavyweight Champion in 1952?
Rocky Marciano
And whom did he beat?
Joe Walcott
What was the top-selling album of All-time?
Eagles/Their Greatest Hits 1971 – 1975 (Bet you didn’t guess that one.)
Where were the 1980 Summer Olympic Games held?
Moscow
What is the U.S. life expectancy?
74.4 male; 80 female
What is the life expectancy in France?
75.6 male; 83 female
What is the life expectancy in Japan?
77.6 male; 84.4 female
What is the life expectancy in Malawi?
37.6 male; 38.4 female
What country spends the most per capita on health care?
The United States; we spend $4,499 per capita.
How much does France spend on health care?
$2,057 per capita
How much does Ethiopia spend?
$5 per capita
What is the average life expectancy of a giraffe?
10 years
What is the maximum life expectancy of a giraffe?
36 years and 2 months
Who was killed on June 25, 1876?
George Armstrong Custer and 264 7th Calvary soldiers.
What are antipopes?
Illegitimate claimants to the papal throne.
How big is Saguache County?
3,168 square miles.
