September — Wise Men Stats

Inspired by Harper's Index

September 1

Inspired by Harper's Index

Percentage of the world's coral reefs that have experienced bleaching at least once since 1998: 75%
Number of words the average person speaks per day: 16,000
Year the first labor strike in recorded history occurred (ancient Egypt, tomb workers at Deir el-Medina): 1170 BCE
Ratio of ants to humans on Earth: 2.5 million to 1
Percentage of US adults who cannot locate Ukraine on a map: 84%
Average number of times a person touches their face per hour: 23
Year "OK" first appeared in print, as a humorous abbreviation of "oll korrect": 1839
Percentage of a cat's life spent sleeping: 70%
Number of hot dogs consumed at US baseball games each season: 19 million
Pounds of coffee the average Finnish person drinks per year: 26
Percentage of the Amazon rainforest that lies in Brazil: 60%
Number of languages that have died since 1950: over 230

September 2

Estimated number of microplastic particles a person consumes per week: 5 grams (equivalent to a credit card)
Percentage of Earth's water that is freshwater accessible to humans: 0.3%
Year France abolished the death penalty: 1981
Average speed of a sneeze: 100 mph
Number of steps the average American walks per day: 3,000-4,000 (half the recommended amount)
Percentage of internet traffic that is non-human (bots): 47%
Year the last known wild passenger pigeon was shot: 1900
Calories burned by a person laughing for 10-15 minutes: 40
Number of US states where it is illegal to carry an ice cream cone in your back pocket: 1 (Alabama)
Percentage of the human genome that is identical to a banana's: 60%
Average number of nightmares a person has per year: 30
Year bread was first sold pre-sliced: 1928

September 3

Percentage of the ocean floor that has been mapped in detail: 20%
Number of lightning strikes that hit Earth every second: 100
Year the first written recipe for chocolate chip cookies was published: 1938
Average distance food travels from farm to plate in the US: 1,500 miles
Percentage of adults who have lied on their resume: 85%
Number of bones a human is born with vs. in adulthood: 270 vs. 206
Year Iceland became the first country to legalize abortion on demand: 1935
Grams of salt the average American consumes daily (recommended maximum is 2.3g): 3.4
Number of species of beetles (more than any other animal order): 400,000
Percentage of the sun's total volume that could be filled by Earths: 1.3 million
Year the US penny cost more to make than its face value: 2006
Average number of bacteria living on human skin: 1.5 trillion

September 4

Percentage of plastic ever produced that has been recycled: 9%
Number of calories in a pound of body fat: 3,500
Year the last duel was legally fought in Paraguay (the only country where dueling remained legal): 1992
Average time a goldfish can actually remember things (the "3-second memory" myth is false): 3 months
Percentage of Americans who have a passport: 42%
Number of taste buds lost per decade after age 40: 50%
Year Coca-Cola was sold in cans for the first time: 1955
Meters of DNA contained in a single human cell: 2
Percentage of the world's food supply that depends on bees: 75%
Number of hours the average American spends on their phone per day: 5.4
Year the hashtag symbol was first used on Twitter: 2007
Percentage of ocean species that remain undiscovered: 91%

September 5

Estimated number of stars in the observable universe (more than grains of sand on all Earth's beaches): 10 sextillion
Percentage of the world's oxygen produced by the Amazon rainforest (actual figure, not the "20% of Earth's oxygen" myth): 6%
Year the first ATM machine was installed (Barclays Bank, London): 1967
Average number of dreams a person has per night: 4-6
Percentage of people who are left-handed: 10%
Number of McDonald's locations that open every day worldwide: 5 (in the 1990s peak)
Year the US government accidentally auctioned off secret surveillance satellite images on eBay: 2003
Pounds of food the average American wastes per year: 325
Percentage of Earth's biomass that is bacteria: 70%
Average speed of a hummingbird's wings: 80 beats per second
Year Iceland became the first country to elect a female head of government: 1980
Number of hours of video uploaded to YouTube every minute: 500

September 6

Percentage of the US population that lives within 50 miles of the coast: 40%
Number of Americans who are struck by lightning each year: 300
Year the first email was sent (by Ray Tomlinson, to himself): 1971
Average time a human red blood cell lives: 120 days
Percentage of people who read the terms and conditions before accepting: 7%
Number of muscles used to take a single step: 200
Year the bikini was named after a nuclear test site: 1946
Liters of water needed to produce one pound of beef: 1,800
Percentage of adults who sleepwalk at some point in their lives: 30%
Average number of new species discovered per day: 18,000 per year (~49/day)
Year Finland added the right to internet access to its constitution: 2010
Number of words added to the Oxford English Dictionary each year: approximately 1,000

September 7

Percentage of the human body that is water at birth vs. old age: 78% vs. 55%
Number of calories a blue whale consumes in a single day during feeding season: 1.5 million
Year Brazil switched its capital from Rio de Janeiro to Brasília: 1960
Average number of emails received by a US worker per day: 121
Percentage of people who experience phantom phone vibrations: 80%
Number of languages spoken in New York City: over 800
Year the first crossword puzzle was published (New York World): 1913
Pounds of peanut butter consumed by Americans per year: 1.5 billion
Percentage of mammal species that are bats: 20%
Average time it takes the human body to digest a full meal: 24-72 hours
Year Switzerland gave women the right to vote in federal elections: 1971
Number of nuclear weapons detonated in history (tests and warfare combined): over 2,100

September 8

Percentage of the human brain that is fat: 60%
Number of breaths the average person takes per day: 22,000
Year the Michelin Guide started awarding stars to restaurants: 1926
Average distance a dairy cow walks per day: 3-5 miles
Percentage of global greenhouse gas emissions from livestock: 14.5%
Number of hours the sun has been burning (age in years: 4.6 billion): 40 trillion
Year the fortune cookie was invented (San Francisco, not China): 1918
Kilograms of cheese consumed per person per year in France: 27
Percentage of working adults who eat lunch at their desk: 67%
Average number of Facebook friends the typical user has: 338
Year aspirin was patented by Bayer: 1899
Number of distinct emoticons that existed before the emoji era (ASCII art): over 300

September 9

Estimated percentage of all human beings who have ever lived and are alive today: 7%
Number of piano keys on a standard piano: 88
Year Monopoly was patented (the game had been played for decades under different names): 1935
Average age of a US penny in circulation: 25 years
Percentage of people who can smell "petrichor" (rain on dry earth): 99% (anosmia to it is rare)
Number of copies of the Bible printed each year: 100 million
Year Iceland ran entirely on renewable energy for the first time: 2012
Calories burned sleeping for 8 hours: 300-400
Percentage of the world's vanilla flavor that is synthetic: 99%
Average number of times a human heart beats over a lifetime: 2.5 billion
Year the microwave oven was accidentally invented (by Percy Spencer near a magnetron): 1945
Number of distinct cheeses produced in France: over 1,200

September 10

Percentage of the planet's fresh water locked in Antarctica: 70%
Number of trees on Earth: 3 trillion (more than stars in the Milky Way)
Year Winston Churchill was rejected from Britain's elite Grenadier Guards due to his small chest: 1893
Average time spent waiting at red lights over a lifetime of driving: 6 months
Percentage of Earth's species that went extinct in the Permian mass extinction: 96%
Number of countries that have never been invaded by Britain: 22
Year the US Army tested LSD on unwitting civilians as part of Project ARTICHOKE: 1950
Pounds of sugar Americans consume per year on average: 152
Percentage of twins who develop their own private language (cryptophasia): 40%
Average distance an eye can detect a candle flame in darkness: 30 miles
Year Lego became the world's largest tire manufacturer by unit count: 2012
Number of times a human laughs per day on average: 15-17

September 11

Percentage of US households with air conditioning: 90%
Number of words in the average person's vocabulary at age 20 vs. 60: 42,000 vs. 48,000
Year the game of chess was first mentioned in writing (Persian manuscript): 600 CE
Average number of bacteria on a cutting board vs. a toilet seat: cutting board has 200 times more
Percentage of global fish stocks that are overfished or at capacity: 90%
Number of colors the human eye can distinguish: 10 million
Year Tetris was invented by Soviet game designer Alexei Pajitnov: 1984
Liters of blood the human heart pumps per day: 7,200
Percentage of Americans who have never left their home state: 11%
Average time spent on social media per day globally: 2 hours 31 minutes
Year the first speeding ticket was issued (New York, at 12 mph): 1899
Number of known species of tardigrades (water bears), which can survive in space: over 1,300

September 12

Percentage of the human body's atoms that are replaced each year: 98%
Number of US patents held by Thomas Edison: 1,093
Year coffee first appeared in Europe (Venice): 1600
Average number of seeds in a strawberry: 200
Percentage of Earth's land surface that is desert: 33%
Number of steps a honeybee's wings can make per second: 200
Year Stonehenge was built (earliest phase): 3000 BCE
Grams of protein in a serving of cricket flour vs. beef: 65g vs. 26g per 100g
Percentage of human DNA shared with a mushroom: 50%
Average time a mayfly lives as an adult: 24 hours
Year the first Ferris wheel debuted at the Chicago World's Fair: 1893
Number of US states where raw milk sales are legal: 30

September 13

Percentage of people who will be involved in a car accident in their lifetime: 77%
Number of neurons in the human gut (the "second brain"): 500 million
Year a woman first appeared on a US currency note (Martha Washington, 1886 silver certificate): 1886
Average number of insects consumed unintentionally per year by the average person: 1-2 pounds
Percentage of global internet users in China: 20%
Number of breaths a blue whale takes per hour: 1-4
Year the US government classified ketchup as a vegetable for school lunches: 1981
Kilometers of blood vessels in the human body: 100,000
Percentage of Earth's history during which dinosaurs did NOT exist: 87%
Average speed at which fingernails grow: 3.5mm per month
Year the word "boredom" was first used in the English language: 1852
Number of satellites launched into orbit since 1957: over 12,000

September 14

Percentage of US food that is thrown away at the retail level: 40%
Number of muscles in a caterpillar's body: 4,000 (humans have 629)
Year penicillin was discovered accidentally by Alexander Fleming: 1928
Average cost of a hospital stay in the US per day: $2,873
Percentage of global wild animal populations lost since 1970: 69%
Number of words Shakespeare invented or first used in writing: approximately 1,700
Year Australia outlawed all assault weapons after a mass shooting: 1996
Tablespoons of salt found in the human body: 4
Percentage of internet users who have never changed their default password: 54%
Average time it takes for a tree to grow enough to produce lumber: 25-80 years
Year the first selfie was taken (Robert Cornelius, daguerreotype): 1839
Number of licensed pilots in the US: 700,000

September 15

Percentage of ocean plastic that comes from just 10 rivers: 90%
Number of bacteria cells in the human body vs. human cells: roughly equal (previously thought to be 10:1)
Year the speed of light was first accurately measured (by Ole Rømer): 1676
Average number of hours Americans spend cooking per week: 37 minutes per day
Percentage of adults in the US who have never read a book for pleasure as an adult: 27%
Number of languages in which the Bible has been translated: 3,500
Year Iceland became the first country in the world to ban strip clubs: 2010
Pounds of gold dissolved in the world's oceans: 20 million tons
Percentage of the human body's energy used by the brain: 20%
Average distance migrating monarch butterflies travel: 3,000 miles
Year Spam (the canned meat) was invented: 1937
Number of unique smells the human nose can detect: 1 trillion

September 16

Percentage of the Amazon that has been deforested since 1970: 17%
Number of cups of coffee consumed globally per day: 2.25 billion
Year Mexico declared independence from Spain: 1810
Average number of hairs on a human head: 100,000
Percentage of people who are "supertasters" (extra sensitive to bitter flavors): 25%
Number of dimples on a regulation golf ball: 336
Year "Jingle Bells" was originally written as a Thanksgiving song: 1857
Liters of urine produced by the human kidneys per day: 1-1.5
Percentage of Earth's crust that is made of oxygen (by mass): 46%
Average life expectancy of a dollar bill: 6 years
Year the bikini wax became widely available in the US: 1987
Number of countries with mandatory voting: 27

September 17

Percentage of all calories consumed globally that come from just three crops (wheat, rice, corn): 50%
Number of US Constitution amendments that have been ratified: 27
Year the first product (a can of Heinz baked beans) was sold with a barcode at a US store: 1974
Average number of steps required to shake hands: 8 to 12 micro-gestures
Percentage of the world's surface covered by forests: 31%
Number of countries that have had a female head of government: 73 (as of 2024)
Year Nepal abolished the death penalty: 1990
Kilograms of food the average American eats in a year: 1,996 (over half a ton)
Percentage of the universe that is dark matter and dark energy: 95%
Average time a cockroach can survive without its head: up to 2 weeks
Year the LEGO brick was patented: 1958
Number of officially named mountains in the world: 1,187,049

September 18

Percentage of US electricity generated by renewables in 2023: 21%
Number of languages currently at risk of extinction: over 3,000
Year the first credit card (Diners Club) was introduced: 1950
Average number of times a human eye blinks per minute: 15-20
Percentage of marriages in the world that are arranged: 55%
Number of possible chess games (a number greater than atoms in the observable universe): 10^120
Year the Eiffel Tower was nearly torn down: 1909
Calories in a pound of raw honey: 1,380
Percentage of Earth's species that are insects: 80%
Average number of hot dogs Americans eat on July 4th: 150 million
Year the "Like" button on Facebook was introduced: 2009
Number of hours of music uploaded to Spotify per day: 60,000 hours worth

September 19

Percentage of US adults who can correctly identify the three branches of government: 36%
Number of registered vehicles on Earth: 1.4 billion
Year the phrase "third world country" was coined (by French demographer Alfred Sauvy): 1952
Average depth of the ocean: 3,688 meters (the Everest base camp is shallower)
Percentage of the world's languages with fewer than 1,000 speakers: 40%
Number of muscles a human uses to smile vs. frown: 12 vs. 11 (frowning uses more)
Year the last person died from the bubonic plague in the US: 1924 (sporadic cases still occur)
Pounds of insects eaten per year in the world as food: 2 billion people consume insects
Percentage of doctors who report being burned out: 42%
Average distance an Olympic swimmer covers in training per day: 10,000-20,000 meters
Year the US government briefly classified tomatoes as vegetables for tariff purposes (Supreme Court ruling): 1893
Number of unique pizza combinations possible with 20 toppings: over 1 million

September 20

Percentage of global carbon emissions attributed to the fashion industry: 10%
Number of known moons of Saturn: 146 (as of 2024, more than any other planet)
Year the first public library in the US opened (Peterborough, NH): 1833
Average time the human body takes to process alcohol: 1 hour per drink
Percentage of adults who mispronounce "quinoa": 39%
Number of hairs in a single eyebrow: 250-500
Year Velcro was invented (by George de Mestral, inspired by burrs on his dog): 1948
Meters per second at which tree signals (electrical impulses) travel: 1/100th the speed of neurons
Percentage of Earth's species estimated to have gone extinct before being discovered: 99%
Average weight of a human brain: 3 pounds (similar to a cantaloupe)
Year the US discontinued the $500 bill: 1969
Number of ingredients in a McDonald's McRib: 70

September 21

Percentage of the human body's weight that is blood: 7-8%
Number of US national parks: 63
Year the United Nations was officially founded: 1945
Average amount of food a blue whale eats in a day: 4 tons
Percentage of lightning strikes that hit men: 80%
Number of languages with no word for "war": none (all known languages have one)
Year the last state in the US (Alaska) permitted same-sex cohabitation: 1980
Liters of saliva produced by the human body per day: 1-1.5
Percentage of the world's earthquakes that occur in Japan: 20%
Average number of calories burned watching TV for one hour: 65
Year coca-cola removed cocaine from its formula: 1903
Number of muscles in an elephant's trunk: 40,000

September 22

Percentage of global water use attributed to agriculture: 70%
Number of times the average person lies per day: 1-2 (some studies suggest up to 200)
Year the first autumnal equinox was celebrated with a recorded festival: roughly 3000 BCE
Average hours of sunlight received at the equator per day: 12
Percentage of new businesses that fail within the first 5 years: 45%
Number of calories burned in 1 hour of archery: 480
Year the Internet Archive's Wayback Machine was founded: 1996
Gallons of water used in producing a single cotton t-shirt: 713
Percentage of people born in September who become professional athletes (largest birth month in many sports due to school cutoffs): varies but measurably higher
Average typing speed of a skilled typist in words per minute: 60-80
Year the penny press transformed newspaper readability for common people (New York Sun): 1833
Number of active volcanoes on Earth: 1,500

September 23

Percentage of the world's land surface that is farmland: 50%
Number of days without food that a person can theoretically survive: 30-40
Year Einstein published his theory of general relativity: 1915
Average number of bones broken in a lifetime by a person who skis regularly: 2
Percentage of people who experience social anxiety disorder at some point: 13%
Number of calories in a tablespoon of butter: 100
Year Mount Everest was first summited: 1953
Meters by which Earth's sea level has risen since 1900: 20-23 cm
Percentage of animal species on Earth that have been documented: 13%
Average number of hairs shed from a human head daily: 50-100
Year the stethoscope was invented by René Laennec (using rolled paper): 1816
Number of hours the average American spends in traffic per year: 54

September 24

Percentage of the US population that will develop diabetes in their lifetime: 40%
Number of barrels of oil consumed globally per day: 100 million
Year the first computer mouse was invented (Douglas Engelbart, Stanford): 1964
Average distance a mail carrier walks per day: 8-10 miles
Percentage of the world's population living in poverty (under $2.15/day): 10%
Number of bones in a giraffe's neck (same as a human): 7
Year the Galapagos Islands were discovered by Europeans (Bishop of Panama): 1535
Pounds of wild salmon consumed per year in the US: 1.1 billion
Percentage of the sky visible from a suburban backyard: less than 0.001% of the observable universe
Average number of items in a US supermarket: 30,000-50,000
Year Iceland officially adopted the Icelandic sagas as cultural heritage protected by law: 2012
Number of types of cheese with Protected Designation of Origin status in the EU: over 300

September 25

Percentage of Earth's animals that are nematodes (roundworms): 80%
Number of languages that use the Latin alphabet: 100
Year the first Nobel Prizes were awarded: 1901
Average hours of television watched per day by American adults: 4.7
Percentage of the world's population that is overweight or obese: 39%
Number of words a person reads in a lifetime of average reading: 1 billion
Year the first woman was elected to the US Congress (Jeannette Rankin): 1916
Grams of fiber in a serving of lentils vs. white rice: 8g vs. 0.4g
Percentage of human genes that have a direct equivalent in a mouse: 85%
Average time a monarch butterfly takes to complete its metamorphosis: 10 days
Year the first music video was broadcast on MTV: 1981
Number of islands in Sweden: 221,800

September 26

Percentage of US adults who report experiencing chronic pain: 20%
Number of times the word "and" appears in the King James Bible: 46,277
Year the hole in the ozone layer over Antarctica was first observed: 1985
Average number of pesticide residues found on a conventionally grown apple: 47
Percentage of the world's known species that live in the deep sea: 95%
Number of sheep in New Zealand per human resident: 5
Year the first space tourist paid to orbit Earth (Dennis Tito): 2001
Liters of oil a human body contains (in the form of fat): about 15-20 in an average adult
Percentage of US college students who have cheated on a test: 68%
Average weight of an elephant's brain: 11 pounds (largest of any land animal)
Year the US Postal Service delivered by horse-drawn wagon for the last time: 1916
Number of distinct varieties of rice grown worldwide: 40,000

September 27

Percentage of the world's books that have never been digitized: 86%
Number of times a hummingbird's heart beats per minute: 1,200
Year bubble wrap was invented (accidentally, as wallpaper): 1957
Average number of gallons of water used by a single dishwasher load: 4 (vs. 27 for hand-washing)
Percentage of people who are ambidextrous: 1%
Number of countries that have never had a civil war: 2 (Sweden and Switzerland)
Year the Great Wall of China was officially completed: 1644 (construction spanned 2,000 years)
Calories in a single gram of alcohol: 7 (nearly as many as fat at 9)
Percentage of the human body that is empty space (at the atomic level): 99.9999999%
Average cost of a NASA spacesuit: $150 million
Year the first text message was sent: 1992
Number of muscles required to clench a fist: 17

September 28

Percentage of global CO2 emissions caused by cement production: 8%
Number of items the average American household owns: 300,000
Year the rabies vaccine was first successfully tested on a human (Louis Pasteur): 1885
Average age at which taste and smell begin to decline noticeably: 60
Percentage of Americans who don't have a will: 60%
Number of grapes required to make one bottle of wine: 600-800
Year Bhutan became the only country to measure "Gross National Happiness" instead of GDP: 1971
Meters of spider silk needed to circle the Earth: a spider would need to spin non-stop for years
Percentage of working Americans who are self-employed: 10%
Average number of days a grocery store banana is in transit before being sold: 2-3
Year roller coasters were first introduced in Russia as "Flying Mountains": 1600s
Number of languages that have no word for "blue" (including ancient Greek): at least 8

September 29

Percentage of Earth's plant biomass that is contained in trees: 80%
Number of languages spoken in Papua New Guinea: over 840 (most of any country)
Year the first weather satellite (TIROS-1) was launched: 1960
Average time taken by light to travel from the sun to Earth: 8 minutes 20 seconds
Percentage of the world's population that has never drunk alcohol: 42%
Number of muscles in a human tongue: 8
Year ketchup was sold as medicine (for indigestion): 1834
Kilograms of food an adult panda eats per day: 12-38
Percentage of US adults with tatoos: 32%
Average number of words per minute spoken in a TED talk: 163
Year the US and Canada had a minor armed dispute over a pig (the "Pig War"): 1859
Number of possible ways to arrange a standard deck of 52 cards: more than the number of atoms on Earth

September 30

Percentage of the world's population that lives in the Northern Hemisphere: 90%
Number of seconds the human brain can survive without oxygen before damage begins: 4-6 minutes (about 240-360 seconds)
Year Switzerland became the last country in Europe to grant women the right to vote (in all cantons): 1991
Average number of calories burned per hour by a human brain thinking hard: 300 (modest)
Percentage of US rivers that have been dammed or impounded: 17%
Number of known black holes in the Milky Way: at least 100 million
Year the first crossword puzzle competition was held in the US: 1978
Grams of sugar in a 20-oz bottle of Coca-Cola: 65
Percentage of the world's languages that are spoken in Asia or the Pacific: 32%
Average time a person spends waiting in line in their lifetime: 5 years
Year Portugal decriminalized all drug use (not legalization, but decriminalization): 2001
Number of miles of coastline of the United States including Alaska: 95,471