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

Monday, 24 August 2026

2006

The International Astronomical Union (IAU) redefines the term "planet" such that Pluto is now considered a Dwarf Planet.

2004

Eighty-nine passengers die after two airliners explode after flying out of Domodedovo International Airport, near Moscow. The explosions are caused by suicide bombers (reportedly female) from the Russian Republic of Chechnya.

2001

Air Transat Flight 236 runs out of fuel over the Atlantic Ocean (en route to Lisbon from Toronto) and makes an emergency landing in the Azores.

1998

First RFID human implantation tested in the United Kingdom.

The Netherlands is selected as the site for the trial of the two Libyan suspects of the 1988 Pan Am bombing.

1995

Computer software developer Microsoft releases its Windows 95 operating system.

1994

Initial accord between Israel and the PLO about partial self-rule of the Palestinians on the West Bank.

1992

Hurricane Andrew hits South Florida as a Category 5 Hurricane.

1991

Mikhail Gorbachev resigns as head of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union.

Ukraine declares itself independent from 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