Every day is strange if you know your history. This illustrated daily trivia almanac explores a bizarre moment through the ages for each day of the year, such as: The odiferous debut of Smell-o-Vision (January 12, 1960) The execution of Oliver Cromwell, more than two years after his death (January 30, 1661) The day the first pig actually flew (November 4, 1909) That time the United States ran out of toilet paper (December 19, 1973) Drawing on a range of subjects including politics, sports, the arts, pop culture, and more, each What the . . . fact offers daily or dip-in-and-out diversion, and an opportunity to learn something new and stranger every day.

An almanac with information about famous events and celebrations for each dayof the year and related children's book recommendations.

A 2021 USA Today Bestseller! Get thousands of facts at your fingertips with this essential resource: business, the arts and pop culture, science and technology, U.S. history and government, world geography, sports, and so much more. The World Almanac® is America’s bestselling reference book of all time, with more than 83 million copies sold. For more than 150 years, this compendium of information has been the authoritative source for school, library, business, and home. The 2022 edition of The World Almanac reviews the biggest events of 2021 and will be your go-to source for questions on any topic in the upcoming year. Praised as a “treasure trove of political, economic, scientific and educational statistics and information” by The Wall Street Journal, The World Almanac and Book of Facts will answer all of your trivia needs effortlessly. Features include: Special Feature: Coronavirus Status Report: A special section provides up-to-the-minute information about the world’s largest public health crisis in at least a century. Statistical data and graphics across dozens of chapters show how the pandemic continues to affect the economy, work, family life, education, and culture. Special Feature: 20 Years in Afghanistan: The World Almanac provides history, data, and other context for the end of America's longest war and the future of Afghanistan and its people. 2021—Top 10 News Topics: The editors of The World Almanac list the top stories that held the world's attention in 2021. 2021—Year in Sports: Hundreds of pages of trivia and statistics that are essential for any sports fan, featuring complete coverage of the Olympic Games in Tokyo and the sports world's ongoing adaptations to the coronavirus pandemic, and much more. 2021—Year in Pictures: Striking full-color images from around the world in 2021, covering news, entertainment, science, and sports. 2021—Offbeat News Stories: The World Almanac editors found some of the strangest news stories of the year. World Almanac Editors' Picks: Time Capsule: The World Almanac lists the items that most came to symbolize the year 2021, from news and sports to pop culture. World Almanac Editors' Picks: Memorable Recent Sports Scandals: From a trash-can banging, sign-stealing scandal to the doping of horses and humans, World Almanac editors select some of the sports world's biggest black marks from the last 20 years. The World at a Glance: This annual feature of The World Almanac provides a quick look at the surprising stats and curious facts that define the changing world. The Biden Administration: Complete coverage of the presidential transition in Washington, DC, including cabinet-level leadership and the filling of other key administration roles. Other New Highlights: First data available from the 2020 Census, congressional appropriation and redistricting, and much more.

“In all the vast collection of books on the American Civil War there is no book like this one,” says Bruce Catton. Never before has such a stunning body of facts dealing with the war been gathered together in one place and presented in a coherent, useful, day-by-day narrative. And never before have statistics revealed human suffering of such heroic and tragic magnitude. The text begins in November, 1860, and ends with the conclusion of hostilities in May, 1865, and the start of reconstruction. It is designed to furnish the reader not only with information, but to tell a story. Here, in addition to the momentous events that are a familiar part of our history, the daily entries recount innumerable lesser military actions as well as some of the other activities and thoughts of men great and unknown engaged in America’s most costly war: · May 5, 1864—a private in the Army of Northern Virginia writes at the beginning of the Battle of the Wilderness, “It is a beautiful spring day on which all this bloody work is being done.” · May 6, 1864—Gen. Lee rides among his men and is shouted to the rear by his protective troops. · April 30, 1864—Joe David, five-year-old son of the Confederate President, dies after a fall from the high veranda of the White House in Richmond. · April 14, 1865—President Lincoln’s busy day includes a Cabinet meeting where he tells of his recurring dream of a ship moving with great rapidity toward a dark and indefinite shore; that night Mr. Lincoln attends a performance of a trifling comedy at Ford’s Theatre, “Our American Cousin”.

#1 New York Times Bestseller! Get thousands of facts at your fingertips with this essential resource: business, the arts and pop culture, science and technology, U.S. history and government, world geography, sports, and so much more. The World Almanac® is America’s bestselling reference book of all time, with more than 83 million copies sold. For more than 150 years, this compendium of information has been the authoritative source for school, library, business, and home. The 2021 edition of The World Almanac reviews the biggest events of 2020 and will be your go-to source for questions on any topic in the upcoming year. Praised as a “treasure trove of political, economic, scientific and educational statistics and information” by The Wall Street Journal, The World Almanac and Book of Facts will answer all of your trivia needs effortlessly. Features include: 2020 Election Results: The World Almanac provides a comprehensive look at the entire 2020 election process, from the roller coaster of the early primaries to state and county presidential voting results and coverage of House, Senate, and gubernatorial races. 2020 Coronavirus Pandemic: A special section provides up-to-the-minute information about the world’s largest public health crisis in at least a century, providing information on what scientists know about the virus so far—and what still needs to be learned—along with an update on vaccine progress, statistical data and graphics, and useful practical measures for readers. World Almanac Editors' Picks: Memorable Summer Olympic Moments: The World Almanac took a look back at past editions of the Olympic Summer Games to create a highlight reel of memorable moments to tide sports fans over until Tokyo in 2021. 2020—Top 10 News Topics: The editors of The World Almanac list the top stories that held the world's attention in 2020. 2020—Year in Sports: Hundreds of pages of trivia and statistics that are essential for any sports fan, featuring complete coverage of the sports world’s response to the COVID-19 pandemic, a preview of the Olympic Games in Tokyo, and much more. 2020—Year in Pictures: Striking full-color images from around the world in 2020, covering news, entertainment, science, and sports. 2020—Offbeat News Stories: The World Almanac editors found some of the strangest news stories of the year. World Almanac Editors' Picks: Time Capsule: The World Almanac lists the items that most came to symbolize the year 2020, from news and sports to pop culture. The World at a Glance: This annual feature of The World Almanac provides a quick look at the surprising stats and curious facts that define the changing world. Statistical Spotlight: This annual feature highlights statistics relevant to the biggest stories of the year. These data provide context to give readers a fresh perspective on important issues. Other New Highlights: Newly available statistics on how the COVID-19 pandemic and widespread shutdowns have affected businesses, air quality, employment, education, families’ living situations and access to food, and much more.