Author Archives: admin

Most likes on a Facebook item in 24 hours

The most likes on a Facebook item in 24 hours is 3,868,253, as featured on the official page for Barack Obama (USA) in response to a post made on 07 November 2012. The post, “Four more years.” and a picture of Obama embracing wife Michelle, was an announcement of his re-election as President of the United States. http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=10151255420886749&set=a.53081056748.66806.6815841748&type=1

Most lights on a Christmas tree

The most lights lit simultaneously on a Christmas tree is 194,672 and was achieved by Kiwanis Malmedy / Haute Fagnes Belgium in Malmedy, Belgium, on 10 December 2010. 350 garlands measuring 3 m (9 ft 10 in) long and fitted with 576 lights were hung on the tree. Using voltage calculations, witnesses were able to ascertain exactly how many lights were successfully lit throughout the required 5 minutes.

Most light sensitive eyes

The animal regarded as having the eyes with highest light-collecting ability is the ostracod Gigantocypris which has an f-number of 0.25. By way of comparison, humans have an f-number of approximately 2.55 and a camera lens an f-number of 1.8. Although Gigantocypris is the world’s largest ostracod, or seed shrimp, it only has a diameter of approximately 1.5 cm (0.7 in). The f-number is a measure of the relative aperture of a lens on a camera or its light gathering capacity. The number becomes smaller Continue reading →

Most lifeboat medals

Sir William Hillary (1771-1847), founder of the Royal National Lifeboat Institution in 1824, was personally and uniquely awarded four RNLI Gold Medals, in 1825, 1828 and 1830 (twice).

Most life sentences

Terry Lynn Nichols took part in the planning and preparation for the bombing of a federal building in Oklahoma, USA in April 1995, in which 168 people, including 19 children, were killed. At a federal trial in 1997, he was convicted of conspiracy to use a weapon of mass destruction and eight counts of involuntary manslaughter for killing federal law enforcement personnel and sentenced to life imprisonment without parole. At a later trial in 2004 in Oklahoma, he was convicted on 161 counts of first-degree Continue reading →

Most libel damages awarded – company

On the 20 March 1997, the Wall Street Journal was ordered by a federal jury to pay $222.7million (£139million) to a Houston brokerage firm who claimed an article the paper ran in October 1993 contained false information and helped put it out of business. In May 1997 Judge Ewing Werlein threw out the $200 million punitive damage award against the Wall Street Journal but, in Nov 1997, he let stand the $22.7 million award in compensatory damages.

Most letters to Santa collected in a Christmas season

During Christmas 2006 Santa received 1.06 million letters and 44,166 emails (each one responded to with the help of Santa’s very special Canada Post elves). More than 11,000 Canada Post volunteers helped respond to these letters in 11 languages, including Braille. Since Canada Post employees began helping Santa answer his holiday mail more than 30 years ago, Santa, with Canada Post’s assistance, has enjoyed receiving and replying to more than 15 million letters.