Today in History

Sputnik 5 was the first spaceflight to send animals into orbit and return them safely back to Earth. Launched on August 19, 1960, it paved the way for the first human orbital flight less than eight months later with Vostok 1. Sputnik 5 was a USSR artificial Earth satellite from the Sputnik space program. It was in fact the second test flight of the Vostok spacecraft, and therefore it is sometimes called Korabl-Sputnik 2 ("korabl" is Russian for "ship").

Crew
2 dogs - Belka ("Squirrel") and Strelka ("Little Arrow" or "Pointer")
40 mice
2 rats
A variety of plants

Mission parameters
Mass: 4,600 kg
Perigee: 287 km
Apogee: 324 km
Inclination: 64.95°
Period: 90.72 minutes
NSSDC ID: 1960-011A

Mission highlights

A radio station in Bonn, Germany, was among the first to pick up the signal. On the 3rd orbit, a Swedish radio station confirmed this.
The spacecraft carried two dogs, Belka and Strelka, 40 mice, 2 rats and a variety of plants on-board. The spacecraft returned to earth the next day and all animals were recovered safely. The spacecraft also carried a television camera which took images of the dogs.
Shortly after the landing, one of Strelka's puppies was sent to Jacqueline Kennedy as a present from the Soviet Union.

World Facts

THE EARTH Estimated Weight (mass) (5,940,000,000,000,000,000,000 metric tons)

Estimated Age 4.6 billion years

Population 6,446,131,714

Surface Area (510,066,000 sq km)

Land Area (148,647,000 sq km) 29.1%

Ocean Area (335,258,000 sq km)

Total Water Area (361,419,000 sq km) 70.9%

Type of Water (97% salt), (3% fresh)

Circumference at the equator (40,066 km)
Circumference at the poles (39, 992 km)
Diameter at the equator (12,753 km)
Diameter at the poles (12,710 km)
Radius at the equator (6,376 km)
Radius at the poles (6,355 km)

Orbit Speeds

The earth orbits the Sun at (66,700 mph), (107,320 km per hour)

Sun Orbit

The earth orbits the Sun every 365 days, 5 hours, 48 minutes and 46 seconds

To convert km (kilometers) to miles, multiply kilometers by: 0.621371 To convert sq km (kilometers) to sq miles, multiply kilometers by: 0.386102

OCEANS OF THE WORLD (by size)
Pacific (155,557,000 sq km)
Atlantic (76,762,000 sq km)
Indian (68,556,000 sq km)
Southern (20,327,000 sq km)
Arctic (14,056,000 sq km)

Note the Southern Ocean was approved in 2000 by the International Hydrographic Organization. It is now the fourth largest ocean.

OCEANS' GREATEST DEPTHS
Mariana Trench, Pacific Ocean 35,827 ft
Puerto Rico Trench, Atlantic Ocean 30,246 ft
Java Trench, Indian Ocean 24,460 ft
Arctic Basin, Arctic Ocean 18,456 ft

DEEPEST OCEANS & SEAS
Pacific Ocean (35,827 ft) (10,924 meters)
Atlantic Ocean (30,246 ft) (9,219 meters)
Indian Ocean (24,460 ft) (7,455 meters)
Caribbean Sea (22,788 ft) (6,946 meters)
Arctic Ocean (18,456 ft) (5,625 meters)
South China Sea (16,456 ft) (5,016 meters)
Bering Sea (15,659 ft) (4,773 meters)
Mediterranean Sea (15,197 ft) (4,632 meters)
Gulf of Mexico (12,425 ft) (3,787 meters)
Japan Sea (12,276 ft) (3,742 meters)

MAJOR SEAS (by size)
South China (2,974,600 sq km)
Caribbean (2,515,900 sq km)
Mediterranean (2,510,000 sq km)
Bering (2,261,100 sq km)
Gulf of Mexico (1,507,600 sq km)
Arabian Sea (1,498,320 sq km)
Sea of Okhotsk (1,392,100 sq km)
Sea of Japan (East Sea) (1,012,900 sq km)
Hudson Bay (730,100 sq km)
East China (664,600 sq km)
Andaman (564,900 sq km)
Black (507,900 sq km) Red (453,000 sq km)

MAJOR ISLANDS (by size)
Australia, (7,617.930 sq km) is widely considered part of a continental landmass, not officially an island. But without doubt it is the largest island on the planet, and when combined with Oceania, the smallest continent on Earth. Greenland (2,175,600 sq km)
New Guinea (792,500 sq km)
Borneo (725,500 sq km)
Madagascar (587,000 sq km)
Baffin (507,500 sq km)
Sumatra (427,300 sq km)
Honshu (227,400 sq km)
Great Britain (218,100 sq km)
Victoria (217,300 sq km)
Ellesmere (196,200 sq km)
Celebes (178,650 sq km)
New Zealand (south) (151,000 sq km)
Java (126,700 sq km)
New Zealand (north) (114,000 sq km)
Newfoundland (108,900 sq km)

MAJOR RIVERS (By Length)
Nile, Africa (6,825 km)
Amazon, South America (6,437 km)
Chang Jiang (Yangtze), Asia (6,380 km)
Mississippi, North America (5,971 km)
Yenisey-Angara, Asia (5,536 km)
Huang (Yellow), Asia (5,464 km)
Ob-Irtysh, Asia (5,410 km)
Amur, Asia (4,416 km)
Lena, Asia (4,400 km)
Congo, Africa (4,370 km)
Mackenzie-Peace, North America (4,241 km)
Mekong, Asia (4,184 km)
Niger, Africa (4,171 km)

MAJOR LAKES (By Size)
Caspian Sea, Asia-Europe (371,000 sq km)
Superior, North America (82,100 sq km)
Victoria, Africa (69,500 sq km)
Huron, North America (59,600 sq km)
Michigan, North America (57,800 sq km)
Tanganyika, Africa (32,900 sq km)
Baikal, Asia (31,500 sq km)
Great Bear, North America (31,300 sq km)
Aral Sea, Asia (30,700 sq km)
Malawi, Africa (28,900 sq km)
Great Slave, Canada (28,568 sq km)
Erie, North America (25,667 sq km)
Winnipeg, Canada (24,387 sq km)
Ontario, North America (19,529 sq km)
Balkhash, Kazakhstan (18,300 sq km)

DEEPEST LAKES (By Greatest Depth)
Baikal, Russian Fed. (5,315 ft)
Tanganyika, Africa (4,800 ft)
Caspian Sea, Asia-Europe (3,363 ft)
Malawi or Nyasa, Africa (2,317 ft)
Issyk-Kul, Kyrgyzstan (2,303 ft)

CONTINENTS OF THE WORLD CONTINENTS (by size)
#1 Asia - (44,579,000 sq km)
#2 Africa - (30,065,000 sq km)
#3 North America - (24,256,000 sq km)
#4 South America - (17,819,000 sq km)
#5 Antarctica - (13,209,000 sq km)
#6 Europe - (9,938,000 sq km)
#7 Australia/Oceania - (7,687,000 sq km)

CONTINENTS (by population) 2005 est.
#1 Asia - (3,879,000,000)
#2 Africa - (877,500,000)
#3 Europe - (727,000,000)
#4 North America - (501,500,000)
#5 South America - (379,500,000)
#6 Australia/Oceania - (32,000,000)
#7 Antarctica - (0)

CONTINENTS (by the number of countries)
#1 Africa - (53)

#2 Europe - (46)
#3Asia - (44)
#4 North America - (23)
#5 Oceania - (14)
#6 South America - (12)

LARGEST COUNTRIES (by land mass)
Russia 17,075,400 sq km, (6,592,846 sq miles)
Canada 9,330,970 sq km, (3,602,707 sq miles)
China 9,326,410 sq km, (3,600,947 sq miles)
USA 9.166,600 sq km, (3,539,242 sq miles)
Brazil 8,456,510 sq km, (3,265,075 sq miles)
Australia 7,617,930 sq km, (2,941,283 sq miles)
India 2,973,190 sq km, (1,147,949 sq miles)
Argentina 2,736,690 sq km, (1,056,636 sq miles)
Kazakhstan 2,717,300 sq km, (1,049,150 sq miles)
Sudan 2,376,000 sq km, (917,374 sq miles)

SMALLEST COUNTRIES (by land mass)
Vatican City 0.44 sq km, (0.17 sq miles)
Monaco 1.95 sq km, (0.75 sq miles)
Nauru 21.2 sq km, (8.2 sq miles)
Tuvalu 26 sq km, (10 sq miles)
San Marino 61 sq km, (24 sq miles)
Liechtenstein 160 sq km, (62 sq miles)
Marshall Islands 181 sq km, (70 sq miles)
Seychelles 270 sq km, (104 sq miles)
Maldives 300 sq km, (116 sq miles)
St. Kitts and Nevis 360 sq km, (139 sq miles)

OLDEST COUNTRIES
San Marino (301 AD)
France (486 AD)
Bulgaria (632 AD)
Denmark (950 AD)
Portugal (1143 AD)
Andorra (1278 AD)
Switzerland (1291 AD)

YOUNGEST COUNTRIES Kosovo (February 2008)
Montenegro (July, 2006)
Serbia (July, 2006)
East Timor (2002)
Palau (1994)
Czech Republic (1993)
Eritrea (1993)
Slovakia (1993)
Bosnia/Hertzegovina (1992)

RICHEST COUNTRIES (GNP in USA Dollars)
Luxembourg ($45,360)
Switzerland ($44,355)
Japan ($41,010)
Liechtenstein ($40,000)
Norway ($34,515)

POOREST COUNTRIES (GNP in USA Dollars)
Mozambique ($80)
Somalia ($100)
Eritrea ($100)
Ethiopia ($100)
Congo, DNC ($100)

COUNTRIES WITH MOST LAND BORDERS (The Most Neighboring Countries) China (14) Russia (14)
Brazil (10)
Congo, Germany and Sudan (9)
Austria, France, Tanzania, Turkey and Zambia (8)

TOP 10 TALLEST MOUNTAINS
Mount Everest 8850m (29035ft) Nepal/China
Qogir (K2) 8611m (28250ft) Pakistan
Kangchenjunga 8586m (28169ft) Nepal
Lhotse 8501m (27920ft) Nepal
Makalu I 8462m (27765ft) Nepal
Cho Oyu 8201m (26906ft) Nepal
Dhaulagiri 8167m (26794ft) Nepal
Manaslu I 8156m (26758ft) Nepal
Nanga Parbat 8125m (26658ft) Pakistan
Annapurna I 8091m (26545ft) Nepal

The dormant volcano Mauna Kea (on the Big Island of Hawaii) could be considered the tallest mountain in the world. If you measure it from its base in the Hawaiian Trough (3,300 fathoms deep) to its summit of 13,796 feet, it reaches a height of 33,476 feet.

TALLEST MOUNTAINS (On Each Continent)
Mount Everest 8850m (29035ft) Asia
Aconcagua 6959m (22831ft) S. America
Mount McKinley 6194m (20320ft) N. America
Mount Kilimanjaro 5963m (19563ft) Africa
Mount Elbrus 5633m (18481ft) Europe
Puncak Jaya 4884m (16023ft) Oceania
Vinson Massif 4897m (16066ft) Antarctica

LANGUAGES OF THE WORLD Languages spoken by the most people (Native speakers only)
Chinese Mandarin 1 billion +
English 512 million
Hindi 501 million
Spanish 399 million
Russian 285 million
Arabic 265 million
Bengali 245 million
Portuguese 196 million
Malay-Indonesian 140 million
Japanese 125 million
German 100 million
Vietnamese 83 million
Korean 78 million
French 77 million
Chinese, Wu 77 million
Javanese 75 million
Chinese. Yue 71 million

COUNTRIES (Highest Density) (people per square km)
Monaco 16,205
Singapore 6,386
Malta 1,261
Maldives 1,164
Bahrain 1,035
Bangladesh 1,002
Vatican City 920
Barbados 648
Nauru 621
Mauritius 603

COUNTRIES (Lowest Density)(people per square km)
Mongolia 2
Namibia 2
Australia 3
Botswana 3
Iceland 3
Suriname 3
Libya 3
Mauritania 3
Canada 3
Guyana 4

COUNTRY POPULATION (smallest) (February, 2006 numbers)
Vatican City 920
Tuvalu 11,640
Nauru 13,050
Palau 20,300
San Marino 28,880
Monaco 32,410
Liechtenstein 33,720
St. Kitts 38,960
Marshall Islands 59,070
Antigua and Barbuda 68,720

COUNTRY POPULATION (largest) (February, 2006 numbers)
China 1,306,313,800
India 1,080,264,400
USA 295,734,100
Indonesia 241,973,900
Brazil 186,112,800
Pakistan 162,419,900
Bangladesh 144,319,600
Russia 143,420,300
Nigeria 128,772,000
Japan 127,417,200

LARGEST DESERTS OF THE WORLD (SUBTROPICAL)
Sahara, North Africa 3,500,000 sq. miles
Arabian, Middle East 1,000,000 sq. miles
Great Victoria, Australia 250,000 sq. miles
Rub'al Khali, Middle East 250,000 sq. miles
Kalahari, Southern Africa 225,000 sq. miles
Syrian, Middle East 200,000 sq. miles
Chihuahuan, Mexico 175,000 sq. miles
Thar, India/Pakistan175,000 sq. miles
Great Sandy, Australia 150,000 sq. miles
Gibson, Australia 120,000 sq. miles
Sonoran, S.W. USA 120,000 sq. miles
Mohave, S,W, USA 54,000 sq. miles

(COOL COASTAL)
Atacama, Chile SA 54,000 sq. miles
Namib, S.W. Africa 13,000 sq. miles

(COLD WINTER)
Gobi, China 500,000 sq. miles
Patagonian, Argentina 260,000 sq. miles
Great Basin, S.W. USA 190,000 sq. miles
Kara-Kum, West Asia 135,000 sq. miles
Colorado, Western USA 130,000 sq. miles (also called the Painted Desert} Taklamakan, China 105,000 sq. miles
Iranian, Iran 100,000 sq. miles

Longest Wedding Dress and Most valuable pair of jeans

Most valuable pair of jeans
WHO:
Levi Strauss & Co
WHAT:
$60,000 (£33,230)
WHERE:
USA
WHEN:
June 15, 2005
An original pair of Levi Strauss & Co (USA) 501 jeans aged over 115 years old were sold by Randy Knight (USA) to an anonymous collector (Japan) for $60,000 (£33,230) through internet auction site eBay on June 15, 2005.


Longest Wedding Dress Train
WHO:
Andreas Evstratiou
WHAT:
1,362 m (4,468 ft 5.94 in)
WHERE:
Paphos, Cyprus
WHEN:
February 18, 2007
The longest wedding dress train measured 1362 m (4468 ft 5.94 in) and was created by Andreas Evstratiou (Cyprus) of the bridal shop, Green Leaf, in Paphos, Cyprus, on the February 18, 2007.

World's Most Luxurious, Tallest and First 7 Star Hotel

The Burj Al Arab is a most luxurious and first 7 star hotel in the world located in Dubai, United Arab Emirates. At 321 metres (1,053 ft), it is the tallest building used exclusively as a hotel. However, the Rose Tower, also in Dubai, which has already topped Burj Al Arab's height at 333 m (1,090 ft), will take away this title upon its opening. The Burj Al Arab stands on an artificial island 280 metres (919 ft) out from Jumeirah beach, and is connected to the mainland by a private curving bridge. It is an iconic structure, designed to symbolize Dubai's urban transformation and to mimic the sail of a boat.
The hotel cost $650 million to build.

The Rose Tower is a 333 metre (1,093 feet), 72-story skyscraper on Sheikh Zayed Road in Dubai, United Arab Emirates. Originally, the tower was to be 380 m (1,247 feet) high, but its projected height was reduced in further design modification. Construction began in 2004. ACC (Arabian Construction Co.) was the general contractor. On 24 October 2006, the building reached its full height with the addition of the spire. Although the tower was expected to open in April 2008, it still had not opened by July 2008. Once open, it is expected to become the world's tallest hotel. This hotel, known as "Rose Rotana Suites," will surpass both the 321 m (1,053 ft) Burj Al Arab, and the incomplete 330 m (1,083 ft) Ryugyong Hotel in Pyongyang, North Korea.

World's Smallest Post Office

The World's Smallest Post Office is in Ochopee Florida 34141. It was formerly an irrigation pipe shed for the J.T. Gaunt tomato farm. The 8'4" x 7'3" building was converted to a Post Office in 1953. There is room for one postal worker and one customer inside.

World's Heaviest Lemon and Apple

Heaviest Lemon
WHO:
Aharon Shemoel
WHAT:
5.265 kg (11 lb 9.7 oz)
WHERE:
Kefar Zeitim, Israel
WHEN:
January 8, 2003
The world's heaviest lemon weighed 5.265 kg (11 lb 9.7 oz) on January 8, 2003 and was grown by Aharon Shemoel (Israel) on his farm in Kefar Zeitim, Israel.

Heaviest Apple

WHO:
Chisato Iwasaki
WHAT:
1.849 kg (4 lb 1 oz)
WHERE:
Hirosaki City, Japan
WHEN:
October 24, 2005

The heaviest apple weighed 1.849 kg (4 lb 1 oz) and was grown and picked by Chisato Iwasaki at his apple farm in Hirosaki City, Japan October 24, 2005.

World's Tallest Ferris Wheel

The Singapore Flyer is a giant Ferris wheel in Singapore. The final capsule was installed on 2 October 2007, the wheel started rotating on February 11, 2008 and it officially opened to the public on March 1, 2008. The grand opening for the Flyer was held on 15 April 2008.
Reaching 42 stories high, the Flyer comprises a 150 m (492 ft) diameter wheel, built over a three-story terminal building, giving it a total height of 165 m (541 ft). Each of the 28 air-conditioned capsules are capable of holding 28 passengers each, and a complete rotation of the wheel takes approximately 30 minutes.
Cost: $180 million US


The Beijing Great Wheel is a proposed Observation wheel for Beijing, TChina. At the time of its completion in late 2009, it will be the highest and largest in the world. It is planned to stand at 208 m (680 ft) and will carry up to 1,920 passengers. This will make it the tallest Ferris wheel in the world, significantly higher than both the current record holder, the 165 m (540 ft) Singapore Flyer, and the proposed 185 m (610 ft) Great Berlin Wheel.

Cost: around £200 million Euro

What is the largest flower in the world?

The flower with the world's largest bloom is the Rafflesia arnoldii. This rare flower is found in the rainforests of Indonesia. It can grow to be 3 feet across and weigh up to 15 pounds! It is a parasitic plant, with no visible leaves, roots, or stem. It attaches itself to a host plant to obtain water and nutrients. When in bloom, the Rafflesia emits a repulsive odor, similar to that of rotting meat. This odor attracts insects that pollinate the plant.

Another enormous flower found in Indonesia is the Amorphophallus titanum, or Titan arum. It is also known as the "corpse flower" for its unpleasant odor. Like the Rafflesia, the Titan emits the smell of rotting flesh to attract pollinators. Technically, the Titan arum is not a single flower. It is a cluster of many tiny flowers, called an inflorescence. The Titan arum has the largest unbranched inflorescence of all flowering plants. The plant can reach heights of 7 to 12 feet and weigh as much as 170 pounds!

World's New Most Expensive Home

Mukesh Ambani dream's home. Where?? Mumbai, India. How Much?? Nearly cost $2 billion. How many story?? 27. How height?? 550 ft. How many elevator? 9. How big?? 400,000 sq ft. How many housekeeper? 600 staff members to maintain the house, it will be ready by January 2009. Mukesh Ambani at $43 billion richest in India and 5th richest in the world.

Inside the World's First Billion-Dollar Home

World's Fastest and Longest Cars

The Bugatti Veyron is the world's fastest production car. It can reach a top speed of 248 mph (400 km/h).

The longest car in the world is 30.5 Meters
it's a limosine, and has such luxeries as a swiming pool, bar, and even helicopter landing pad on the back!