The World Almanac facts for kids
 |
|
| Author | Multiple |
|---|---|
| Country | United States |
| Language | English |
| Subject | Reference |
| Publisher | World Almanac Books |
|
Publication date
|
November 30, 2021 (1st: 1868) |
| Media type | Printed Book |
| Pages | 1,008 |
| ISBN | 978-1-5107-6139-1 |
The World Almanac and Book of Facts is a very popular reference work published in the United States. It's like a giant book of facts that comes out every year. It shares information about big world changes, important events, and amazing sports achievements. This almanac has been published almost every year since 1868.
Contents
History of the World Almanac
How It Started: The 1800s
The very first World Almanac came out in 1868. It was published by a newspaper called the New York World. That's where the "World" in its name comes from! This first edition had 120 pages. It covered important events like the end of the US Civil War and the time when President Abraham Lincoln was assassinated. It also talked about the Reconstruction period and the impeachment of President Andrew Johnson.
The almanac stopped being published in 1876 for a short time. But in 1886, a famous newspaper owner named Joseph Pulitzer bought the New York World. He brought the World Almanac back. He wanted it to be a "compendium of universal knowledge," which means a collection of all kinds of facts. Since then, the World Almanac has been published every single year. From 1890 to 1934, the building where the New York World newspaper was made was shown on the almanac's cover.
In 1894, the almanac changed its name to The World Almanac and Encyclopedia. It kept this name until 1923. Then, it became The World Almanac and Book of Facts, which is still its name today. At that time, over half a million people were regular readers!
The 1900s: Growing Popularity
In 1906, the New York Times newspaper said that the World Almanac was very important. They said it was second only to the famous Whitaker's Almanack from London.
In 1923, the name officially changed to The World Almanac and Book of Facts.
Did you know that presidents have used the World Almanac? When Calvin Coolidge became president, his father read from the World Almanac during the swearing-in ceremony. Later, photos showed that Presidents John F. Kennedy and Bill Clinton also used the almanac to find information.
During World War II, the World Almanac was even sent to soldiers! Between 1944 and 1946, the U.S. Government asked for special print runs. They sent 100,000 to 150,000 copies to soldiers all over the world.
In 1984, the 1985 edition of the almanac became a best-seller. It sold over 1.7 million copies and was number one on the New York Times best-seller list for paperback advice books.
The first Where in the World is Carmen Sandiego? video game, released in 1985, actually came with a copy of The World Almanac! Players needed it to help solve the game's mysteries.
The World Almanac has also appeared in many Hollywood movies. For example, in Double Indemnity, All About Eve, and Miracle on 34th Street. In White Men Can't Jump, a character is always reading it. And in I Am Legend, Will Smith uses it to check the exact time of sunset.
For younger readers, The World Almanac For Kids was published every year from 1995 until 2014.
Over the years, the ownership of The World Almanac changed several times. It was sold to different companies like K-III (later Primedia), Ripplewood Holdings, and then became part of The Reader's Digest Association.
The 2000s: New Owners
In 2009, The World Almanac was sold to Infobase Publishing. In 2018, it celebrated a huge milestone: its 150-year anniversary edition was published! In 2020, it was sold again to SkyHorse Publishing.
As of the 2022 edition, The World Almanac is published by World Almanac Books. It is distributed by Simon & Schuster, a well-known book company.
Creating the Almanac
In the mid-1980s, about 10 people worked to put The World Almanac together. They had a big job! About 20 percent of the book, like the text of the United States Constitution, rarely changed. About 50 percent was updated a little bit each year. And 30 percent of the book was completely new content every year!
The World Almanac includes many interesting lists. Some of these are:
- "Surprising Facts"
- "Number Ones"
- "Americans By the Numbers"
- "Milestone Birthdays"
- "Notable Quotes"
- "Offbeat News"
- "Historical Anniversaries"
See also
In Spanish: Almanaque Mundial para niños
