By the Numbers
There are ninety-five beautiful and bright days this year to revel in the pleasures of summer.
Stock up on sunscreen and consider these important numbers as you prepare for some sunshine.
49.7 million
| GALLONS OF FROZEN YOGURT PRODUCED IN THE U.S. |
If you love frozen yogurt, you’ll love this. According to the USDA, frozen yogurt production increased more than 8 percent during last year while ice cream production in the U.S. fell. Still, it’s going to be a while before yogurt takes over the freezer section. Ice cream is far and away the most popular frozen dairy product, with an average of more than four gallons dished up each year for every American. That’s twenty-six times the amount of yogurt fermenting in the freezer.
Source: USDA
16:06:04 | HOURS OF DAYLIGHT AT BYU ON 20 JUNE 2012 |
Summer solstice is the longest day of the year and marks the beginning of summer in the Northern Hemisphere. If you’re in Rovaniemi, Finland, or anywhere above the Arctic Circle on this special Wednesday, you’ll enjoy twenty-four hours of straight solar exposure.
61' 3" | DISTANCE OF THE LONGEST WATERMELON-SEED SPIT ON RECORD |
Pucker up and get practicing if you intend to best the distance set by Clark Hodgson in 1988. This year’s seed-spitting championships occur on Saturday, 8 September, in Pardeeville, Wisconsin. The official rules state that while “all spitting methods shall be acceptable,” denture-wearing athletes whose teeth travel farther than the seed will be judged solely on the distance the seed travels. With an average of about 300 seeds per watermelon, ammunition should be easy to come by.
Source: pardeevillewatermelonfestival.com
$80 | COST OF AN AMERICA THE BEAUTIFUL ANNUAL PASS |
Owning one of these gets you through the entrance gate at more than 2,000 recreation areas managed by five federal agencies, including the Bureau of Land Management, Forest Service, and the National Park Service. Consider using your pass to visit Yellowstone, the country’s first national park, established in 1872 by President Ulysses S. Grant. Although the oldest, Yellowstone is only twenty-second on the list of most-visited national parks with 3.7 million happy gawkers last year.
Source: nps.gov
189 million | NUMBER OF ANNUAL VISITORS TO THE TOP TWENTY-FIVE THEME PARKS WORLDWIDE |
It may not surprise you that Disney dominates the list of most-attended theme parks. In fact, attendance at Disney parks take the first eight slots and account for 44 percent of the top parks. What might surprise you is that numbers three and four are in Japan: Tokyo Disneyland and Tokyo Disneysea, where in addition to a churro you can also buy a gyoza bun and a tapioca mango drink. The number one spot goes to Walt Disney World’s Magic Kingdom, with nearly 17 million annual guests. Historically, the busiest days in the kingdom are Monday, Thursday, and Saturday.
Sources: aecom.com and disneyworld.disney.go.com
8,600 | NUMBER OF PYROTECHNIC MISHAPS SENDING AMERICANS TO HOSPITAL EMERGENCY ROOMS EACH YEAR |
Summer starts off with a bang, which sometimes is followed by a bandage. About 70 percent of firework-related injuries in the U.S. occur during the first month of summer. Of the 8,600 patients treated, 40 percent are under fifteen years old. But don’t let these figures frighten you. While firework usage continues to rise, the rate of injury has dropped significantly during the past thirty years.
Sources: cpsc.gov and americanpyro.com
