- In the 1992-93 season, there were 363 English players in the Premier League—71 per cent of the total. Last season there were 191—38 per cent of the total. (Professional Footballers' Association)
- Since 1975, there have been more than 145 terrorist attacks against Americans or American interests in Greece. (Foreign Policy Passport, 20th November 2007)
- Women spend nearly three years of their lives getting ready to leave the house. Men spend three months waiting for their wives and girlfriends while out shopping. (Daily Mail, 25th November 2007)
- 35 per cent of US and 20 per cent of British entrepreneurs are dyslexic. Only 1 per cent of corporate managers in the US have dyslexia. (New York Times, 6th December 2007)
- Assuming that only 10 per cent of the oil in the tar sands of Alberta is recoverable, it still represents the second largest reserve in the world after Saudi Arabia—more than Kuwait, Norway and Russia combined. (New Yorker, 12th November 2007)
- Four of the five richest countries in the world, by per capita income, have populations of less than 5m. (Financial Times, 3rd December 2007)
- Bertie Ahern's salary as taoiseach is f310,000—more than almost any other leader. (Economist.com, 1st November 2007)
- The battle of Towton, in Yorkshire, in 1461, saw the bloodiest day in British history. At least 20,000 people—1 per cent of the English male population—were killed. (The Guardian, 25th August 2007)
- New York City is on track to have fewer than 500 homicides this year, by far the lowest number in a 12-month period since 1963. (New York Times, 23rd November 2007)
- Of the 10,500 athletes who competed in the 2004 Olympics, only 11 were openly gay. (Outsports.com)
- Half the people living near Heathrow support the opening of a third runway. (BBC News Online, 8th October 2007)
- In 2006, there were just 77 major commercial plane crashes worldwide, the lowest number ever recorded. Only 20 of these involved fatalities. (Foreign Policy, November 2007)
- In the US, there are twice as many World of Warcraft players (4m) than farmers (2m). (Kung Fu Monkey, 3rd March 2006)
- The proportion of the world's population attached to one of the four biggest religions—Christianity, Islam, Buddhism and Hinduism—rose from 67 per cent in 1900 to 73 per cent in 2005. (Economist.com, 5th November 2007)
- There are more Arabs in Brazil than in the Palestinian territories. (Washington Post, 19th November 2007)
- The Indian government is giving $250 in cash, plus a certificate of appreciation, to anyone who marries a Dalit, or "untouchable." In Madhya Pradesh, a state of 60m people, only 97 couples in the last fiscal year claimed the award. (Los Angeles Times, 4th November 2007)
- Hilaire Belloc served as Liberal MP for Salford. (Guardian, 10th December 2007)
- Mexican migrants in the US send home almost $23bn a month in remittances. In the first half of 2006, remittances grew 23 per cent compared with the same period the previous year, but in the first half of 2007 they grew just 0.6 per cent year-on-year. (Financial Times, 12th december 2007)
