In Fact, January 2017

January 17, 2017

In the US presidential election of 1860, Abraham Lincoln earned only 39 per cent of the popular vote but won a crushing victory in the electoral college.

Washington Post, 15th November 2016



More people die of natural causes on 1st January than on any other day of the year.

Daily Mail, 1st January 2017



When asked to estimate the Muslim population of their country, Britons guessed it was 15 per cent (it is 4.8 per cent); the French 31 per cent (it is 7.5 per cent); and Americans 17 per cent (it is 1 per cent).

Ipsos Perils of Perception Survey 2016

Bubble wrap was invented for use as wallpaper.

The Atlantic, 22nd December 2016



In 2016, more than 3.2m vinyl records were bought in the UK, an increase of 53 per cent on 2015 and the highest figure for 25 years.

British Phonographic Industry Driving conditions in Swaziland are so bad that two out of the last four transport ministers have died in road accidents.

The Rough Guide to South Africa, Lesotho and Swaziland (2015)



After Donald Trump posted a tweet critical of Vanity Fair, its website advertised it as “The Magazine Donald Trump Doesn’t Want You to Read” and subscriptions spiked, bringing parent company Condé Nast, the biggest number of daily sign-ups in its 116-year history.

The New York Times, 18th December 2016