World Almanac

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

 This article does not cite any references or sources. (December 2007)
Please help improve this article by adding citations to reliable sources. Unverifiable material may be challenged and removed.
The World Almanac and Book of Facts

The 2008 edition of the book
Author Multiple
Country United States
Language English
Genre(s) Reference
Publisher World Almanac Books
Publication date 1868
Published in
English		 November 13, 2007
Pages 1008
ISBN ISBN 978-1600570728

The World Almanac and Book of Facts is an American-published reference work and is the bestselling[1] almanac conveying information about such subjects as world changes, tragedies, sports feats, etc. The almanac can be found in homes, libraries, schools, businesses, and media outlets throughout the United States and to a more limited degree in other parts of the world.[citation needed]

It has been published yearly since 1886.[1] The 2008 edition (ISBN 978-1600570728) has over 1,000 pages.

Contents

[edit] History

The first edition of The World Almanac was published by The New York World newspaper in 1868 three years after the end of the Civil War and the assassination of President Abraham Lincoln. In 1876 publication stopped but resumed in 1886.[1] In 1894 the name changed to The World Almanac and Encyclopedia. In 1906, the New York Times, reporting on the publishing of the 20th edition, said that "the almanac has made for itself a secure position, second only to the forty-year-old Whitaker's Almanac of London, with which alone it can be compared."[2]

From the late 19th century to 1934, the New York World Building was prominently featured on the cover of the almanac.[citation needed] In 1923, the name changed to its current name, The World Almanac and Book of Facts.[1]

Calvin Coolidge's father read from The World Almanac when he swore his son into office.[1] Since then, photos have shown that Presidents John F. Kennedy and Bill Clinton have also used The World Almanac as a resource.[1]

In late December 1984, the 1985 edition reached first place in the category of paperback Advice, How- To and Miscellaneous books, on the New York Times best-seller list, with more than 1,760,000 copies sold at the time.[3]

The first version of the video game Where in the World is Carmen Sandiego?, published in 1985, included The World Almanac in the purchase.[4]

The World Almanac For Kids has been published annually since 1995.

The World Almanac for Kids

The 2008 edition of the book
Author Multiple
Country United States
Language English
Genre(s) Reference
Publisher World Almanac Books
Publication date 1995
Published in
English		 June 26, 2007
Pages 352
ISBN ISBN 978-1600570599

In 1993 Scripps sold the Almanac to K-III (later Primedia).The World Almanac was sold to Ripplewood Holdings' WRC Media in 1999. Ripplewood bought Reader's Digest and the book is now produced by the World Almanac Education Group, which is owned by The Reader's Digest Association. The World Almanac is distributed by Simon and Schuster.

Some lists published are:

[edit] Editing and publishing

In the mid-1980s, the almanac was being put together by a 10-member staff. At that time, 20 percent of the book was rarely updated (for example, the text of the Constitution of the United States), 50 percent was updated at least briefly each year, and 30 percent of the content was completely new each year.[3]

[edit] 1868 edition

 Please help improve this section by expanding it.
Further information might be found on the talk page or at requests for expansion.

The first edition, in 1868, is in the public domain, as are decades of subsequent versions. The 1868 edition is available online at the publisher's website, along with other content, using a password that can be found inside the 2008 edition.

[edit] Trivia

The editorial director of the 2008 edition, C. Alan Joyce, loves Wikipedia:

"With respect to the long and distinguished history of the Encyclopædia Britannica, Funk and Wagnalls New Encyclopedia, and other great, traditional encyclopedia-makers, I have a confession to make:
I love Wikipedia."[5]

[edit] External links

[edit] References

  1. ^ a b c d e f History of The World Almanac retrieved 2007-12-25
  2. ^ "The World Almanac for 1906", New York Times, January 20, 1906
  3. ^ a b Edwin McDowell, World Almanac Fact: It's a No. 1 Best Seller", New York Times, December 27, 1984
  4. ^ David Hendin, "'CARMEN SANDIEGO'; Point of Reference", New York Times, letter to the editor, March 29, 1992
  5. ^ Joyce, C. Alan (2008). The World Almanac and Book of Facts. World Almanac Books, 7. ISBN 978-1600570728.