2019 Books of the Year
Great books tell stories. Here’s our pick of vivid and insightful new releases for better understanding America, world events, history, science, and theology
By the numbers
90 minutes
The time limit, per weekday, that children under the age of 18 may play video games in China under new governmental regulations. The rules also set a 10 p.m. gaming curfew for youngsters.
2,172
The number of lung injuries in the United States linked to vaping as of Nov. 13, according to health officials. An investigation is focused on vitamin E acetate and bootleg vaping products containing THC.
35,000 square feet
The floor space of Starbucks’ new five-level store in downtown Chicago, the largest Starbucks coffee shop in the world.
59%
The share of U.S. adults ages 18 to 44 who have ever cohabited with a romantic partner. Only 50 percent of Americans in that age bracket have ever married, according to Pew Research Center.
$38.4 billion
The sales recorded in a 24-hour period by Chinese e-commerce website Alibaba during the Nov. 11 Chinese shopping event known as “Singles’ Day.”
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By the numbers
462
The number of prison inmates Oklahoma released on Nov. 4 in a mass commutation meant to reduce jail time for people convicted of low-level, nonviolent crimes.
$400,000
The approximate amount Georgetown University plans to allocate each year (via fundraising) for community projects benefiting descendants of slaves whom school officials sold in 1838.
82
The number of Tiger Woods’ career PGA Tour victories after he won the Zozo Championship in Japan on Oct. 28. Woods is now tied with golfer Sam Snead for most PGA Tour titles of all time.
19 hours, 16 minutes
The duration of a direct flight between New York and Sydney that Qantas Airlines is testing. The airline hopes to open the route—the world’s longest—to commercial travel by 2022.
13%
The share of college students who say they’ve experienced nonconsensual sexual contact since enrollment, according to a survey of 33 major schools by the Association of American Universities.
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By the numbers
$17 billion
The market value of Canada’s top five cannabis companies in October amid a marijuana investment bust. Last year, the same companies were worth $40 billion, according to The Wall Street Journal.
49%
The share of millennials who identify as Christian, according to Pew Research Center, making them the first non-majority-Christian generation in American history.
$422 million
The estimated amount trial lawyers and others spent on nearly 6.9 million local ads soliciting clients in the first half of 2019, according to the American Tort Reform Association.
1:59:40
The finishing time for 34-year-old distance running legend Eliud Kipchoge in an unofficial marathon in Austria on Oct. 12, making him the first known person to finish a marathon in under two hours.
52 billion
The number of minutes Netflix subscribers spent streaming The Office in 2018, making it the site’s most-watched show.