World Population Day
On July 11th annually there is a day to recognize the world’s rapidly increasing population. It was first established by the United Nations’ Governing Council in 1989 as the world’s population was reaching high figures in the billions.
The July 11th date was selected because it on was July 11, 1987 that officials estimated the world population had reached the figure of 5 Billion. Just 20 years later the world population was estimated at about 6.7 Billion. Such a growth in numbers by 2007 made everyone take notice. It was then in the recent year of 2011 that the world reached the 7 Billion mark. Compare those figures to when the first billion mark was reach — it was between 1805 to 1810 the world population was about one billion. By 1927 the world population doubled to 2 Billion.
Another interesting comparison is that of the 7 Billion in the world today there are about 3 billion that are under the age of 25 years old.
Even in the United States the country’s population in 1987 was about 242 million and by 2011 it was 312 million, showing the nation’s population is also increasing. The United States still ranks the 3rd largest after China and then India.
The reasons for such growth is better health care, improved infant mortality, available of food supplies, control of many diseases and of course a much longer life expectance. These are all life improvements that our ancestors did not have.
If you have investigated about the cause of death or types of illnesses suffered by your parents, grandparents and great grandparents you might find that there is now medicines and treatments which could have saved your ancestors. My own grandmother died young in 1940 from kidney disease which can now be treated easily.
With more people there are more individuals with the same surnames. In the United States from the 2000 US Census there were some 2.3 million people named Smith. That was followed by Johnson at 1.8 million and Williams at 1.5 million. No doubt you have one or all of those surnames on your family tree.
It is interesting to make note and compare the world and the country when our ancestors lived at different time periods. If they were young adults in 1900 in the United States, the country’s population was about 76 million. Of course many more people would immigrate to the country over the next 30 years.
Click on this U. S. and World population counter to see what the most current numbers are, then ‘refresh’ the site and see the change. These are insights to better appreciate and understand our ancestors.
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