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Scott Rasmussen's Number of the Day for January 15, 2024
The Number of the Day columns published on Ballotpedia reflect the views of the author.
January 15, 2024: On January 15, 1919, a full 2.3 million-gallon storage tank filled with molasses burst, releasing a flood of molasses throughout the city of Boston. The molasses tank stood at a height of 50 feet and released a 13,000 ton-wave of molasses, which spread through the streets at 35 miles per hour. The wave was 25 feet tall at one point and traveled with enough energy to push train cars off their tracks and remove nearby buildings from their foundations. The city blocks surrounding the tank were flooded to a depth of three feet, and as the January air cooled and thickened the molasses, people not crushed by the initial wave quickly became stuck in it.
A total of 21 people died in this flood, and about 150 people were injured. From the nearby Massachusetts Nautical School, 116 cadets came to the aid of the city, wading into the flood to pull survivors from it.[1]
Each weekday, Scott Rasmussen’s Number of the Day explores interesting and newsworthy topics at the intersection of culture, politics, and technology.
- January 12, 2024-66% of voters believe that those who post content online are responsible for that content
- January 11, 2024-25 states will increase their minimum wages in 2024
- January 10, 2024-59% of voters say that the federal government should not be allowed to censor social media
- January 9, 2024-115 years ago, Ernest Shackleton planted the British flag just 112 miles from the South Pole
- January 8, 2024-42% of voters believe the U.S. should be supporting Israel in the current war
- To see other recent numbers, check out the archive.
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Columns published on Ballotpedia reflect the views of the author.
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