List of largest peaceful gatherings
This is a partial or incomplete list of the largest historic peaceful gatherings of people in one place for a single event. For brevity, gatherings in excess of 1 million are recorded.
Over ten million
- An estimated 60 to 70 million people gathered over 45 days in Allahabad, India for the Kumbh Mela, the world's largest gathering in January 2007.[1][2][3]
- An estimated 50 million people gathered over 104 days in Haridwar, India for the Maha Kumbh Mela between January and April 2010. More than 160 million people together took the ritualistic bath on the bathing ghats on April 14, 2010.[4][5]
- An estimated 30 to 60 million people gathered over 45 days in Allahabad, India for the Kumbh Mela, in January 2001.[6][7][8]
- An estimated 40 million people gathered over 41 days in Sabarimala, India between 15 November and 26 December 2008.[9]
- An estimated 30 to 40 million people gathered in Ujjain, India for the Simhastha Kumbh Mela on April 5, 2004.[10]
- An estimated 15 million people attended the funeral of C. N. Annadurai in Tamil Nadu, India in 1969.[11]
- An estimated 12 million people gathered at the funeral of Ayatollah Khomeini in Tehran, Iran on June 3, 1989.[12]
- An estimated 10 to 14 million people visited the shrine of Imam Hussein in Karbala, Iraq during Arba'een in 2009.[13][14]
- An estimated 10 to 11 million people visited the shrine of Imam Hussein in Karbala, Iraq during Arba'een in 2010.[15][16][17][18][19]
Five to ten million
- An estimated 9 million people visited the shrine of Imam Hussein in Karbala, Iraq during Arba'een in 2008.[20]
- An estimated 6 million people came to welcome Ayatollah Khomeini in Tehran, Iran on his return to Iran on 1 February 1979.[21]
- An estimated 5 million people gathered in Sabarimala, India on 14 January 2007.[22]
Two to five million
- An estimated 4 million people attended the funeral of Umm Kulthum in Cairo, Egypt on 6 February 1975.[23][24]
- An estimated 4 million people attended the closing Mass of World Youth Day 1995 in Manila, Philippines.[25]
- An estimated 4 million people attended the funeral of Egyptian President Gamel Abdel Nasser on 1 October 1970 in Cairo, Egypt.[26]
- An estimated 3 million people marched through Rome, Italy in opposition to the U.S.-led invasion of Iraq in the largest anti-war rally in history on February 15, 2003.[27][28]
- An estimated 3 million people attended a parade in Boston, United States celebrating the Boston Red Sox's victory on October 30, 2004. The victory ended an 86 year drought of world series championships and ended the era of the famous Curse of the Bambino for the Red Sox.[29]
- An estimated 3 million people attended the annual feast of the Black Nazarene in Manila, Philippines on January 2008.[30][31][32]
- An estimated 2 to 4 million people are reported to have attended the funeral of Pope John Paul II in Rome, Italy on 7 April 2005.[33][34]
- An estimated 2 to 3 million people gathered to rally in defense of workers rights in Rome, Italy on March 23, 2002.[35][36][37]
- An estimated 2.7 million people attended the closing Mass of World Youth Day 2000 in Rome, Italy.[38]
- An estimated 2.6 million people made the annual Hajj to Mecca, Saudi Arabia in January 2005.[39]
- An estimated 2.5 million people participated in a beatification mass held by Pope John Paul II in Błonia Park, Kraków, Poland.[40]
- An estimated 2.5 million people participated in the São Paulo Gay Pride Parade that took place in June 2006 in São Paulo, Brazil.[41]
- An estimated 2 million Hindu women gathered at the Attukal Temple in Kerala, India on 4 March 2007, making it the largest gathering of women in history, overtaking the record set by the same festival on February 23, 1997.[42]
One to two million
- On 20 January 2009 an estimated 1.8 million people attended the inauguration of Barack Obama in Washington, D.C., USA.[43]
- On February 23, 1997, 1.5 million Hindu women gathered at the Attukal Temple in Kerala, India for what was at that time, the largest gathering of women in history,[44] and earned the temple a spot in the Guinness Book of World Records (certificate pictured here). They brought cooking pots with which they prepared food as an offering to a goddess.
- On 29 September 1979 an estimated 1.25 million people attended the a Papal mass in the Phoenix park Dublin, Ireland. This was over one third of the population of Ireland gathered in one field.
- On March 14, 2005, 1.2 million people (30 percent of Lebanon's 4 million population) gathered in Beirut, Lebanon to demand an end to the Syrian military presence in Lebanon. This event is known as the Cedar Revolution.[45]
- On 1 March 1990, over 1 million protesters gathered at the headquarters of the UN Military Observer Group in Srinagar, Indian-administered Kashmir to present a memorandum addressed to the Secretary-General of the United Nations demanding that Kashmir be given the right of self determination.[46]
- On 8 October 1970, an estimated 1 million people participated in what is considered the largest procession in the history of New Delhi, India, in commemoration of Hans Ji Maharaj, lead by his son Guru Maharaj Ji (now Prem Rawat), who was 12 years old at the time.[47][48]
- On August 25, 2007, over 1 million revellers attended Love Parade in Essen, Germany.[49]
- On 4 February 2008, 1 million Colombians gathered in Bogotá, Colombia to protest against FARC.[50]
- On 22 April 1990, 750 thousand to 1.5 million people gathered in Central Park in New York City, USA to celebrate Earth Day.[51][52]
Methodology
The methods of determining how many people are at an event vary in accuracy. Without knowing the method used and its error potential, estimates can be very inaccurate.
- An estimate made by an untrained observer of a large crowd is potentially the least accurate. Often these estimates are a number pulled out of the air by the observer.
- Better is an estimate made by a trained observer. These are usually based on scientific principles and experience. Trained observers usually work for governmental or academic organizations.
- Scientific analysis of photographs and/or video images is usually considered to be even better. Based on the quality of the image, it is possible to do a physical "head count" or to estimate attendance based on the density of people within similar areas. This permits the estimation of people over large areas or where parts of the image are obscured. An extensive discussion of how images were used to estimate the number of attendees at the Million Man March can be found at the Center for Remote Sensing at Boston University's website.[53]
- The most accurate number is achieved when an actual count of ticket stubs and/or gate counts is used. Even this system has limitations. If the number is based on the number of tickets distributed or sold, people who get tickets and do not attend will affect the results. Similarly, people who get into the event without an actual ticket may not be counted. If the count is based on the number of stubs collected, those who get in without tickets will again not be counted, and there is no way to account for people leaving early, or leaving and re-entering using a second ticket.
See also
References
- ^ http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/01/15/AR2007011500041.html Millions of Hindus Wash Away Their Sins Washington Post, January 15, 2007.
- ^ http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/south_asia/6226895.stm Millions bathe at Hindu festival BBC News, January 3, 2007.
- ^ Millions bathe at Hindu festival BBC News, January 3, 2007.
- ^ Rapture for millions who wash away their mortality Sydney Morning Herald, April 17, 2010
- ^ 1.6 crore pilgrims take dip during Mahakumbh Press trust of India
- ^ Kumbh Mela pictured from space - probably the largest human gathering in history BBC News, January 26, 2001.
- ^ Kumbh Mela: the largest pilgrimage - Pictures: Kumbh Mela by Karoki Lewis The Times, March 22, 2008.
- ^ Kumbh Mela - 25 January 2001 - New Scientist
- ^ http://www.thaindian.com/newsportal/uncategorized/sabarimala-pilgrimage-begins-monday-40-mn-devotees-expected_100274763.html
- ^ http://forwardintime.com/cgi-bin/store/agora.cgi?product=RELIGION.
{{cite news}}: Missing or empty|title=(help) - ^ Guinness Book Records, 1986 UK edition, Religions, accidents and disasters, p.219. Largest funeral : The funeral of the charismatic CN Annadurai (died 3 February 1969), Madras chief minister, was, according to a police estimate, attended by 15 million people.
- ^ http://english.hizbollah.tv/essaydetailsf.php?eid=3948&fid=21
- ^ http://www.presstv.com/Detail.aspx?id=85821§ionid=351020201
- ^ http://www.tehrantimes.com/Index_view.asp?code=189410
- ^ http://elpasoinc.com/readArticleNYT.aspx?guid=04734d5d-49a1-edce-78a3-89dd4b6ccada
- ^ http://original.antiwar.com/updates/2010/02/05/friday-46-iraqis-1-syrian-killed-168-iraqis-wounded/
- ^ http://www.aljazeera.com/news/articles/34/41-Martyrs-as-More-than-Million-People-Mark-Arbae.html
- ^ http://www1.voanews.com/english/news/middle-east/Blast-Kills-27-in-Iraqi-Shiite-City-of-Karbala-83628687.html
- ^ http://news.smh.com.au/breaking-news-world/blast-in-crowd-kills-41-shiite-pilgrims-in-iraq-20100205-nivg.html
- ^ http://www.mnf-iraq.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=17397&Itemid=128
- ^ http://www.thefamouspeople.com/profiles/ayatollah-khomeini-12.php
- ^ http://www.ibnlive.com/news/sabarimala-50-lakh-pay-homage/top/31139-3.html
- ^ "Umm Kulthum (1898-1975)". Your gateway to Egypt. Egypt State Information Service. Archived from the original on 24 November 2009.
- ^ "‘Umm Kulthum’ Celebrates Egypt’s ‘Voice’", Kevin Thomas, Los Angeles Times, October 17, 1997
- ^ Guinness Book of World Records - Largest Papal Crowd
- ^ http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gamel_Abdel_Nasser#Death_and_funeral
- ^ http://www.wsws.org/articles/2003/feb2003/rome-f17.shtml
- ^ http://socialistworld.net/eng/2003/02/16italy.html
- ^ http://articles.latimes.com/2004/oct/31/nation/na-parade31 7 Miles, 86 Years Worth of Partying], Los Angeles Times, Elizabeth Mehren, 2004-10-31
- ^ http://www.abs-cbnnews.com/storypage.aspx?StoryId=104924 Abs-Cbn Interactive, Crowd swells to 80,000 n Quiapo - police
- ^ http://www.gmanews.tv/video/16524/QTV-Thousands-flock-to-Quiapo-for-Black-Nazarene-feast Gma News, QTV: Thousands flock to Quiapo for Black Nazarene feast - 01/09/2008
- ^ http://newsinfo.inquirer.net/inquirerheadlines/nation/view/20080110-111438/26M-devotees-at-Nazarene-feast-2-die-50-injured Inquirer.net, 2.6M devotees at Nazarene feast; 2 die, 50 injured
- ^ "Pope John Paul II buried in Vatican crypt. Millions around the world watch funeral". CNN. 8 April 2005.
- ^ Holmes, Stephanie (9 April 2005). "City of Rome celebrates 'miracle'". BBC News.
- ^ http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/main.jhtml?xml=/news/2002/03/24/witaly24.xml&sSheet=/news/2002/03/24/ixworld.html 2 m workers march through Rome in anti-terror protest
- ^ http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2002/mar/27/philipwillan Italian unions call first general strike for 20 years
- ^ Dal corteo il servizio d'ordine annuncia: "Siamo tre milioni" (Italian)
- ^ Avvenire, Tuesday August 22, 2000, pag. 3.
- ^ http://www.saudiembassy.net/2005News/News/HajDetail.asp?cIndex=4981 Royal Embassy of Saudi Arabia - Washington, D.C.
- ^ http://papiez.wiara.pl/wydruk.php?grupa=6&art=1114373273&dzi=1113051205&katg=
- ^ "Sao Paulo holds Gay Pride parade". BBC News. 11 June 2007. Retrieved 8 May 2010.
- ^ Holy Cooking India Today - MARCH 19, 2007
- ^ Fahrenthold, David A.; Schneider, Howard (20 January 2009). "Crowds Disperse as Obama Arrives at White House". The Washington Post. Retrieved 8 May 2010.
- ^ India Today, March 19, 2007. "Holy Cooking"
- ^ http://www.internationalrelations.house.gov/archives/109/dee072805.pdf
- ^ "My Kashmir: Conflict and the Prospects for Enduring Peace". Wajahat Habibullah. p.74. ISBN 1601270313
- ^ Navbharat Times, 10 November 1970 (from Hindi original) "A three-day event in commemoration of Sri Hans Ji Maharaj, the largest procession in Delhi history of 18 miles of procession; it culminated in a public event at India Gate, where Sant Ji Maharaj addressed the large gathering"
- ^ Hindustan Times, 9 November 1970 (English) "Roads in the Capital spilled over with a 1,000,000 processionists, men, women and children marched from Indra Prasha Estate to the India Gate lawn."
- ^ "Love Parade Debuts in Germany's Ruhr". The Associated Press. 25 August 2007. Retrieved 24 April 2008.
- ^ El Tiempo, Millones marcharon contra las FARC
- ^ NY Times, April 23, 1990. "EARTH DAY 1990; Music and, Oh Yes, Earth Day in Park" [1]
- ^ NY Times, April 29, 1990. " Central Park, Bent but Not Broken, Comes Through Earth Day" [2]
- ^ Million Man March. Background Center for Remote Sensing (adapted from Boston University Press Release dated 27 October 1997)