CATHOLIC CHURCH SURGES PAST 1.4 BILLION MEMBERS—A WORLD RECORD!
For the first time in history, the number of baptized Catholics worldwide has surpassed 1.422 billion, according to official data from the Anuario Pontificio 2026 and the Annuarium Statisticum Ecclesiae 2024, published by the Central Office of Church Statistics of the Secretariat of State and edited by the Vatican Publishing House.
BREAKING 🌎 The Catholic Church has passed 1.422 billion members for the first time The 2026 Pontifical Yearbook (Annuario Pontificio) reports the latest numbers, with the strongest increases in Africa (+2.6%) and Asia (+3.3%). pic.twitter.com/vq8qxsxpmv
CATHOLIC CHURCH SURGES PAST 1.422 BILLION – AFRICA AND ASIA POWER RELIGIOUS EXPANSION as the faithful reach historic highs; Africa’s Catholic population climbs 2.6%, Asia surges 3.3%, defying Europe's steady decline. With global Catholics now 17.8% of the population, the Vatican’s 2026 Pontifical Yearbook reveals a shifting religious map that challenges Western dominance and signals a seismic power shift in Christianity’s center of gravity.
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Today’s Birthday
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Chester Burton "Chet" Atkins, Mister Guitar (1924)June 20, 2026
Atkins got his first guitar by making a trade with his brother, and it was arguably the best deal he ever made. Although he struggled with shyness and suffered from severe asthma—he had to sleep sitting up and often fell asleep still holding his guitar—he became an accomplished guitarist and went on to release several hit records, develop a signature line of guitars, and help create country music's "Nashville sound." What did "Mr. Guitar," as he came to be known, trade to get that first guitar?
Atkins got his first guitar by making a trade with his brother, and it was arguably the best deal he ever made. Although he struggled with shyness and suffered from severe asthma—he had to sleep sitting up and often fell asleep still holding his guitar—he became an accomplished guitarist and went on to release several hit records, develop a signature line of guitars, and help create country music's "Nashville sound." What did "Mr. Guitar," as he came to be known, trade to get that first guitar?Today’s Holiday
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West Virginia DayJune 20, 2026
West Virginia Day is a state holiday in West Virginia to celebrate its joining the Union in 1863 as the 35th state. The creation of the state was a result of the Civil War. The settlers of western Virginia defied the state's vote to secede from the Union, and on June 20 West Virginia formally entered the Union as an anti-slave state. The day is marked with ceremonies at the state capitol in Charleston and at the West Virginia Independence Hall in Wheeling. It was there that the conventions were held to declare West Virginia's independence from Virginia.
West Virginia Day is a state holiday in ARTICLE OF THE DAY
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Black TeaJune 20, 2026
Excluding water, tea is the most widely consumed drink on the planet, drunk either hot or cold by half the world's population. The vast majority of tea sold in the West is black tea, made from fermented leaves of the Camellia sinensis plant. Generally stronger in flavor and more caffeinated than the green and oolong varieties, black tea retains its flavor for several years and has long been an article of trade, serving as a form of currency into the 19th century in what countries?
Excluding water, tea is the most widely consumed drink on the planet, drunk either hot or cold by half the world's population. The vast majority of tea sold in the West is black tea, made from fermented leaves of the Camellia sinensis plant. Generally stronger in flavor and more caffeinated than the green and oolong varieties, black tea retains its flavor for several years and has long been an article of trade, serving as a form of currency into the 19th century in what countries?
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