You’re reading Significant Digits, a daily digest of the numbers tucked inside the news.
310-year-old violin
I have lost several things on trains, but nothing as pricey as Stephen Morris’s 310-year-old violin, which has an estimated value of £250,000. Morris, a professional musician who has recorded with David Bowie, left the instrument on a train in south London on Oct. 22. He was reunited with the violin on Friday. [BBC News]
2:22:38
Like a lot of new marathon runners, Joyciline Jepkosgei had a simple plan for her first New York City marathon: Finish the race. Jepkosgei holds the world record in the half-marathon, but New York was her first time running the full marathon distance of 26.2 miles. Jepkosgei, 25, crossed the finish line in Central Park with a time of 2 hours, 22 minutes and 38 seconds, giving her the gold medal. [NBC New York]
39 Vietnamese migrants
All 39 of the migrants found dead in the back of a refrigerated trailer in the UK county of Essex are believed to be Vietnamese nationals, according to the most recent police statements. The bodies of eight women and 31 men discovered on Oct. 23 were initially thought to be Chinese nationals, but 10 Vietnamese families contacted local police after losing contact with their relatives, prompting an investigation into human trafficking. Eamonn Harrison of Ireland has been charged with 39 counts of manslaughter, as well as human trafficking and immigration offenses. [The Telegraph]
13 years of homeownership
A new analysis from the real estate brokerage firm Redfin shows the typical homeowner in the United States now stays in their house for 13 years. That’s five years more than they did in 2010. This lack of movement, especially among aging baby boomers, has creating inventory shortages and pushed up prices. According to Redfin and the housing data firm CoreLogic, Salt Lake City, Fort Worth, Houston, San Antonio and Dallas are the cities with the longest median homeowner stays, all more than two decades. [Wall Street Journal]
625 on the Air Quality Index
Government buildings and private schools are being closed today and tomorrow in India’s capital city of Delhi due to poor air quality. Measurements on the Air Quality Index were as high as 625, a new record for the season. Low visibility also resulted in 32 flights being diverted from the city’s international airport on Sunday. [Times of India]
1.1 million acres of land
Draft legislation could move 1.1 million acres of the Desert National Wildlife Refuge from being controlled by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service to the U.S. Air Force. The Washington Post reports that a legislative proposal would turn more essential habitat areas into locations for training troops and testing weapons. The draft bill would stop an environmental review that has happened every 20 years and exempt the area from wildlife refuge law, which critics say would render much of the desert reserve area “a refuge in name only.” [Washington Post]