1. Who Invented the World S First Flush Toilet?

World Toilet Day Quiz

1. Who invented the world’s first flush toilet?

A. Sir John Harington (1596)

B. Alexander Cummings (1775)

C. Thomas Crapper (1860s)

They all had a part to play: Sir John Harington invented the first flush toilet (Elizabeth I tried it out); Alexander Cummings invented the S bend; Thomas Crapper invented the ball cock flush (and opened the first bathroom showroom in London).

2. How many people worldwide today don’t have access to a safe toilet?

A. 1.2 billion

B. 2.4 billion

C. 5.1 billion

In 2015 67.5% of people worldwide had access to improved sanitation, up from 53% in 1990. That leaves a third, 2.4 billion people, without.

3. In 1951, how many households in England and Wales did not have their own WC?

A. 1.2%

B. 12%

C. 21%

Before the big slum clearances of the 1950s and 1960s, 21% of households still shared a toilet.

4. The International Space Station is the world’s most expensive place to spend a penny. The ISS toilet cost:

A. $1.9 million

B. $9.1 million

C. $19 million

Built specially in Russia for use in zero gravity, the ISS toilet cost $19 million. The most expensive on Earth is a solid-gold toilet in Hong Kong – its value goes up and down with the price of gold.

5. What’s the average number of flushes a UK household makes each day?

A. 5−7

B. 13−14

C. 19−20

The average is 13−14 flushes, taking a third of the total of water used in the home. Toilet flushing puts a huge strain on water resources.

6. How many children under the age of five die daily worldwide from diseases caused by poor sanitation?

A. 100

B. 500

C. 800

Worldwide 800children die daily (around 289,000 a year) due to preventable water and sanitation-related diarrhoealdiseases. Diarrhoea is the world’s second biggest killer of children.

7. Which English King or Queen died ‘on the throne’?

A. King Edward I

B. King John

C. George II

George II fell off his toilet and died of heart failure in 1760; King Edward and King John both died of dysentery.

8. The world’s most high-tech toilets are found in:

A. Japan

B. USA

C. Switzerland

Japan has some of the world’s most high-tech toilets, which can wash, dry, deodorise, play tunes and even clean the seat after you!

9. How many viruses does 1 gram of faeces contain?

A. 100,000

B. 1 million

C. 10 million

10. Global Goal SDG 6 aims for safe water and sanitation for all. By which date?

A. 2030

B. 2035

C. 2050

Bonus question: How long does the average person spend on the toilet in a lifetime?

A. 3 months

B. 1 year

C. 3 years

3 years, though it’s not clear how anyone knows.

Main source: https://globaldimension.org.uk/event/world-toilet-day/2018-11-19/.