Getting millions or even billions of people around the world to do the same thing at the same time is no small feat. Every once in a while, though, a special event occurs that demands a large percentage of the world’s population to pay attention. The most-watched TV events in history drew in staggering numbers of diverse viewers.
Popular television programs can gauge what’s interesting on a global level. Though it’s difficult to compile perfectly accurate statistics on TV viewership, these events attracted hundreds of millions of people to their televisions.
Estimated Number of Viewers: 180,000,000
On November 22, 1963, Americans learned that the 35th President of the United States, John F. Kennedy, had been assassinated by a sniper in Dallas, TX. Three days later, the funeral took place, and an estimated 180 million peopletuned in to watch the ceremony. Ninety-three percent of American homes equipped with a television watched the event.
Additionally, about 250,000 people attended the funeral in Washington, DC, and more than 800,000 people lined the road to watch the funeral procession.