What was the largest number of people ever assembled in one place on earth?

[ThomWV]

If not in Washington today then when and where? I have been looking (half heartedly) around the net since yesterday but can't seem to find out what was the largest gathering of people prior to today in Washington.

[ScreamingMeemie]

1. Call 1-800-2ChaCha and ask!

:)

[charlie and algernon]

2. there was a pretty significant number in Rome for John Paul II's death and funeral

don't know the exact number though

[conscious evolution]

3. The Haj in Mecca

gets around three to four million every year

I also imagine China has had a few big get togethers.Same with India.

[ThomWV]

6. Doesn't the Haj follow a prescribed course over many miles?

I do not claim to know much of anything about the Haj but I believe that it follows the travels of the Prophet from town to town or religious site to religious site over the course of several days and covers miles. So its not so much one gathering in one place at one time. Am I wrong about that? I could easily be.

[conscious evolution]

7. It takes place in an area

around the same size as DC.
The last day has everyone gathered together to pray to allah.

[ThomWV]

8. Is that where they make the 7 walks around that obelisk?

I think they have to walk around the obelisk 7 times or something like that. I've seen footage of that (wonder how that got out?) and I understand that both at that final event and at the one days earlier where they toss the stones at the devil in the holes (what are they, wells?). It is also my understanding that the Royal family (Saud) finance the whole thing for all the pilgrims - free lodging, food, the whole 9 yards.

[conscious evolution]

10. Her are some documentaries

that can explain it a lot better than I can.

[tekisui]

4. I have been trying to find out for some time.

When numbers get that large, it is hard to get an accurate number, or even an estimate.

[NWHarkness]

5. They used to say Stalin's funeral

Millions were there, as I recall, there were hundreds of people trampled to death in the huge crowds.

[OPERATIONMINDCRIME]

9. Does Every Day In China Count?

:shrug:

[conscious evolution]

11. LOL!!

Rush hour in beijing must suck big time.

[muriel_volestrangler]

12. Often reckoned to be the Kumbh Mela - Indian religious fesival

From space: http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/sci/tech/1137833.stm

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kumbh_Mela

It goes on a 12 year cycle; the last 'complete' one was in 2001; the interim one drew 3 to 5 million people on its peak day: http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/01/15/AR2007011500041.html