1. World Toilet Day Quiz
Test your knowledge of all toilet-related things with this quick ten-question quiz

2. 1. Who invented the world’s first flush toilet?
Sir John Harington (1596)
Alexander Cummings (1775)
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 the ball cock flush (and opened the first bathroom showroom in London).

3. 2. How many people worldwide don’t have access to a safe toilet?
1.2 billion
2.4 billion
5.1 billion
In % of people worldwide had access to improved sanitation, up from 53% in That leaves a third, 2.4 billion people, without.
(World Bank data).

4. 3. In 1951, how many households in England and Wales did not have their own WC?
1.2%
12%
21%
Before the big slum clearances of the 1950s and 1960s, 21% of households still shared a toilet.

5. 4. The International Space Station is the most expensive place in the universe to spend a penny. The ISS toilet cost:
$1.9 million
$9.1 million
$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.

6. 5. What’s the average number of flushes a UK household makes each day?
5−7 times
13−14 times
19−20 times
The average is 13−14 times, taking nearly a third of the total of water used in the home.
Toilet flushing puts a huge strain on water resources.

7. 6. How many children under the age of five die daily worldwide from diseases caused by poor sanitation?
100
500
800
Worldwide 900-1,000 children die daily due to preventable water and sanitation-related diarrhoeal diseases.
Diarrhoea is the world’s second biggest killer of children.

8. 7. Which English King died ‘on the throne’?
King Edward 1
King John
George II
George II fell off his toilet and died of heart failure in 1760 – though King Edward and King John both died of dysentery.

9. 8. The world’s most high-tech toilets are found in:
Japan
USA
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…

10. 9. How many viruses can 1 gram of faeces contain?
100,000
1 million
10 million
Gross, but true: one gram of faeces can contain 10 million viruses (plus 1 million bacteria and 100 parasite eggs)

11. 10. Global Goal (SDG) 6 aims for safe water and sanitation for all
10. Global Goal (SDG) 6 aims for safe water and sanitation for all. By which date?
2030
2035
2050
Find out more about these themes from the GLP World Toilet Day resource
Main source:

12. Bonus question: How long does the average person spend on the toilet in a lifetime!
3 months
1 year
3 years
3 years, although its not clear how anyone knows.