World Toilet Day - 19th November

What is so special about toilets?  Why have a special day for them?

Well, EVERYONE should use one.  They have existed since at least 2500 BCE, where individuals in Harappa in India had a type of toilet in their houses.

John Harrington, in 1596, created the first toilet using water for his godmother, Elizabeth I of England and installed it at Richmond Palace, London.  The Edinburgh-born London watchmaker, Alexander Cummings is credited with the first patented flushing toilet in 1775, complete with the now-familiar 's'-bend; to reduce nasty smells! 

Modern toilets now boast either a 'S', 'U', 'J' or a 'P' bend!

Other facts:

'2.6 billion people (nearly half of the world's population) don't have access to toilets and proper sanitation.'   source: www.worldtoilet.org

'An average person will visit the toilet 2500 times per year. That’s 6-8 times a day and totals to 3 years of your life.'  source: www.2020site.org  

Which toilet would you choose? 

   

 A stringy bark 'dunny' toilet in     A 'sansinette' toilet in Paris,

Walcha, NSW, Australia                 France

   

For a lesson plan about World Toilet Day here's one from Sean Banville.

More information? Here are some further weblinks...

World Toilet Day - from the World Toilet Organisation - who else?

WaterAid - the need for hygiene and sanitation

Waste Disposal - a new twist to knowing where it all goes!

Public Toilets - how to survive and protect yourself!

Future toilets - back(side) to the future.

Worldwide Toilets - all shapes & sizes

Signs on the doors - how we know where to go!

Toilets - game activities - for learners of English

The small room - beautiful views around the world while remaining seated

Top ten famous toilets - a surprising list. Do you agree?

Toilet science? - European-style or squat-style? Not for the squeamish!

Toilets from around the world! - 'My Toilet' is an exhibition of photographs organised by Water & Sanitation for the Urban Poor. Which one is most like yours?

A conversation starter?  This wordle below may generate some interest. After all, we all need the loo!

And finally... a serious word from Mahatma Ghandi - 'father of modern India'

'The cause of our many diseases is the condition of our lavatories and our bad habit of disposing excreta everywhere and anywhere.'