World Book Day, also known as World Book and Copyright Day, or International Day of the Book, is an annual observance organised by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO). It promotes reading, publishing, and copyright. World Book Day was first celebrated on April 23, 1995. The earliest known work of literature was written on stone tablets at the paper did not exist. It is an epic poem titled the Epic of Gilgamesh from ancient Mesopotamia. Johannes Gensfleisch zur Laden zum Gutenberg printed the first-ever pressed book, the Gutenberg Bible, in 1453. He also invented the printing press himself ushering in a new era in human history. As we observe World Book and Copyright Day 2020, we bring to you some interesting facts about books. Harry Potter Series to I Am Malala, 5 Books to Encourage Kids to Read More.

1. Did you know there are over 130 million books in existence?

2. The most expensive book ever purchased was sold for $30.8 million. It was Codex Leicester by Leonardo Da Vinci which was purchased by Bill Gates, according to Business Insider.

3. The act of smelling old books is called 'bibliosmia'

4. The longest sentence ever printed is 823 words.

5. The first book ever written using a typewriter was The Adventures of Tom Sawyer.

6. The three most-read books in the world are The Holy Bible, Quotations from Chairman Mao Tse-Tung, and Harry Potter.

7. Icelandic people read more than anyone.

Books impart knowledge and it depends on how you plan to use it. The habit of reading a book not only improves the vocabulary of a person but also gives the person creative ideas. It transfers you into a different world where innumerable things are at your dispose. We wish everyone a Happy World Book and Copyright Day!

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Apr 23, 2020 08:10 AM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).