Hands Around the World

“Hands Around the World” is inspired by the legacy of world-leading humanitarian and visionary, Ken Kragen, the creator of We Are the World and “Hands Across America”.

I am old enough to remember Hands Across America, a public fundraising event held on Sunday, May 25, 1986, when about 6.5 million people held hands for 15 minutes in an attempt to form a continuous human chain across the contiguous United States. The event was a partial success. The actual coast-to-coast chain did not fully materialize, but participants and supporters still raised $15 million for charities after operating expenses. 

There is something beautifully compelling about the notion of a human chain stretching around the world, uniting people of every age, race, religion, and ability in one unbroken line. For more information about “Hands Around the World”, visit their website or send an email to: info@hands.world.

For my part, I started wondering whether it would be possible to form a human chain that could encircle the planet. Could the current population of Earth, standing side by side and holding hands at arm’s length, wrap around the Earth’s equator? 

Let's explore! 

Assume 

• relatively flat and stable surfaces, 
• sufficient time and logistical support, and 
• the ability to stand on water… ha 

Circumference, C, of the earth at the equator 

• In miles: 24.9k mi 
• In feet, C = 24.9k * 5.28k = 0.131477 billion feet

Population, P, of Earth 

Overall, P = 8.058 billion 

• Children 0-14 years of age comprise 25%

Average Handspan, H, in feet 

• Overall, H = 4.0 feet
• Adults: 4.5 
• Children: 3.0 

Calculations 

• W = (P * H) / C 
• W = (8.058 billion * 4 feet) / 0.131477 billion feet 
• W = 32.23 billion feet / 0.131477 billion feet 
• W = 245.14 wraps around the equator! 

Conclusion 

The population of Earth, standing side by side at double arm intervals and holding hands, could encircle the Earth at the equator not just once, but over 245 times! I find that astonishing. 

The Earth seems big, but it may be smaller than one thinks in relation to the population. It takes 32.87 million people to wrap around the equator once. If everyone alive on the planet were to join in simultaneously, the ranks would be 245 deep.  

Ken Kragen

Ken Kragen left a powerful legacy. Kenneth Allan Kragen (November 24, 1936 – December 14, 2021) was an American music manager, television producer, author, speaker, and non-profit consultant, best known for his role in organizing the 1985 benefit record "We Are the World" and the 1986 charity event Hands Across America.