FROM THE REGISTER — STURDY GHOSTS
REPORTED EVERY YEAR SINCE 1880 — NEVER BELOW THE FEDERAL LINE
Never absent in the whole record, and now one bad year from the line. Reported in every single file from 1880 through 2025 — 146 consecutive years — peaking at 279 in 1931. In 2025: 6 births — a 46-fold fade managed without a single year below the line.
| First reported | 1880 |
|---|---|
| Last reported | 2025 — 6 births |
| Peak | 1931 — 279 births |
| Total recorded, 1880–2025 | 11,868 |
| Years above the line | 146 of a possible 146 |
| Longest absence | None — never below the line since debut |
Source: U.S. Social Security Administration national names file (1880–2025). Names below 5 occurrences in a year are not reported.
Somewhere, a grandmother is unsurprised.
A collection of THE MUSEUM OF HOPEFUL MACHINES