海角大神

A new year offers the chance to take a fresh look at things, including some of the defining features of American life. In honor of 2015, here are 15 numbers that symbolize key trends and events, from science to sports and beyond.

13,000

The number of troops who will remain in Afghanistan (mostly Americans but also some NATO forces) despite the end of Operation Enduring Freedom. That 13-year combat operation was the longest war in US history. The new mission for the remaining personnel? Training and counterterrorism efforts.

20,000 m.p.h.

The speed of on its first flight, Dec. 5. The spacecraft flew, uncrewed, to test its heat shield, avionics, parachutes, and computers for missions that could eventually include a manned trip to Mars. That 20,000 miles per hour is a high speed by earthling standards, but for the record, Apollo astronauts went 24,000 m.p.h. in their 1969 journey to the moon.

320 million

The US population as as the new year dawns. The total is rising in number but shrinking as a share of the world population (7.2 billion).聽 And in a symbol of the Sun Belt鈥檚 continued growth, New York was just eclipsed by Florida as the third most populous state.

1996

The last year in which the nation鈥檚 champion college football team was a聽first-timer for that honor. (It was the Florida Gators in that year.) Is that about to happen again? You 飞辞苍鈥檛 have to wait long into 2015 to find out. The University of Oregon is . A first test will come聽Jan. 1聽in the Rose Bowl as Oregon plays Florida State. A win there would set up a shot at the title against either Ohio State or Alabama.

2 to 4 degrees聽Fahrenheit

The projected rise in temperatures 鈥渋n most areas of the United States over the next few decades,鈥� according to a 2014 US National Climate Assessment, prepared by climate scientists for Congress. 鈥淲hat is new over the last decade is that we know with increasing certainty that climate change is happening now,鈥� the report said. It warned of damaging impacts, but said efforts such as greater reliance on solar power could help mitigate those effects.

7th

The day in January when a 鈥渂rand new鈥� comet might offer best viewing, even with just the naked eye. Comet Lovejoy, discovered by an amateur astronomer in August, will be visible near the constellation Orion. 鈥淕rab the binoculars, or if you live in a location free of urban glow, just use your eyes,鈥� says Monitor science writer Pete Spotts. 鈥淏y聽Jan. 7, the comet will be appearing to the right of the bottom half of Orion's bow.鈥�

$2.26 per gallon*

The of regular gasoline. (*Note: Prices at your local station may vary.) Gas prices have fallen by more than a dollar since the end of 2013 as global oil prices have plunged. How much lower will it go? We鈥檒l see. It will depend a lot on whether oil producing nations tighten supply or keep competing for market share.

2/3

The that 飞辞苍鈥檛 end in divorce, based on current trends tracked by economist Justin Wolfers. Mr. Wolfers was quoted in a New York Times article debunking the notion that half of marriages end in divorce.

21

The number of states where the minimum wage is rising in 2015. In all, some 29 states will have base pay for workers set above the federal level of $7.25 per hour. Changes enacted since 2013 will be a financial win for 7 million workers, White House economists estimate. The gains are centered especially in low-paid industries such as fast food and retailing.

0

The number of that track incidents in which people are killed by police each year. The lack of such statistics came into view amid public outcries over the deaths of Michael Brown and Eric Garner this year. Incidents in which police died in the line of duty, tracked by a nonprofit foundation, rose in 2014.

19

The number of states where control of government will be split between Republicans and Democrats. The 2014 election caused a big jump in the ranks of these 鈥減urple鈥� states, so get ready for some new tests of whether 鈥渄ivided government鈥� works better at the state level than it does in the nation鈥檚 capital. Incoming Republican governors will face off against Democratic legislatures in places like Illinois, Maryland, and Massachusetts.

83 million

The number of households and small businesses affected by a data breach at the giant bank JPMorgan Chase. That was just one of the high profile cases of online vulnerability 鈥� an email hack at Sony Pictures being another 鈥� that made headlines in 2014, cementing cyber security as an issue that鈥檚 sure to stay big. (Keep an eye on 海角大神鈥檚 focused coverage of this arena at聽http://www.csmonitor.com/World/Passcode).

24 percent

The share of Hispanic Americans who are . That鈥檚 according to a Pew Research Center report on 鈥淭he Shifting Religious Identity of Latinos in the United States.鈥� The Pew survey found that 55 percent of Hispanic adults in the US identify their religion as Catholic, while 22 percent are Protestant, 18 percent are 鈥渦naffiliated,鈥� 3 percent 鈥渙ther 海角大神,鈥� and 1 percent 鈥渙ther.鈥�

17 percent

The decline in America鈥檚 homeless population since 2005. A key factor behind the success: the rise of a 鈥渉ousing first鈥� approach to helping people who lack places to call home, according to the National Alliance to End Homelessness, which reported the drop in homelessness. The idea is to help with shelter even if other problems in a homeless person鈥檚 life are unresolved. The alliance鈥檚 Stephen Berg called the success聽a 鈥済iant untold story.鈥�

80 percent

The share of high schoolers who are graduating in four years. That historic high (since tracking began) was measured in the 2011-2012 school year and reported in 2014. Big urban school districts generally lag far behind the 80 percent average, but successes in places such as Houston (79 percent) show this is 鈥渘ot a chronically unfixable problem of poverty or demography or circumstances of birth,鈥� education expert John Bridgeland said.