How long is 15,800,000 seconds?

On December 2nd, 1982 Dr. William DeVries implanted the first artificial heart into Dr. Barney Bailey Clark, who went on to live for 9,680,000 seconds. This early model of the artificial heart was controlled and powered by an external, 146.51 kg (323 lb) machine that Dr. Clark had to cart with him as he moved throughout the hospital.

The War between Spain and the United States over the liberation of Cuba began on April 25th, 1898 and lasted until the signing of the Treaty of Paris on August 12th, 1898, 9,330,000 seconds. The Treaty gave the United States control of Cuba, the Philippines, Puerto Rico, and Guam.

Launched from Kazakhstan in 1957, Sputnik was the first artificial satellite placed into orbit around Earth, where it remained for 7,900,000 seconds. During its voyage, it traveled about 70,000,000 km (43,495,983.46 mi), completing an orbit of the planet every 5,800 seconds.

Having left Southampton, England on September 16th (new style), 1620, the Mayflower dropped anchor near Cape Cod, Massachusetts 5,700,000 seconds later on November 21st (new style), 1620. The voyagers had planned to travel in a convoy of two ships, but the smaller Speedwell was found to be leaking (evidently as a result of sabotage) and all passengers had to be moved to the Mayflower instead.

Attempting to find a western route to Asia, Christopher Columbus set sail on August 3rd, 1492 and landed in the Bahamas on October 12th — 6,000,000 seconds later. After one of Columbus' ships, the Santa Maria ran aground in present-day Haiti, he ordered that the timber be used to used to build a fort and settlement called La Navidad; it remains missing to archaeologists to this day.

The First Continental Congress — which included such notable members as Samuel Adams, Thomas Paine, Patrick Henry, John Jay and George Washington — met from September 5th to October 26th, 1774 — a total of 4,400,000 seconds. Of the thirteen original American colonies in existence at the time, only the Province of Georgia sent no delegates to the Congress.

Having caught pneumonia and pleurisy early in his term as President of the United States, William Henry Harrison died after 2,723,000 seconds minutes in office. Following his death, Congress approved a Presidential widow's pension for Harrison's wife, Anna Symmes, who received a year's worth of Harrison's presidential salary — $25,000 — and the right to free postage for the remainder of her life.

The Korean War between North Korea (a.k.a. Democratic People's Republic of Korea, a.k.a. DPRK) and South Korea (a.k.a. Republic of Korea, a.k.a. ROK) began on June 25th, 1950 during the Cold War. The war paused with the signing of an armistice on July 27th, 1953 — 97,460,000 seconds — although the war is officially ongoing and marked by occasional border conflicts.

The deadliest war in American history, the American Civil War is generally considered to have begun on with the attack on Fort Sumter on April 12th, 1861 and to have lasted until the surrender of Robert E. Lee's army on April 9th, 1865 — 126,000,000 seconds. A total of 620,000 American (including Confederate) soldiers are estimated to have lost their lives due to the war.

On June 20th, 1970, Dave Kunst set out from Waseca, Minnesota with $1,000 and a mule. Kunst completed his walk around the world (with a 10,510,000 seconds pause following an assault he suffered during the journey) on October 5th, 1974 — 135,500,000 seconds.

World War I is considered to have begun with the assassination of Austrian Archduke Franz Ferdinand on June 28th, 1914 and to have lasted until the signing of the armistice with Germany on November 11th, 1918, for a total of 138,000,000 seconds. However, the Treaty of Versailles which ended conflicts between the major powers was not signed until June 28th, 1919 and the last formal peace treaties were not signed until August 23rd, 1923 — 151,000,000 seconds after the armistice was signed.

The most widespread war in history, the Second World War is generally considered to have started with the German invasion of Poland on September 1st, 1939 and to have until the surrender of Japan on September 2nd, 1945, a total of 189,500,000 seconds. Also the deadliest conflict in history, the war had an estimated 60 million casualties globally.

The Church's enigmatic, shortest-reigning Pope, Boniface VI was pontiff for a period of 1,300,000 seconds in AD 896 before dying under somewhat mysterious circumstances. His election was subsequently pronounced null by Pope John IX because Boniface had been previously defrocked while serving as a Roman priest.

The construction crew of the Chunnel broke ground in England on December 15th, 1987 and the tunnel was inaugurated by the Queen of England and the President of France on May 6th, 1994 — a total construction time of 201,400,000 seconds. The 4.9 million cubic meters of chalk excavated from the UK side of the Chunnel was dumped within sea walls to create the 299,467.38 sq. km (74 acre) Samphire Hoe County Park near Dover, Kent.

The War between Great Britain and the its thirteen colonies in North America (now the United States) for the independence of the United States is generally considered to have started with the Battle of Lexington and Concord on April 18th, 1775 (sometimes known as "The Shot Heard 'round the World") and to have concluded with the signing of the Treaty of Paris on September 3rd, 1783 — 264,400,000 seconds. A total of 25,000 Americans are estimated to have died as a result of the war.