ODD ORBIT: Oddities around the World: 6 to 7 MILLION for Pope Francis in the Philippines-Largest Papal Crowd in History:makes the list of largest peaceful gatherings in history!

Manila: Pope Francis celebrates a huge open-air Mass for a rain-drenchedcrowd of millions in the Philippine capital on Sunday.

World record. Filipinos fill the Rizal Park and the areas nearby to attend the mass
celebrated by Pope Francis (inset) at the Quirino Grandstand on Sunday. Ey Acasio
and AFP

On January 2015, over 6 to 7 million attended the Concluding Eucharistic Celebration in Manila, ending the 5-day apostolic and state visit of Pope Francis in the Philippines, making the largest papal crowd in history, surpassing previous record (listed below).

This amazing Catholic feat now makes it to the list of the largest historic peaceful gatherings of people in one place for a single event beating some of the more notable gatherings in very recent history:

More than a million barefoot devotees parade a centuries-old icon of Jesus Christ through Manila in the Philippines' biggest religious festival, ©Ted Aljibe (AFP)

Over 5.5 million turn up for Nazarene parade ahead of papal visit for Traslación of the Black Nazarene 2015 in Manila, Philippines.

Over 5 million people attended a rally for World Youth Day 1995 in Manila, Philippines, to see Pope John Paul II. Formerly the largest papal crowd in history, it was surpassed on January 18, 2015 during Pope Francis' visit to the Philippines.


Millions of pilgrims have arrived in Mecca for Islam's annual Hajj pilgrimage

An estimated 3.16 million people made the annual Hajj to Mecca, Saudi Arabia in 2012 (1.4 million from Saudi and 1.75 Foreigners).

An estimated 3 million people attended the closing Mass of World Youth Day 2013 on Copacabana beach in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Over 2 million people also gather there yearly on the night of 31 December, making of it the world's largest New Year's Eve party.

President Barack Obama gives his inaugural address to a worldwide audience from the West Steps of the U.S. Capitol after taking the oath of office in Washington, D.C., Jan. 20, 2009

Security officials estimated that 1.8 million people attended the inauguration of Barack Obama in Washington, D.C. on 20 January 2009.

People hold panels to create the eyes of late Charlie Hebdo editor Stephane Charbonnier, known as "Charb"

An estimated 1.2-1.6 million people, including several heads of state, marched in Paris (with a total of 3.7 million marching across the world) on 11 January 2015 for an anti-terrorism rally in the aftermath of the Charlie Hebdo shooting; the gathering was the largest in French history.