Have you ever wondered what the most significant thing in the world is? The world is full of colossal wonders stretching beyond what most can imagine. There’s no shortage of massive things, from towering trees and vast animals to mind-blowing galaxies. But just what qualifies as the “biggest”? Is it the most significant living thing, artificial object, or even something beyond our planet?
In this article, we’ll explore the most significant things in different categories—from natural wonders on Earth to awe-inspiring creations in the universe. We’ll look at plants, animals, artificial structures, and space. So, buckle up because this journey through the most significant things in the world is bound to leave you amazed.
The Biggest Living Organism on Earth
You might picture an elephant or a whale when you think about significant living things. But the biggest thing in the world regarding a residing organism is neither animal nor plant as we commonly think of it—it’s a fungus!
The Humongous Fungus: Armillaria ostoyae
- Location: Malheur National Forest, Oregon, USA
- Size: Covers approximately 2,385 acres (965 hectares)
- Age: Estimated to be around 2,400 years old
The Armillaria ostoyae, also known as the “Humongous Fungus,” is a type of honey fungus that lives underground. It spreads through root-like structures called rhizomorphs, which allow it to cover enormous areas. This single organism spans nearly four square miles, making it the largest living organism by area. It primarily lives underground and only reveals itself through small clusters of mushrooms above the surface.
Imagine an organism so big that it could cover a small town! This gigantic fungus is not only one of the biggest things in the world but also one of the oldest.
The Largest Animal: The Blue Whale
Among animals, the blue whale takes the crown as the most enormous creature ever living on Earth.
- Length: Up to 98 feet (30 meters)
- Weight: Can weigh as much as 200 tons (181 metric tonnes)
- Heart size: The size of a small car!
Blue whales are so large that their hearts weigh as much as a full-grown lion. Their tongues can weigh as much as an elephant and consume up to 4 tons of krill daily. Found in oceans worldwide, blue whales are not only the largest animals alive today but are also the largest animals that have ever existed.
These gentle giants remind us of the vastness of the oceans and the incredible life forms that inhabit them. Indeed, blue whales are among the most significant creatures in the world.
The Tallest Tree: Hyperion, the Giant Redwood
Trees are known for their majestic height, but one tree stands taller than them: Hyperion, a coast redwood.
- Location: Redwood National Park, California, USA
- Height: 379.7 feet (115.7 meters)
- Species: Sequoia sempervirens (coast redwood)
Hyperion was discovered in 2006 and holds the record for the tallest tree on Earth. To put its height into perspective, Hyperion is taller than the Statue of Liberty and would tower over a 35-story building. Scientists believe the tree could have been even taller, but woodpecker activity at the top of the tree stunted its growth.
Trees like Hyperion are natural wonders and remind us of the Earth’s ancient and enduring beauty. Among plants, they are certainly one of the biggest things in the world.
The Largest Flower: Rafflesia arnoldii
Not all big things are tall or wide—some are just really heavy. The Rafflesia arnoldii holds the record for the world’s largest single flower.
- Location: Rainforests of Indonesia and Malaysia
- Diameter: Up to 3 feet (1 meter) across
- Weight: Can weigh up to 15 pounds (7 kilograms)
Rafflesia arnoldii is also known as the “corpse flower” because of its distinct smell, which resembles rotting flesh. This odour attracts flies and other insects that help pollinate the flower. While it may not be the most pleasant-smelling of plants, Rafflesia arnoldii’s size makes it one of the biggest things in the world in the plant kingdom.
The Largest Man-Made Structure: The Great Wall of China
Regarding artificial structures, the Great Wall of China takes the lead as one of the longest and largest architectural feats ever accomplished.
- Location: Northern China
- Length: Over 13,000 miles (21,196 kilometers)
- Construction Period: Built over several centuries, starting as early as the 7th century BCE
The Great Wall wasn’t built all at once. Over the centuries, different dynasties added to the structure to protect against invasions. Today, it’s recognized as one of the New Seven Wonders of the World, attracting millions of visitors annually.
Stretching over mountains, deserts, and grasslands, the Great Wall is a historic landmark and testament to human perseverance and ingenuity. It certainly qualifies as one of the biggest things in the world made by human hands.
The Largest Building by Floor Area: New Century Global Center
Size isn’t just about length or height—it can also mean floor space. The New Century Global Center in Chengdu, China, is the most prominent building by floor area.
- Location: Chengdu, Sichuan, China
- Size: Covers approximately 18.9 million square feet (1.76 million square meters)
- Opened: 2013
You’ll find shopping malls, offices, hotels, a water park, and even an artificial beach inside this massive structure. It’s like a small city under one roof! The New Century Global Center serves as a hub for entertainment, business, and tourism, attracting people worldwide.
This building represents how humans continue to push the boundaries of architecture, and it stands as one of the biggest things in the world in terms of sheer space.
The Largest Animal Migration: The Great Wildebeest Migration
The natural world is full of impressive phenomena, one of the most remarkable being the Great Wildebeest Migration in East Africa.
- Location: Tanzania and Kenya, across the Serengeti and Maasai Mara
- Number of Animals: Over 1.5 million wildebeests, plus zebras and gazelles
- Distance Traveled: Around 1,200 miles (1,931 kilometres) annually
Every year, millions of wildebeests, zebras, and other animals move in a massive loop through Tanzania and Kenya in search of fresh grazing lands. This epic journey includes river crossings and encounters with predators like lions and crocodiles.
The Great Wildebeest Migration is the largest terrestrial animal migration in the world and is a breathtaking reminder of nature’s cycles and the resilience of life. For animal migrations, this is undoubtedly one of the biggest things in the world.
The Largest Planet: Jupiter
When we look beyond Earth, the scale of “biggest” becomes genuinely astronomical. In our Solar System, Jupiter is the most giant planet by far.
- Diameter: 86,881 miles (139,820 kilometers)
- Mass: 318 times the mass of Earth
- Known For: Its Great Red Spot, a massive storm system
Jupiter is a gas giant, meaning it mainly comprises hydrogen and helium. It’s so large that it could fit 1,300 Earths inside it! The planet also has dozens of moons and a powerful magnetic field. The Great Red Spot has been raging for centuries and is big enough to swallow Earth whole.
Regarding the most significant thing in the world regarding planets, Jupiter wins without contest in our Solar System.
The Largest Star: UY Scuti
If planets like Jupiter seem huge, stars are on an entirely different scale. The most prominent known star by volume is UY Scuti, a red supergiant located in the constellation Scutum.
- Radius: Approximately 1,700 times the radius of the Sun
- Distance from Earth: About 9,500 light-years
- Volume: Could contain roughly 5 billion Suns!
UY Scuti’s sheer size is difficult to comprehend. It’s so vast that if it were placed at the centre of our Solar System, it would extend beyond Jupiter’s orbit. This massive star reminds us how small our planet is compared to the cosmos. For stars, UY Scuti is undoubtedly one of the biggest things in the world—or at least in our known universe.
The Largest Structure in the Universe: The Hercules-Corona Borealis Great Wall
When we go beyond even stars, we enter the realm of cosmic structures. The largest known structure in the observable universe is the Hercules-Corona Borealis Great Wall.
- Location: Spans multiple constellations
- Size: Approximately 10 billion light-years across
- Type: Galaxy supercluster complex
This massive supercluster of galaxies stretches over 10 billion light-years, meaning that light would take 10 billion years to travel from one end to the other. The Hercules-Corona Borealis Great Wall challenges our understanding of the universe’s structure and scale.
As far as structures go, this is currently the biggest thing on a cosmic scale, dwarfing anything else we’ve observed.
Conclusion: A World of Gigantic Wonders
From underground fungi and giant animals to massive stars and galaxy clusters, the most significant things in the world span an incredible range of sizes and types. Each “biggest” has its own story and significance, offering us insight into the vastness and diversity of life and the universe.
Whether it’s the largest living organism, the tallest tree, the giant planet, or the enormous galaxy structure, exploring these massive wonders helps us appreciate the scale of existence. So next time you look up at the sky or see a towering tree, remember that there are things out there more significant than you can imagine, waiting to be discovered.
This journey through the most significant things in the world reminds us that there is always something more to learn and explore, showing us just how small and unique our place is in the grand scheme of things.
