SortStack #928 — 2028-12-23
By duration · Order from shortest to longest.
- The elevator ride up the Burj Khalifa's observation deck 1 min
The lifts climb at around 10 metres per second. Your ears pop on the way to the 124th floor — the building is so tall it has distinct climate zones.
- Cooking a perfect soft-boiled egg 4.5 min
At high altitude it takes noticeably longer — water boils below 100°C up a mountain, which is why mountaineers complain about their eggs.
- The Isner-Mahut match, the longest in tennis history 11.1 h
The 2010 Wimbledon first-rounder stretched over three days with a 70-68 final set — the scoreboard wasn't programmed to go that high and broke.
- The reign of Queen Elizabeth II 70.5 years
Her 70 years and 214 days saw 15 UK prime ministers, from Churchill to Truss — she appointed the last one two days before she died.
- One orbit of Pluto around the Sun 247.9 years
Pluto hasn't completed a single orbit since its discovery in 1930 — it won't finish its first 'observed year' until 2178.
- How long the Hagia Sophia has been standing 1.5K years
Built in just five years under Justinian, it has since served as cathedral, mosque, museum, and mosque again across nearly 1,500 years.