Statistics began as early as 1066, when William the conqueror, the Duke of Normandy, conquered and became the King of England. He would like to find out what exactly he did conquer and how much tax he can collect. So he sent out two groups of inspectors to men to do some survey on land and livestock. At that time, people believed that it is the God’s will to let people live or die. So, a survey of people as well as how they born and die were forbidden. As time changes, people changes. In later time, people began to believe that study of population is not against the God’s will, but is the way to understand him better. In the 16th century, the London Bill of Mortality was drafted. It was the first attempts to record people’s birth and death.
"Statistics can provide insights into the system from which the statistics are derived."
Source: The Drunkard's Walk: How Randomness Rules Our Lives by Leonard Mlodinow, Chapter 8 [Read the Book Review] [Read the Previous Part] [Read the Next Part].
