From California to Connecticut, the USA has witnessed the birth of over 150 basketball players inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame.

More than a dozen other countries have also offered a native son—or two, or three—who went on to achieve the highest level of success in the NBA.

View NBA Hall of Famers by Birthplace in a full screen map

Click any marker and see the details for the Hall of Fame players, including their stats and ages. You can even choose one or more categories to filter your data. For example, did you know that the 12 players with more than 22,000 career points and who retired before 37 were all born east of the Mississippi River? Facts like these are far easier to see on a map than to read in a spreadsheet.
Almost Every Hall of Famer is from the USA
Basketball was invented in 1891 in Springfield, Massachusetts. With its roots in the United States, it’s no surprise that nearly 90% of inducted players are American. Their birthplaces are scattered among 28 states and 110 cities.

The top states for basketball inductees roughly follow those with the largest populations. New York, California, and Pennsylvania lead the way. But the top 10 (or so, there are some ties) includes some surprises:

• New York (23)
• California (17)
• Pennsylvania (13)
• Illinois (11)
• Louisiana (8)
• North Carolina (8)
• Michigan (7)
• Virginia (6)
• Ohio (6)
• Kentucky (6)
• Texas (6)

Louisiana and Kentucky are 25th and 26th in population, yet their players shine in basketball. Similarly, Texas has a larger population than every state but California, yet it barely makes the list.

Basketball breaks tradition with baseball and football, which share Chicago as the most common birth city. As mentioned, the NBA largely follows population trends in producing Hall of Famers.

New York City leads the way by far with 17 players (including eight from Brooklyn, a borough of NYC). That leaves only six New Yorkers from outside the Big Apple in the Hall. Other top cities include Philadelphia (6), Oakland (4), Chicago (4), Detroit (4), and Washington DC (4). Ten other cities can claim two or more Hall of Famers.

Interestingly, no players in the Hall of Fame were born in Massachusetts, despite the state being the birthplace of basketball. Of course, basketball has since been exported all over the world. One in 10 basketball Hall of Famers comes from outside the US.
Countries with the Most Basketball Hall of Famers
While the international wing of the Hall of Fame is much smaller, it is well represented. Foreign-born Hall of Famers in basketball come from 18 countries, more than any other American sport. For example, the Baseball Hall of Fame has players from nine non-US countries.

Which countries produce basketball stars who play in the US won’t surprise anyone watching the sport in the last few decades. To start, we turn to Eastern Europe, which has a significant presence in the Olympics, the European leagues, as well as the NBA. Croatia has three Hall of Famers, and Lithuania has two. All other countries only have one inductee. Europe continues to represent, with a player each in Germany, Spain, France, Belgium, and Serbia.

We can look further than Europe, though. Almost every continent has at least one player in the basketball Hall of Fame. Africa has three (Hakeem Olajuwon was the first, in 2008). South America has Manu Ginóbili (2022), while Asia has Yao Ming (2016). There are no Hall of Famers from Australia or New Zealand. Or Antarctica.

There are two cities outside the US that have made an impact on the Hall of Fame: Kaunas, the largest city in Lithuania, is the birthplace of both Arvydas Sabonis and Šarūnas Marčiulionis; Meanwhile, in Croatia, the city of Split (the second largest in the country) splits its pride between Toni Kukoč and Dino Radja.
Make a Map of Your Own Data
You may have your own data sitting in a spreadsheet on your computer. Instead of basketball Hall of Famers, it might consist of customer addresses, business locations, or a list of deliveries. In each case, maps can help tell the story. They’ll plot your course or show the trends.

BatchGeo is your fastest way to make a custom map. There’s even sample data to use if you’re not yet sure which spreadsheet to upload. Try it today for free!

The earliest known instance of a fatal alligator attack in the US goes back to 1685. Since then, more than 40 instances of fatal alligator attacks have been recorded.

This article covers the US states and cities that are alligator hotspots and the deadliest months for alligator attacks, along with some of the ages of those who fell prey to these dangerous animals.

View Fatal Alligator Attacks in the U.S. in a full screen map

Fatal Alligator Attack Hotspots: States and Cities

There have been 44 reported alligator attacks in the US across five Southern states. Of these, Florida has had the highest number of incidents (32). Florida is followed by South Carolina in alligator attacks (6), while Texas, Louisiana, and Georgia have reported three, two, and one attack(s), respectively. That said, alligators can also be found in Alabama, North Carolina, Mississippi, and Oklahoma—though no fatalities have been reported in these states.

Incidents are spread across various cities and counties. The list below summarizes those with more than one reported attack since records began:

• Charlotte County, Florida: 2
• Hilton Head Island, South Carolina: 2
• Lakeland, Florida: 2
• Largo , Florida: 2
• Martin County, Florida: 2
• Sanibel, Florida: 2

Five Florida cities or counties listed above have experienced two tragic incidents. In the 1970s, an alligator killed 52-year-old George Leonard while he was swimming in Charlotte County’s Peace River Canal. In 1988, the victim was Erin Glover, age 4, who was attacked and killed while walking along the shore of Hidden Lake, also in Charlotte County.

Youngest and Oldest Alligator Victims

Those attacked and killed by alligators in the US range from just two years old to age 90. We’ll take a closer look at the youngest of these on the table below.

Name	Age	Sex	State	Year
Alexandria Murphy	2	Female	Florida	2001
Lane Graves	2	Male	Florida	2016
Adam Binford	3	Male	Florida	1997
Erin Glover	4	Female	Florida	1988
Allen Rice	9	Male	Florida	1957
Bradley Weidenhamer	10	Male	Florida	1993
Robert Crespo	11	Male	Florida	1984
Brian Griffin	12	Male	Florida	2003
Phillip Rastrelli	14	Male	Florida	1978
Sharon Holmes	16	Female	Florida	1973

The youngest victims, Alexandria Murphy and Lane Graves were both just two years old at the time of their attack. Alexandria Murphy wandered away from her fenced backyard and was fatally wounded just 700 feet from her home on Lake Cannon in Winter Haven, Florida.

An alligator dragged Lane Graves underwater in the Seven Seas Lagoon at Disney’s Grand Floridian Resort & Spa just outside of Orlando, Florida. When his parents tried to rescue him, his father was attacked by a second alligator.

As for the oldest victim, 90-year-old Bonnie Walker was killed in a retention pond near Brookdale Senior Living Center in Charleston, South Carolina. According to coroners, she died from “multiple sharp and blunt force injuries” that are consistent with those inflicted by an alligator.

The Deadliest Months for Alligator Attacks

Florida and Southern states are clearly hotspots for deadly alligator attacks. But are there patterns in the time of year they happen?

Of the 43 fatal alligator attacks that included time of year, the summer months have seen the most attacks (29 from May through August). Specifically, June had the highest amount (11). This includes one attack during the 1800s, three during the 1900s, and seven attacks in more recent years.

A couple of winter months (January and December) have seen zero attacks, so that may be the safest time to travel to the Sunshine State.

It’s worth noting that alligator attacks are less deadly than bear attacks. As for sharks and snakes, you’ll have to find out for yourself using our maps.

Wolf attacks are pretty rare in North America—there have only been about 100 recorded cases, fatal and non-fatal, since 1750. But that statistic is cold comfort if you’re out on a hike and get a feeling this fearsome creature might be trailing you.

So let’s take a look at some wolf attack hotspots over the years (countries, states, and specific locations), the months with the highest number of attacks, as well as their types (predatory, rabid, captive, or unprovoked).

View Wolf attacks in a full screen map

Wolf Attack Hotspots: Countries, States, and Specific Locations

There have been 105 wolf attacks reported in North America across four countries since records began. The United States has had the highest number of incidents (69), including the oldest noted attack on Plains Indians and other tribes stricken with smallpox in 1750. Canada follows the US in wolf attacks (34), while Mexico and Greenland have reported just one attack each.

We can break these numbers down further to look at the distribution of incidents across states and provinces. The following list summarizes those with three or more reported wolf attacks:

• Alaska: 15
• Ontario: 8
• Minnesota: 8
• Wisconsin: 5
• Saskatchewan: 5
• Iowa: 5
• British Columbia: 5
• Michigan: 4
• Arizona: 4
• Nunavut: 3
• California: 3
• Alberta: 3

Alaska is home to the highest number of reported wolf attacks, including the 2012 Lance Grangaard incident, which was not fatal. A lone wolf attacked Grangaard while the latter was on his snow machine. He fought back, knocked the wolf down, scared it off, and escaped by riding away. Grangaard received preventive rabies treatment as the wolf was never caught.

After the Last Frontier, we have the US states of Minnesota, Wisconsin, and Iowa in terms of wolf attack prevalence. In 2019 alone, there were two non-fatal attacks involving dogs in Minnesota: the first, in May, saw two wolves attack Paul Moore’s Labrador Retriever as they searched for deer antlers. Moore swung his hatchet, hitting one wolf and freeing the dog. The second wolf continued biting the Labrador’s hindquarters. Moore fought back, using his body as a shield and kicking the wolf.

Two months later, in August, a wolf assaulted Ted Schlosser who was walking his four dogs near Shagawa Lake. Luckily, they all managed to retreat to the safety of his truck, though one of the dogs received veterinary care for a shoulder injury.

Meanwhile, Ontario, Saskatchewan, and British Columbia top Canada’s providences for wolf attacks. In 1996, a non-fatal attack occurred in Algonquin Provincial Park, Ontario. During a family vacation, the Delventhal family of Pittsburgh had a frightening encounter with a lone wolf. Zachariah, one of the family members, suffered severe facial injuries and required extensive surgery when he chose to spend the night sleeping outside his tent. Authorities captured and killed the wolf, ensuring no further attacks occurred.

Speaking of Algonquin Provincial Park, it’s one of just two locations to have seen more than one wolf attack. The second incident took place in 1987, which you can find on the map when you sort by “Year.” Ellesmere Island, in Nunavut, is the only other location with two attacks.

The Deadliest Months for Wolf Attacks

You now know the locations to avoid… but what time of year should you steer clear of these wolf attack hotspots?

Of the 85 wolf attacks that included a timeframe, the month of March has historically seen the most attacks (11). This includes six attacks during the 1800s, three during the 1900s, and two attacks in more recent years.

After March, the winter months seem to have a higher frequency of attacks, with January and December being the next most prominent months. This is contrary to when bear attacks most frequently occur as, unlike bears, wolves don’t hibernate. You’re more likely to come across wild wolves during winter as their bodies can withstand harsh temperatures.

That’s not to say wolves aren’t also active during the warmer months, seeing as June and August have seen high levels of attacks.

Check out the years these attacks took place on the map above when you sort by “Year.”

Wolf Attack Types and Results

So far, we’ve gone over common wolf attack locations and timing. Now let’s take a look at additional factors in these gruesome events: the type of attack and the results.

Type of attack	Type of attack #
Predatory	23
Rabid	10
Captive	7
Unprovoked	6
Prey-testing agonistic charge	6
Possibly rabid	2
Rabies	1
Prey-testing Agonistic	1
Pack of wolves	1
Narrowly averted	1
Defending cows	1
Agonistic	1
Aggressive behavior	1

While a significant number of cases (42) lack this information, we can classify 23 attacks as predatory. Of these, four resulted in at least one fatality, including the attack on Candice Berner in 2010. Berner, a teacher and jogger, was found dead near a road with wolf tracks nearby. The medical examiner concluded her death resulted from wolf mauling, making it Alaska’s first fatal wolf attack with confirmed DNA evidence.

Nineteen other predatory wolf attacks were non-fatal.

Meanwhile, rabid attacks accounted for 10 cases, and seven reported incidents involved captive wolves. You can sort the map by “Type of attack” to see the specifics of these and the other reasons.

Altogether, there have been 33 fatal wolf attacks in North America and 72 non-fatal attacks. Other than wolves, we’ve also mapped Every US Shark Attack Fatality Since 1900, put together Bear Attack Statistics of North America, and explored 107 Deadly Rattlesnake, Copperhead, & Cobra Bites in the US. Have a look!