If you’ve been reading The Times in the last few weeks, you’ll probably have noticed a new ‘worst since’ record being created virtually every day amid gloomy news of recession, banking turmoil and mass belt-tightening, writes David Byers.

As 2008 surely becomes the record-setting year for such statistics, we thought we’d fill you in on 20 of the records – both serious and silly – which you might have missed in our pages recently.

Global financial slump: worst since Great Depression? Why not start with the obvious. The threat of the worst global economic slump in the postwar era is looming large as the United States, Japan, the eurozone, Germany and Britain all slide into the grip of simultaneous recessions.

Worst harvest for farmers since 1968. In September, it emerged that farmers face their worst harvest for at least 40 years as 30 per cent of the country’s grain lies in waterlogged land. Each farmer is said to be set to lose as much as £30,000 each because much of the grain in the soil is suitable only for animal feed.

Number of homes sold is worst since 1974. A record 14.6 per cent decline in annual house prices was announced in October as the recession bites.

US manufacturing worst since 1980s. Industrial production in America said to be sliding at an “awful” rate as one economist — James Knightley, chief US economist at ING — said that the numbers pointed to “an even worse manufacturing downturn than the early 1980s recession”.

Air around London: worst since Chernobyl? Contentious conclusion here… A study of radiation exposure caused by the atomic bombs dropped on Japan in 1945 and the explosion at the Chernobyl nuclear power plant has suggested that they have posed similar or lower health risks to survivors than the more prevalent problems of air pollution, smoking and obesity in our very own Capital.

Congo: worst humanitarian disaster-zone since Second World War. Aid agencies warn of a worsening humanitarian crisis in Congo, with up to 250,000 people forced from their homes by fresh fighting. The Congolese wars have killed a total of 5.4 million people, making them collectively the deadliest conflicts since 1945.

Heathrow Airport ‘worst in world’. A bad year for the most congested airport in Europe. The Terminal 5 opening fiasco, coupled with generally enormous hassle-value, made most users angry.

China suffers worst earthquake since 1976. A total of 87,000 people were killed, or missing, including thousands of children, after the massive May 12 earthquake centred around Sichuan province. Five million people lost their homes. The catastrophe took place as China prepared for the Olympics.

England turn in worst ever one-day cricket performance. India rack up 387 for five, the highest total ever recorded in a one-day international against England – 34 runs better than the 353 for six piled up by Pakistan in Karachi. England suffer a thrashing.

Relations between Russia and the West worst since collapse of Soviet Union. Not since the Iron Curtain fell have things been so tense between Russia and the West. The mysterious poisoning of the dissident Alexander Litvinenko at a central London hotel and the closing of British Council offices in Russia ratcheted up tensions with Britain – while the invasion of staunch US ally Georgia left the Bush administration, as well as Europe, dumbstruck. Meanwhile, Britain’s refusal to extradite key anti-Russian dissidents has infuriated Moscow.

World’s worst boxer unveiled… and he’s British. After 300 fights, 1,750 rounds, 256 defeats and five years without one win, the legendary British boxing journeyman Peter Buckley won at last… in his last match before retirement. The victory was not enough, however, to lose him the crown of the world’s worst boxer.

Brummie accent: ‘worse than silence’. Another one of those controversial studies – motivated, perhaps, to cause talking points rather than expose new truths. Those with the distinctive nasal tones of the Birmingham region, it appears, are considered far less intelligent than those with other accents, despite a general trend in which regional dialects have become more respectable. In fact, even those who said nothing at all were considered more intelligent…

Tottenham’s worst start since Titanic. In the dwindling days of Juande Ramos, Tottenham’s 1-0 defeat at home to Hull City left the White Hart Lane side suffering their worst start to the season since 1912. They also unveiled the bizarre concept of a crying goalkeeper who can’t face corner kicks. In terms of results, things are looking decidedly different now since Harry Redknapp’s arrival from Portsmouth.

Car sales the worst since 1991…and back to the recession again, with news that people have stopped buying cars. Good news for the environment – bad news for the economy

Derby County: the worst ever. The statistics which had all football fans chuckling at the end of last season – except for one obvious group. Played 38, won 1, points 11. Relegated by… a full 26 points. Worst ever team to play in the Premier League? Derby County.

Republicans’ defeat worst since Depression. Two prolonged wars, an unpopular president and an exploding economic crisis weeks before election day saw the Republicans mauled by Barack Obama on November 4, losing not just the White House but also more than 25 seats in Congress – their worst twin result since the 1930s.

George Bush: the sixth-worst president of all time. Well, according to The Times’ extensive list compiled by our experts in the run-up to this month’s election, that is. James Buchanan – the president in power when civil war erupted – was voted the worst ever.

Hedge funds suffer worst month ever. Woe intensifies for the City, as Hedge Funds record their worst ever results in October.

Retailers suffer worst trend at the till since 1983. More less-than-positive news, as miserable middle England tightens its belt.

And finally… farting moose are worse than gas guzzlers Forget your Chelsea tractors when it comes to pollution. That family of moose-drivers up the road are the real menace.