Short answers, pulled from the story.
Cycling became popularized in Europe and North America during the latter part of the 19th century, especially in its final decade. Today, over 50 percent of the global population knows how to ride a bicycle.
Japan employed approximately 50,000 bicycle troops in its 1937 invasion of China, and similar bicycle forces were instrumental in Japan's advance through Malaya during World War II. The mobility of bicycle units allowed rapid movement through terrain that was difficult for motorized vehicles.
A Dutch study found that cycling can extend lifespans by up to 14 months, and approximately 6,500 deaths per year are prevented by cycling in the Netherlands. Studies show that cycling reduces cardiovascular disease risk by 11% and that non-cyclists experience a 39% higher mortality rate than those who cycle to work, even after adjusting for other risk factors.
The Netherlands has approximately 35,000 km of cycle track physically separated from motor traffic, equal to a quarter of the country's entire 140,000 km road network. A quarter of all trips in the country are made by bicycle, and cycling is estimated to save 6,000 lives and 20 million dollars per year.
Cycling produces average emissions of 17 g CO2e per kilometer, while electric bicycles average 15 g CO2e per km over their full life cycle. These figures vary significantly based on diet; a rider eating beef could produce up to 570 g CO2e per km, while one using climate-neutral food and electricity could emit as little as 7 g CO2e per km.
Charles Minthorn Murphy became the first person to ride a bicycle a mile in under a minute in 1899, earning the nickname Mile-a-Minute Murphy. He achieved this by drafting behind a locomotive at New York's Long Island.