We present a simple introduction to the statistics of extreme values. Motiv
ated by a string of record high temperatures in December 1998, we consider
the distribution, averages, and lifetimes for a simplified model of such ''
records.'' Our data are sequences of independent random numbers all of whic
h are generated from the same probability distribution. A remarkable univer
sality emerges: A number of results, including the lifetime histogram, are
universal, that is, independent of the underlying distribution. (C) 1999 Am
erican Association of Physics Teachers.