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Biggest lottery jackpots in U.S. history

Powerball's jackpot sounds staggering - $260 million - but just how big is that all-time?

The Jan. 4, 2011, Mega Millions jackpot is huge - $355 million, after final-day boost - but how big is that all-time?

According to official reports, it's the second biggest Mega Millions prize ever, and the fourth biggest ever for any U.S. lottery.

If no one hits it, history seems inevitable. The record $390 million jackpot of March 2007 soared from the previous drawing's $275 million.

Here's a list that includes the two dozen largest payouts ever for Mega Millions; its precursor, the Big Game; and Powerball, the other major multistate lottery. Unless specified, the jackpot was won by a single ticket. In parentheses is the rank for that particular lottery.

1. $390 million, Mega Millions (1), won March 6, 2007, by 2 tickets, in Georgia and New Jersey.

2. $365 million, Powerball (1), won Feb. 18, 2006, in Nebraska. (Biggest win ever for a single ticket.)

3. $363 million, Big Game (1), won May 9, 2000, by 2 tickets, in Illinois and Michigan.

4. $355 million, Mega Millions (2), for Jan. 4, 2011, drawing.

5. $340 million, Powerball (2), won Oct. 19, 2005, in Oregon.

6. $336 million, Mega Millions (3), won Aug. 28, 2009, by two tickets. in New York and California.

7. $331 million, Big Game (2), won April 16, 2002, by three tickets, in Georgia, Illinois and New Jersey.

8. $330 million, Mega Millions (4), won Aug. 31, 2007, by four tickets, in New Jersey, Maryland, Texas and Virginia.

9. $315 million, Mega Millions (5), won Nov. 15, 2005, by 1 tickets in California.

10. $314.9 million, Powerball (3), won Dec. 25, 2002, by 1 ticket in West Virginia.

11. $314.3 million, Powerball (4), won Aug. 25, 2007, in Indiana.

12. $295.7 million, Powerball (5), won July 29, 1998, in Indiana.

13. $295 million, Powerball (6), won Aug. 25, 2001, in four states, Delaware, Kentucky, New Hampshire and Minnesota.

14. $294 million, Mega Millions (6), won July 2, 2004, in Maryland.

15. $276.3 million, Powerball (7), won by March 15, 2008, in West Virginia.

16. $275 million, Mega Millions (7), won Feb. 22, 2008, in Georgia.

17. $270 million, Mega Millions (8), won Feb. 28, 2006, in Ohio.

18. $266 million, Mega Millions (9), won May 4, 2010, in California.

19. $265 million, Mega Millions (10), won April 18, 2006 in Ohio.

20. $261.3 million, Powerball (8) won July 9, 2003, by 2 tickets, in Pennsylvania and Missouri.

21. $261.6 million, Powerball (9), won June 2, 2010, by one Ohio ticket.

22. $259.9 million, Powerball (10), won Aug. 19, 2009, in South Carolina.

23. 258.5 million, Powerball (11), won April 21, 2010, in Missouri.

24. $258 million, Mega Millions (11), won Sept. 16, 2005, in New Jersey. (Biggest jackpot win ever in New Jersey.)

For more on lotteries, go to www.philly.com/philly/news/lottery, www.powerball.com or www.megamillions.com.