How many apparitions of the Blessed Virgin Mary have there been in the last centuries?

Experts from the 42nd Marian Week in Saragossa in 1986 counted at least 21,000 Marian apparitions since the year 1000, although the Church has only officially authenticated a dozen or so. During the 20th century alone, 400 Marian apparitions were recorded (or at least claimed), and 200 of these apparitions came from the period from 1944-1993. Seven of these apparitions have been officially recognized as having a supernatural character by the local bishop: Fatima (1917 - Portugal), Beauraing (1932 - Belgium), Banneux (1933 - Belgique), Akita (1973 - Japan), Syracuse (1953 - Italy), Betania (1976 - Venezuela), and recently Kibeho (1981 - Rwanda). To these we should add Zeitoun (1968 - Egypt) and Shoubra (1983 - Egypt), which are apparitions recognized by the Coptic pope. In seventeen cases, the bishops in charge - independently of a judgment concerning the supernatural character of the facts - have authorized the faithful to worship where the apparitions originally took place. In the majority of the cases, the Church chooses to refrain from hastily pronouncing an official decision.