This Rare Friday the 13th

Juha-Matti Laurio writes to point out a Washington Times story about how special this particular Friday the 13th is. The digits in the numerical notation for the date add up to 13 — whether you write it in the US or the European form. From the article: "The phenomenon hasn't happened in 476 years, said Heinrich Hemme, a physicist at Germany's University of Aachen who crunched the numbers to find that the double-whammy last occurred Jan. 13, 1520."

Comments

I Just Knew I Shoulda Stayed In Bed Today

[ackthpt]

While the sum of 2+6+1+1+3=13 is mildly interesting, I never thought much about Friday the Thirteenth outside of Pogo strips. Walt kelly's character in the strip, Churchy LaFemme perhaps more than any other source kept the Friday the Thirteenth fear alive as the turtle fled in horror for decades, long before the series of films arrived. For those of us who remember (and in some cases still read) the strip, it's still a source of amusement.

"Don't shoot! Don't shoot! It's Friday the thirteenth! Very unlucky to get shot on Friday the thirteenth!"

2+6+1+1+4=14, so there goes Saturday the 14th too.

Re:I Just Knew I Shoulda Stayed In Bed Today

[enjerth]

Yeah, and it's amazing that it still adds up to 13 if you switch the numbers around, 1+1+3+2+6 = 13. WOW!

Commutivity

[P(0)(!P(k) P(k 1))]

From TFS:

The digits in the numerical notation for the date add up to 13—whether you write it in the US or the European form.

What a relief! I always suspected that the commutativity of addition applied on both sides of the Atlantic.

Or did they mean to imply that the dæmons who govern paraskevidekatria are too preoccupied to uphold mathematical principles today?

In a related article:

Thirteen people, pledged to eliminate triskaidecaphobia, fear of the number 13, today tried to reassure American sufferers by renting a 13ft plot of land in Brooklyn for 13 cents (10d) a month. (Daily Telegraph, 1967)

Re:Commutivity

[fuzzix]

Speaking of adding:

"The phenomenon hasn't happened in 476 years, said Heinrich Hemme, a physicist at Germany's University of Aachen who crunched the numbers to find that the double-whammy last occurred Jan. 13, 1520."

...someone can't. Or is it 1996? :)

13th Post!

[markana]

sorry....

Re:13th Post!

[rolfwind]

Yep, you hit it. I viewed at -1 Flat, and counted, you are indeed the 13th post.

Congratulations. You have reached the pinnacle of your life.

Pffft....

[yo303]

It's bad luck to be superstitious.

yo.

Mod Parent Down

[s-gen]

Just to prove to him its not his lucky day.

Re:paraskevidekatriaphobics - a new word

[mattmacf]

Halloween, however, is celebrated on October 31, therefore, it's only superstitious for those crazy Europeans who insist on writing the date backwards.

; D

10 + 13 + 2006 = 2029...these add up to 13 too!!

[Cobraman]

10+13+2006 = 2029 2+0+2+9 = 13 aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaahhhh! all hell is breaking loose!!!!!!!

Old news!

[Eythian]

Slashdot is behind the times again! According to all my calendars, it's been Saturday the 14th for 13 hours already :)

"Pure chance,"

[Scooter]

From TFA:-

'"Pure chance," the good professor told the press yesterday. '

Er right then, and there was me thinking the dates were pretty much predictable. I have a sort of flip chart thing on my wall that has successfully predicted all the dates this year - in sequence! It has pictures of cars on it too, which is nice.

Re:Um.. not so phenomenal?

[bcat24]

But don't shoot them today! That would just convince more people that Friday the 13th is unlucky.