13 Facts About Friday the 13th

http://www.livescience.com/ ^ | Thu Feb 12, 10:30 pm ET

[Lucky9teen]

Here are 13 more facts about the infamous day, courtesy of Fernsler and some of our own research:

1. The British Navy built a ship named Friday the 13th. On its maiden voyage, the vessel left dock on a Friday the 13th, and was never heard from again.

2. The ill-fated Apollo 13 launched at 13:13 CST on Apr. 11, 1970. The sum of the date's digits (4-11-70) is 13 (as in 4+1+1+7+0 = 13). And the explosion that crippled the spacecraft occurred on April 13 (not a Friday). The crew did make it back to Earth safely, however.

3. Many hospitals have no room 13, while some tall buildings skip the 13th floor.

4. Fear of Friday the 13th - one of the most popular myths in science - is called paraskavedekatriaphobia as well as friggatriskaidekaphobia. Triskaidekaphobia is fear of the number 13.

5. Quarterback Dan Marino wore No. 13 throughout his career with the Miami Dolphins. Despite being a superb quarterback (some call him one of the best ever), he got to the Super Bowl just once, in 1985, and was trounced 38-16 by the San Francisco 49ers and Joe Montana (who wore No. 16 and won all four Super Bowls he played in).

6. Butch Cassidy, notorious American train and bank robber, was born on Friday, April 13, 1866.

7. Fidel Castro was born on Friday, Aug. 13, 1926.

8. President Franklin D. Roosevelt would not travel on the 13th day of any month and would never host 13 guests at a meal. Napoleon and Herbert Hoover were also triskaidekaphobic, with an abnormal fear of the number 13.

9. Superstitious diners in Paris can hire a quatorzieme, or professional 14th guest.

[Lucky9teen]

4 8 15 16 23 42
4 8 15 16 23 42
4 8 15 16 23 42
4 8 15 16 23 42
4 8 15 16 23 42
4 8 15 16 23 42
4 8 15 16 23 42
4 8 15 16 23 42

Ever watch "Lost"? ;)

[Tanniker Smith]

Don't forget that Bilbo accompanied the Dwarves so that he would be their 14th member. There were only 13 Dwarves.

King Friday XIII was married to Queen Saturday XIV.

[Squawk 8888]

The explanation I heard was that during the Middle Ages, weights & measures laws (including the standard weight of a loaf of bread) were strictly enforced so to avoid complaints a baker would give customers an extra loaf if they bought a dozen.

[Squawk 8888]

If you’re a biker, Friday the 13th is a great day- North America’s biggest single-day motorcycle festival is held every Friday the 13th.

http://www.pd13.com

[wideminded]

A touchstone to determine the actual worth of an “intellectual”, find out how he feels about astrology.

LAZARUS LONG

"Belief in astrology is the infallible sign of ignorance." - Voltaire

[jrcats]

Looks like today is the day that the Democrats will remember as the day they went down in history as being the biggest losers with this porkulus bill.

[rose]

My husband was born Jan. 13, 1937. On Jan. 13, Fri. the 13th he was 13 years old. He hired in with his career (airline)on the 13th of July.

[HuntsvilleTxVeteran]

Very true and I think the quote below is funny.

I don't believe in astrology;
I'm a Sagitarian and we're skeptical.

Arthur C Clark

[rose]

P.S. He is still alive, and we have been married 52 years. Ha

[Crazieman]

Nope. Hear a lot about it. Numbers conspiracies are fun in fantasy. What drives me bonkers are people who are serious about it.

[mykdsmom]

Well after reading this I would have preferred to call it friggatriskaidekaphobia. It just sounds more like a curse word to me LOL.

[Randy Larsen]

Well non-believer...

I put in for Friday, the 13th off, just in case. I woke up this morning to 14 in. of snow that stranded my car! Fortunately I took this day off over three weeks ago.

[Sopater]

Another fact - the Democrats surrendered America on Friday February 13, 2009 with their porkulus bill



We're all doomed.

[Revolting cat!]

9. Superstitious diners in Paris can hire a quatorzieme, or professional 14th guest.

Dude, how do I get this job?

[a fool in paradise]

Maybe that’s why nervous people don’t toss me out when I crash a party on Friday the 13th...

[a fool in paradise]

3. Many hospitals have no room 13, while some tall buildings skip the 13th floor.

There is something the same only different in Japan.

I think the numbers 4 and 9 use the same words or sound like the words for pain and death so there would be no room "49" (painful death) but I suppose in this day and age it would make a good movie title "ROOM 49!"

There is even an alternate word for the number 4 (shi vs roku if I recall, it's margarita time and I'm on the wifi...).

[a fool in paradise]

And I worked on the "14th" floor of one building (of course I took the Elevator every day).

I'll send out a rock and roll PING because every year the 13th Floor Elevators get one step closer to getting inducted in the Rock and Roll Hall of fame (the first band to use the word "psychedelic" in conjunction with music, their first album was called The Psychedelic Sounds of...". Two members went of the deep end via psychedelics. Roky Erikson has managed to find his way back after 40 years. I hear Tommy Hall is still off kilter (as are members of some other "golden oldies" 60s bands).

[a fool in paradise]

President Franklin D. Roosevelt would not travel on the 13th day of any month and would never host 13 guests at a meal.

I remember how the American Pravda media loved to play up Nancy Reagan's consultation of astrologers in setting Ronnie's schedule.

[a fool in paradise]

You got ripped off, tell them you want 14 rolls (or oysters, or whatever).

[NCC-1701]

“...Day is still young maybe Castro will die on the 13th too !...”

If he doesn’t make it today, he’ll have another shot at it next month.