Myths, fears, superstitions & Friday the 13th
Thomas Fernsler, aka Dr. 13

13 FACTS ABOUT 13

The first person to die in a car accident was killed in New York City on Sept. 13, 1899.

The British Navy is notoriously afraid of Friday the 13th. Nonetheless, it 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.

The ill-fated Apollo 13 launched at 13:13 CST on 4/11/70. The sum of the date's digits is 13. The explosion that crippled the spacecraft occurred on April 13th.

Many hospitals have no room 13. Some tall buildings have no 13th floor. The numbers on the rooms and elevators jump from 12 to 14.

Quarterback Dan Marino wore No. 13 throughout his career with the Miami Dolphins. Marino is said to be the best quarterback who never won a Super Bowl.

Butch Cassidy was born on Friday, April 13, 1866.

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

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

Woodrow Wilson considered 13 his lucky number. He was the first president to leave the country during his term. He arrived in Normandy, Francem on Friday, Dec. 13, 1918. He returned from Europe with a treaty he couldn't get Congress to sign. He toured the U.S. to rally support for the treaty, and while traveling, suffered a near fatal stroke. (Maybe 13 wasn't his lucky number after all!)

13 suffers from its position after 12, which numerologists consider a complete number -- 12 months in a year, 12 signs of the zodiac, 12 gods of Olympus, 12 labors of Hercules, 12 tribes of Israel,12 apostles of Jesus, 12 days of Christmas and 12 eggs in a dozen.

Mark Twain once was the 13th guest at a dinner party. A friend warned him not to go. "It was bad luck," Twain later told the friend, "they only had food for 12."

The seals on the back of a dollar bill include 13 steps on the pyramid, 13 stars above the eagle's head, 13 war arrows in the eagle's claw and 13 leaves on the olive branch.

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

Facts courtesy of Thomas Fernsler

UDaily is produced by Communications and Marketing
 The Academy Building
105 East Main Street
University of Delaware
Newark, DE 19716 • USA
Phone: (302) 831-2792
email: ocm@udel.edu
www.udel.edu/ocm

10:22 a.m., Feb. 11, 2009----Did you know that Friday, the 13th of February, will be the first of three Friday the 13ths this year?

THIS STORY
Email E-mail
Delicious Print
Twitter

Dr. 13 surely knows. The doctor, also known as University of Delaware's Thomas Fernsler, has a long-term relationship with the number 13.

“I know more than probably anybody really wants to know about it,” says Fernsler, associate policy scientist in the Math & Science Education Resource Center at UD. His fascination with 13 translates into a teaching tool for kids. He visits elementary and middle school classrooms trying to show students math when you look for patterns and coincidences.

For instance, a year like 2009 with a triple set of Fridays falling on the 13th typically only comes around every 11 years.

Yet, the 13th day of the month is more likely to fall on a Friday than any other day of the week.

Some consider the day spooky, others silly, and for horror film fans it's superb.

Meanwhile the number 13 has a reputation all its own, separate from the day. Triskaidekaphobics fear it. Those who share the phobia have a connection with some prominent historical figures. Napoleon, J. Paul Getty, Herbert Hoover and Franklin D. Roosevelt all feared 13.

Fernsler holds the opposing viewpoint. He finds 13 fascinating and has spent more than 20 years investigating and speaking publicly about this one number.

“If you're not superstitious, maybe you should be,” Fernsler says. “87 percent of all the people in the world are superstitious about something. The other 13 percent are liars."

Article by Andrea Boyle
Photo by Kathy F. Atkinson
close