Many people consider Friday the 13th to be an unlucky day. Are you one of them? Despite the superstitions that surround the number 13 and it falling on a Friday, here are some interesting facts that you might not know.
- All years have at least one Friday the 13th, but there are never more than 3 in one year. For the 13th of the month to fall on a Friday, the month must start on a Sunday. This year, Friday the 13th happens just once in June.
- The fear of Friday the 13th is called friggatriskaidekaphobia (Pronounced: frigg-ah-tris-kah-deck-ah-f-oh-bee-ah). Yes, that’s a mouthful! It is said to come from Frigg, the Norse goddess of wisdom after which Friday is named and the Greek words triskaideka, meaning 13, and phobia, meaning fear.
- The number 13 can be frightening to some regardless of the day of the week. Triskaidekaphobia, or the fear of the number 13, is so common that many high-rise buildings, hotels, and hospitals skip the 13th floor. Some airports do not have gates or baggage claims numbered 13, although a surprising amount still do.
- Apollo 13 was launched on April 11, 1970 at 13:13:00 CST. Unfortunately, its planned trip to the moon was cut short by an oxygen tank explosion on April 13th. Despite their triple whammy of 13s, Apollo 13 and the astronauts returned safely to Earth on April 17.
- It may come as no surprise to hear that Alfred Hitchcock, the “Master of Suspense” was born on August 13th. In fact, Friday, August 13, 1999, would have been his 100th birthday. Hitchcock’s directorial debut was for a movie called Number 13 in 1922. Unfortunately, due to financial difficulties, the film was never finished.
- On Friday the 13th in 1989, the stock market experienced a “mini-crash.” The Dow Jones fell 6.91%, but despite speculation as to its cause, no single event appeared to have caused it. Many believed this event to be the start of the early 1990s recession.
- The Friday the 13th movie series surprisingly only has 12 movies included in the franchise. Fans wonder if they will ever release a 13th film. The first movie was released in 1980, but was not a box office smash by any accounts. However, the Friday the 13th franchise is very well known in pop culture. In 2022, a collector sold three of Jason’s masks from the movies for $98,000 apiece.
- A more recent event happened on Friday the 13th that we will never forget. On March 13, 2020 President Donald Trump declared a national emergency over the Covid-19 pandemic. Many consider this the first official day of the pandemic in the U.S. which closed down businesses and schools, and caused severe social and economic disruption around the world.
- Taylor Swift was born on December 13th and celebrated her 13th birthday on Friday the 13th. She considers the number to be lucky. Her first album went gold in 13 weeks and many of her albums feature 13 songs. In an interview with MTV, Swift claims that every time she has won an award, she has been seated in the 13th seat, row, or section.
- While today’s parents might go out of their way to avoid a child being born on Friday the 13th, there are a few well-known personalities who were. These include Mary-Kate and Ashley Olsen, Steve Buscemi, Julia Louis-Dreyfus, Darius Rucker, Max Weinberg, and former President of Cuba, Fidel Castro.
- Despite the unlucky stigma of Friday the 13th, there is little evidence to prove it is indeed an unlucky day. Many studies have shown that Friday the 13th has little or no effect on natural disasters occurring. In fact, reported accidents and hospital visits are usually lower on that day due to fewer people willing to leave home due to their fear.
- Does that mean it’s a cheaper day to travel? Airlines and highways may have less traffic, but you won’t necessarily find less expensive flights. A Google comparison of flights on Friday the 13th showed prices on Delta, United, and American Airlines similar to other Fridays in that month.
- Scientists are predicting that the asteroid Apophis will pass just 20,000 miles by the Earth’s surface on April 13, 2029. According to NASA, this will mark the closest Earth flyby of an asteroid of this size. Should we be worried that April 13th is a Friday that year?
