7 events which will make you less suspicious of Friday the 13th
Friday the 13th doesn’t always have to be unlucky.
Friday the 13th is upon us, causing those who suffer from paraskevidekatriaphobia (fear of the day) to avoid doing anything remotely dangerous.
This Friday the 13th has fallen in October, meaning some are feeling doubly spooked about the whole day.
However, some incredibly positive things have happened on the supposedly ominous date. Take a look at these to ease your fears.
1. Prince Harry reached the South Pole – December 2013
Walking with the Wounded South Pole Allied Challenge
Prince Harry and his Walking With The Wounded expedition-mates reached the South Pole on a Friday the 13th after a 200-mile trek.
The expedition was made up of people from the Commonwealth in teams.
Harry couldn’t have put it better himself, saying: “A half-day on Friday and we get to the South Pole on Friday 13th, unlucky for some, lucky for us.”
2. The Hollywood sign unveiled – July 1923
The Hollywood sign unveiled
Way back in the 1920s, a housing company erected the now famous sign to celebrate a new housing development. The sign originally read Hollywoodland but lost the “land” part in 1949.
3. The accordion patented – January 1854
The accordion patented
Anthony Foss patented the accordion on a Friday the 13th. How can we feel bad about a day on which this lovely instrument was given to the world?
4. Gender equality in employment enshrined in US law – October 1967
Gender equality in employment enshrined in US law
President Lyndon Johnson amended an Executive Order which said the government and Federal contractors could not discriminate based on race, religion, sex or national origin. Executive Order 11375 added sex to the list.
5. Super Mario Bros released – September 1985
Shigeru Miyamoto designed one of the world’s best-selling video games in 1985, featuring plumbing brothers Mario and Luigi. With 24 levels, the game was one of the biggest of its time and influenced many which followed it.
6. The Olympics returned home – August 2004
The Olympics returned home
The 28th Olympics returned to its birthplace in 2004, and the opening ceremony took place on Friday the 13th.
The ceremony passed without a hitch and records were broken throughout the games. Michael Phelps won six gold medals and canoeist Birgit Fischer became the first athlete in any sport to win two medals in each of five Olympic Games.
7. Birth of a film legend – August 1899
Alfred Hitchcock
Alfred Hitchcock was born in Essex on the day some consider unlucky. The famous film director went on to create Psycho, The Birds and Vertigo.
Are you superstitious?
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