11/11/11, or 11-11-11 if you prefer. November 11, 2011. It’s a date that comes along once every 100 years. What does it mean? Does it mean anything?
What will happen at 11:11:11 on 11/11/11?
As with many things in life, it depends on who you ask.
Among other things, 11/11/11 will be:
- Veterans Day (formerly known as Armistice Day), which is celebrated around the world
- A day of spiritual significance for those who believe the number 11 has a certain, mystical power
- A very special day to get married (thousands are flocking to Las Vegas as we speak)
- Perhaps even the end of the world, according to some
Why is this date so unusual? Well, for starters, 11/11/11 is the only double-figure palindromic date, since there is no 22nd month.
The last time it happened, on November 11, 1911, an almost supernatural meteorological event saw temperatures drop by more than 60F in a single day.
This was known as the “Great Blue Norther”, a cold snap which hit the U.S. causing blizzards and tornadoes as well as historic drops in temperature.
In Kansas City, it was as warm as 76F in the morning, but dropped to 11F by the end of the day.
Here’s what 11/11/11 means in some other realms…
11/11/11 – Mathematics:
The number eleven is the fifth prime number (contrary to popular belief, the number one “1″ is NOT a prime number).
The base numeric number system lends itself to some interesting peculiarities as relates to the number eleven.
Base 10 for example:
(2 digits) 11 x 11 = 121
(6 digits) 111111 x 111111 = 12345654321
(9 digits) 111111111 x 111111111 = 12345678987654321
Base 16 (hexadecimal) for example:
(2 digits) 11 x 11 = 121
(6 digits) 111111 x 111111 = 12345654321
(9 digits) 111111111 x 111111111 = 12345678987654321
11/11/11 – Gambling:
Blackjack players have come to love the number eleven. It usually means it’s time to double down, but not always.
Dice players love the number eleven. On the come-out roll, it’s as good as the number seven. Do not ask the crap dealers how to bet 11 the hardway.
The number eleven is a very popular lottery number. This results in the per-person payouts being a little below the average when eleven is one of the winning numbers on any given day.
The number eleven is a popular Keno number. One wonders if the casinos and slot machine manufacturers make use of that fact.
11/11/11 – Veterans Day:
World War I officially came to an end when the Treaty of Versailles was signed on June 28, 1919, in the Palace of Versailles outside the town of Versailles, France.
However, fighting actually ceased seven months earlier when an armistice, or temporary cessation of hostilities, between the Allied nations and Germany went into effect on the eleventh hour of the eleventh day of the eleventh month.
For that reason, November 11, 1918, is generally regarded as the end of “the war to end all wars.”
It is very likely that Veterans Day will be celebrated much more than usual on the once-in-a lifetime date of 11/11/11.
11/11/11 – Historical:
The Great Blue Norther of 11/11/11:
“One-hundred years ago, November 11th, 1911: The Great Blue Norther descended upon America. The day started fine; there were even record highs for that time of year. Then it all changed; temperatures began to drop. Within the space of ten minute: the temperature dropped 40 to 50 degrees; by midnight a 66 degree temperature drop was recorded. There were dust storms, thunderstorms, tornados, and blizzards. Over 300 deaths were reported.”
It should be noted, however, that, according to the NOAA, sudden, 50-degree temperature drops, though strange, are not that rare.
11/11/11 – Hollywood:
A new movie debuting on Friday, called simply “11-11-11″, predicts that the day will see the opening of a portal to hell, and says: “On this day, innocent blood will spill.”
The film by Darren Bousman, director of several of the “Saw” horror movies, features a man whose family dies in a car crash at exactly 11:11 a.m., and who then begins to be haunted by the number 11.
The movie plays on beliefs long held by some spiritualists, who say that the number 11 has a special significance and claim that many people have a mystical attraction to the time 11:11.
Of course, by 11/12/11 we may come to realize that this was all much ado about nothing.
So what will YOU be doing at 11:11:11 on 11/11/11?
Related articles
- 11.11.11 – What will you be doing? (juliegradythomas.wordpress.com)
- Ones in a Lifetime Uses 11/11/11 as a Catalyst for Global Unity (prweb.com)
- Is the 11-11-11 Phenomenon Real? (amog.com)
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