13 Of The Scariest Things That Have Happened On Friday The 13th
We all know Friday the 13th is unlucky, and any bad things that happen today should naturally be blamed on that. There’s even a term for fearing Friday the 13th – friggatriskaidekaphobia. (Luckily, sufferers will be too scared to hit the bar tonight, try saying that drunk.)
But, it wasn’t always considered unlucky. It was only in the 19th century that Friday the 13th became a “thing” that people spoke about. However, the roots of the superstition go further back. Some hold that 12 is a complete number – 12 signs of the Zodiac, 12 tribes of Israel, etc. – so 13, one over, is unlucky.
Some even think that if 13 people sit down to dinner, one will surely die, which stems from the Last Supper. It doesn't help that Jesus was crucified on a Friday, either.
Today’s Friday 13th even has a full moon (spooky), which is pretty rare. It won’t happen again until 2049.
Below is a list of scary events that have occurred on Friday the 13th.
1. Crusaders Were Captured
On Friday, October 13th, 1307, thousands of Crusades warriors were imprisoned. Members of the Knights Templar were accused of heresy, blasphemy and homosexuality. Many later died from torture, carried out by officers of the French King Philip IV.
2. Notorious People Were born
On July 13th, 1821 – a Friday, of course – Ku Klux Klan Grand Wizard Nathan Bedford Forrest was born. He also fought in the Civil War, and eventually distanced himself from the KKK later in his life.
3. Backwards laws were passed.
On Friday, May 13th, 1925, the state of Tennessee declared it unlawful to teach the study of evolution. School kids were only allowed to be taught the biblical story of the creation of man. Scary stuff.
4. Twisted minds were born.
Alfred Hitchcock was born on Friday the 13th. Yes, that’s right, the film director with a seriously twisted mind (he managed to come up with “Strangers on a Train” and “Psycho”) was born on this fateful day. If that’s not a reason to stay home today, I don’t know what is.
5. War took a turn for the worse.
The Nazis dropped a bomb on Buckingham Palace on Friday the 13th of September 1940, as part of the Blitz during World War II. The Royal family was apparently taking tea at the time.
6. Planes crashed
On Friday the 13th, October 1972, a plane crashed in the Andes. Twelve people died instantly and more were killed in an avalanche later.
Those who survived did so by resorting to cannibalism. Is it any wonder that some Americans won’t fly today? The Andes crash was later turned into a film, “Alive.”
7. Musical legends died.
Tupac died on the 13th, a few days after being shot several times in Las Vegas as he left a Mike Tyson boxing match. His death is the source of controversy among fans, some of whom maintain he’s still alive. In one of his songs, Tupac raps about his own funeral.
8. Unforeseen natural disasters occurs.
A cyclone killed 500,000 people in Bangladesh on Friday, November 13th in 1970, one of the most catastrophic natural events the world had ever seen. #Thesecannotallbecoincidences
9. Markets collapsed
On Friday, October 13th, 1989, the stock exchange suffered a serious crash, the second most damaging in market history at the time. The recession blew these statistics away, but at the time, brokers were in a state of shock, as the Dow Jones Industrial Average was down 190.58 points.
10. Technology failed.
On another Friday the 13th in 1989, a deadly virus crashed IBM computers in Britain, terrifying people and deleting lots of data that couldn’t be redeemed. This was before backup systems, and adversely affected businesses.
11. Tourist cruise ships sank.
Just two years ago in 2012, the cruise ship Costa Concordia partially sank on Friday the 13th. Over 30 people died. I didn’t even believe in this sh*t, but totally starting to.
12. Money is lost.
Apparently, $900 million is lost every Friday the 13th because people are scared to work and travel on this date. The only scary thing about that is how ridiculous people are.
13. It’s not looking good.
And a little preview for a Friday the 13th in 2029: Asteroid 99942 Apophis is forecasted to pass earth at a closer distance than any of our satellites. Not sure of the ramifications, but does not sound promising.
Photo credit: Shutterstock
