13 Things To Know About Friday The 13th

The myth of Friday the 13th has been around for centuries. And it still scares the crap out of millions of people.

1.

The fear of Friday the 13th is called friggatriskaidekaphobia (derived from the Norse goddess Frigga which is where "Friday" comes from and triskaidekaphobia which means fear of the number 13).

2.

An estimated 17 to 21 million people in the U.S. are affected by a fear of Friday the 13th according to the Stress Management Center and Phobia Institute in Asheville, NC. Famous Presidents who suffered from this fear include Franklin D. Roosevelt and Herbert Hoover.

3.

Legendary rapper Tupac was killed on Friday the 13th in Las Vegas.

4.

Many cruise ships dock their ships until Friday the 13th is over.

5.

Fewer accidents or theft/fire incidents are reported because people are more cautious on Friday the 13th (or they just stay home, true story).

6.

The earliest documentation of Friday the 13th as unlucky comes from British journalist Henry Sutherland Edward's biography of Italian composer Gioachino Rossini (written in 1869). The excerpt: "Rossini was surrounded to the last by admiring and affectionate friends; Why Friday the 13th Is Unlucky"

7.

If a 31-day-month contains a Tuesday the 13th, the next month will have a Friday the 13th.

8.

Many believe 13 is an unlucky number because that was the number of people present at the last supper.

9.

Infamous bank robber Butch Cassidy was born on Friday April 13th, 1866.

10.

In some Spanish speaking countries and in Greece, Tuesday the 13th is considered the day shit goes awry.

11.

Actress Laurie Bartram who played Brenda in the movie "Friday the 13th" had a cat on set during production who was accidentally killed by roach poison.

12.

Rebecca Black may or may not cause the impending apocalypse on Friday the 13th.

13.

The 13th of the month is slightly more likely to fall on a Friday than any other day of the week. There will be a Friday the 13th in both April and July of this year.