On 66

This post bumped a weekend concert and more tidbits from Eastern Europe. So hey – it must be special!

In Language

gjashtëdhjetë e gjashtë (Albanian), šedesát šest (Czech), animnapu’t anim (Filipino), sessantasei (Italian), hatvanhat (Hungarian), sitta u sittin (Maltese), tse mashome a tšeletseng a metso e tšeletseng (Sesotho), oltmish olti (Uzbek), Mae chwe deg chwech (Welsh), LXVI (Roman)

In Mathematics

66 – an even integer, a sphenic number, a triangular number, a hexagonal number, a semi-meandric number, a semiperfect number, being a multiple of a perfect number, an Erdős–Woods number

In Science

M-66 – Messier object Spiral Galaxy in the constellation Leo

NCG-66 – (New General Catalogue) a spiral galaxy in the constellation Cetus

66 – the atomic number of the element dysprosium (Dy), whose neutrally charged atom contains 66 protons and 66 elections

66 – Chromosome number of the Gray Fox (Urocyon cinereoargenteus)

In Computing

66 (more specifically 66.667) megahertz (MHz) is a common divisor of processor speed

In Geography

Photo from pexels.com

Route 66 – One of the most famous highways in the US going from Chicago to Los Angeles

I-66: – A US interstate connecting Washington, DC and I-81 near Middletown, Virginia

66 Parallel North – Crosses Norway, Sweden, Finland, Russia, United States, Canada, and Iceland

66 Parallel South – Crosses Antarctica

66 Meridian East – Crosses Russia, Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, Turkmenistan, Afghanistan, and Pakistan

66 Meridian West – Crosses Canada, Puerto Rico, Venezuela, Brazil, Bolivia, Argentina, and Antarctica

In Business

Phillips 66 – a brand of gasoline and service station in the United States

Rum 66 – aged Bajan rum

Pier Sixty Six Hotel & Marina (Ft. Lauderdale, FL)

Sixty Six Pictures – an independent film production company in the UK

Sixty Six Brix – a catering company that specializes in frosted maple taffy (Toronto, ON)

Sixty Six Theater Company – a not-for-profit company (West Hollywood, CA)

66 N – a clothing manufacturer in Iceland

In Religion

66 – The total number of chapters in the Bible book of Isaiah

66 – The number of verses in Chapter 3 of the book of Lamentations in the Old Testament

66 – The total number of books in the Protestant edition of the Bible (Old Testament and New Testament) combined

Papyrus 66 – near complete codex of Gospel of John

66 – In Abjad numerals, the numeric value of the Name Of Allah

In Sports

From allfreevectors.com

66 – The number of the laps of the Spanish Grand Prix

66 Circle Option – the Pittsburgh Steelers play that resulting in the Immaculate Reception (click to see)

66 kg (145 pounds) – upper limit of featherweight boxing division

#66 – Retired Sports Jersey Numbers

• MLB: Don Zimmer (Rays)
• NBA: None
• NFL: Bulldog Turner (Bears), Ray Nitschke (Packers)
• NHL: Mario Lemieux (Penguins)

NASCAR #66: 732 races, driven by 103 different drivers, 1 win (Larry Frank, 1962)

In Entertainment

In Film

66th Academy Awards – Held in 1994 honoring films released in 1993. Major winners Schindler’s List (Steven Spielberg, director & winner), Tom Hanks (Philadelphia), and Holly Hunter (The Piano)

Sixty Six – a 2006 British movie about a bar mitzvah in London on the day of the 1966 World Cup final starring Eddie Marsan and Helena Bonham Carter

Order 66 – In the Star Wars movie series, a prepared order to the clone troopers to kill the Jedi commanding them

In Television & Radio

Route 66 – a popular US television series on CBS from 1960 to 1964

66 WNBC radio – a popular New York radio station, which became WFAN on 1 July 1987

In Music

Image from vector-images.com

Route 66 – Nat King Cole, Chuck Berry, Bing Crosby, James Mayer, Brian Setzer, Harry James, Rolling Stones … but my favorite is this one

Opus 66 – Tchaikovsky’s Sleeping Beauty and Chopin’s Fantaisie Impromptu

(Albums) Sixty Six Steps (Leo Kottke & Mike Gordon); Sixty Six to Timbuktu (Robert Plant); Combo 66 (John Scofield)

OMG 66 – song title by Lil B

66 – The number of songs on Bruce Springsteen box set released 1998

Le 66 – a one-act opérette by Jacques Offenbach and Pitaud de Forges and Laurencin

The Sixty-Six, the New Jersey-based rock band founded by Scott Liss

66 ft. – a song by Lil Yachty featuring Trippie Redd from Yachty’s studio album Lil Boat 2

In Literature

Sixty-Six (novel), a novel by film director Barry Levinson

The 66 Laws of the Illuminati: The Secrets of Success (House of Illuminati); A Shade of Vampire 66 (Bella Forest)

In History

Year 66 BC

• a year of the pre-Julian Roman calendar known as the Year of the Consulship of Lepidus and Tullus
• known less frequently, year 688 Ab urbe condita

Year 66 AD

• A common year starting on Wednesday
• Emperor Nero ruling Rome
• The Jewish Revolt against the Roman Empire begins
• The Sicarii capture the fortress of Masada overlooking the Dead Sea.

Miscellaneous

Alpha 66 – an anti-Castro terrorist group in Miami

Flight 66 – Eastern Airline flight from New Orleans crashing on approach to NYC-JFK on 24 June 1975

66 in (167.6 cm) – average height of Neanderthal males

66th Congress – served 1919-1921, the last 2 years of the Woodrow Wilson administration

Died at age 66: Davy Jones, Tom Clancy, Michael Crichton, Hubert Humphrey, Marie Curie, Carlo Ponzi, John Steinbeck, Lizzie Borden, James Thurber, Dudley Moore, Indira Gandhi

66 – The international direct dialing (IDD) code for Thailand

66 block – used to organize telephone lines In telecommunications

Sixty-six – a German card game

Solo 66 – a card game involving 5 players competing for tricks

Series 66 Exam – qualifies people as investment adviser representatives or securities agents

Cell 66 – In the video game Fullmetal Alchemist, elusive villain Barry the Chopper imprisoned cell number 66, which later becomes his alias when battling the brothers at Laboratory Five

66 – the age I become today. Happy Birthday to me. Yep, on the 46th day of 1953 (for the record, a Tuesday), yours truly came into being

Happy 66th Birthday Frank from Mini-Me

 

I can’t believe it! Look who has stopped to sing a song she wrote about me!

https://youtu.be/KNZH-emehxA

On 90

In Language – 90 is ninety, nëntëdhjetë (Albanian), noranta (Catalan), novanta (Italian), devetdeset (Slovenian), naw deg (Welsh), and XC (Roman numerals)

In Mathematics

90 – divisible by 1, 2, 3, 5, 6, 9, 10, 15, 18, 30, 45, 90

90 – a natural number, unitary perfect number, a semiperfect number, a pronic number, a nontotient number, a Perrin number, a Harshad number, and a palindromic number and a repdigit in bases 14, 17, 29, and 44

90 – the number of degrees in a right angle

In Science

90 – the atomic number of thorium (Th), whose neutrally charged atom contains 90 protons and 90 electrons

90 – the number of chromosomes in cells of moonworts, African hedgehog, Grape fern, and Sweet potato

In Sports

Nike Total 90 Apparel – a brand name of football apparel and equipment

90 feet – the distance between bases on a Major League Baseball diamond (27 m)

90 – the car number most associated with former NASCAR team owner Junie Donlavey

90 – the number of minutes in a football (soccer) match

90 Retired sports numbers: only NFL: Dennis Byrd (NY Jets)

In Geography

Photo from pexels.com

90 – the latitude in degrees of the North and the South geographical poles

90th Meridian West crosses land in Canada, United States, Mexico, Guatemala, El Salvador

90th Meridian East crosses land in Russia, Mongolia, China, Bhutan, India, and Bangladesh

I-90 – the longest interstate highway in the US system (3,020.54 miles/4,861.09 km) connecting Seattle and Boston

90 – national highways in Canada, Israel, New Zealand, and the United States

In Entertainment

Joe 90 – a sci-fi series on British television (1968-1969)

90th Academy Awards (2017) with Shape of Water winning 4 Oscars

Image from vector-images.com

In Music

Route 90 (Johnny Winter)

The Ninety and Nine (Tennessee Ernie Ford)

‘90s is not 90

In Literature

The First 90 Days (Michael Watkins)

90 Minutes in Heaven (Don Piper and Cecil Murphey)

90 Miles to Havana (Enrique Flores-Galbis)

Ninety Percent Mental: An All-Star Player Turned Mental Skills Coach Reveals the Hidden Game of Baseball (Bob Tewksbury and Scott Miller)

Ninety Degrees North: The Quest for the North Pole (Fergus Fleming)

In Business

90 Minute IPA (an ale brewed by Dogfish Head Brewery)

90+ Cellars (an online wine retailer)

In History

Year 90 CE

• A common year starting on a Friday
• Assyrian calendar year 4850, Discordian calendar year, 1256, Holocene calendar year 10090
• Cologne becomes the capital of Germania Inferior
• Young Flavian Woman sculpture made (now kept at Musei Capitolini, Rome)
• Drafting of the Gospel of John and the Acts of the Apostles
• Born – Ptolemy, Greek mathematician, geographer, astronomer, and astrologer (d. c. 168)

Year 90 BC

• Ab urbe condita calendar year 664, Korean calendar year 2244, Holocene calendar year 9911, Berber calendar year 861
• Rome grants the Etruscans Roman citizenship
• Cicero starts to serve in the Roman army

Miscellaneous

90 – the calling code for international direct-dial phone calls to Turkey

Change 90 – a right-wing political party in Peru

90 proof – the measure of alcohol in Maker’s Mark Bourbon

GE 90 – a family of jet engines built by GE Aviation in Cincinnati

TAZ 90 – the camouflage pattern used as on the battle dress of the Swiss Armed Forces

90 – how old my mother would be if still living today (she died in 1984). Her birthday was a month ago (23rd Sept), and the day our Eastern Europe tour started.

This song does not have any version of ninety in the title, but my mother would have loved this singer and his son. Thinking of her when I first watched this video caused a few tears.

On 41

In Science
41, the atomic number of the element niobium (Nb), whose neutrally charged atom has 41 protons and 41 electrons

41 Daphne is a large asteroid

In Music
Symphony No. 41, the longest and last symphony of Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart

#41, a song by Dave Matthews Band.

Sum 41, a Canadian rock band

American Skin (41 Shots), a song by Bruce Springsteen

Opus 41, musical compositions by Tchaikovsky (Liturgy of St. John Chrysostom), Elgar (In the Dawn and Speak, Music!), Sibelius (Kyllikki), and Rachmaninoff (Three Russian Songs)

Fabric 41, a 2008 album by Luciano

In Literature
Sonnet 41, one of William Shakespeare’s 154 sonnets http://www.shakespeares-sonnets.com/sonnet/41

41 Stories, a book of 41 short stories by O. Henry

41: A Portrait of My Father, a book written by George W. Bush for his father George H. W. Bush

In Movies
41, an independent documentary about Nicholas O’Neill, the youngest victim of the Station nightclub fire

41, a 2012 Documentary about on the life of George H. W. Bush, the 41st US President

41, Charlton Heston’s designation as a Roman warship slave in Ben-Hur

41st floor, Morpheus is aggressively questioned about the murder of Amadou Diallo in The Matrix

41, the NYPD precinct number on the police car shown during the earthquake in Ghostbusters

Highway 41, where Cary Grant is attached by a crop-dusting airplane in Alfred Hitchcock’s North by Northwest

In Sports
41, the race number worn by Sir Roger Bannister when he broke the 4-minute mile barrier (1954)

41, retired jerseys – MLB: Eddie Mathews (Braves), Tom Seaver (Mets); NFL: Brian Piccolo (Bears); NBA: Wes Unseld (Wizards); NHL: none

NASCAR #41: 27 wins (most by Curtis Turner, followed by Richard Petty, Kurt Busch, Jim Paschal, and A.J. Foyt)

Super Bowl XLI: Indianapolis Colts 29 Chicago Bears 17 (4 Feb. 2007 Miami, Florida)

In Mathematics
41, a natural number, a prime number, a supersingular prime number, a Newman-Shanks-Williams prime number, a Sophie Germain prime number, and Eisenstein prime number, a Proth prime number, a centered square number, and the largest lucky number of Euler

41, only divisible by 1 and 41

Embed from Getty Images

In History

41 AD

• a common year starting on Sunday
• Holocene calendar year 10041, Korean calendar year 2374, Discordian calendar year 1207
• Claudius succeeds his nephew (Caligula) as Emperor
• Claudius restores religious freedom to Jews throughout the empire, but prohibits Jews in Rome from proselytising
• Emperor Guangwu of the Han dynasty deposes his wife
• The disciples of Jesus form Christian communities in Damascus and Antioch

41 BC

• Either a common year starting on Wednesday or Thursday or a leap year starting on Tuesday, Wednesday or Thursday
• Buddhist calendar year 504, Ab urbe condita calendar year 713, Assyrian calendar year 4710
• Year of the Perusine War
• Mark Antony meets Cleopatra in Tarsus and formed an alliance
• Arsinoe IV of Egypt (Cleopatra’s half-sister) dies

In US History
Bush 41, George H. W. Bush, the 41st President of the United States

Montana, the 41st state of the United States

Federalist Paper No. 41, a general view of the Powers Conferred by the Constitution (written by James Madison) http://avalon.law.yale.edu/18th_century/fed41.asp

41, the number of members in the U.S. Senate needed to defeat a cloture vote and sustain a filibuster indefinitely

In Geography
Interstate 41, a highway connecting Chicago, Illinois and Green Bay, Wisconsin

41st Street in Manhattan – click for a walking tour http://www.nysonglines.com/41st.htm

41st parallel North – crosses Span, Italy, Albania, Macedonia, Greece, Turkey, Armenia, Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan, Tajikistan, Kyrgyzstan, China, North Korea, Japan, United States, Portugal

41st parallel South – crosses Australia, New Zealand, Chile, Argentina

41st Meridian East – crosses Russia, Georgia, Turkey, Syria, Iraq, Saudi Arabia, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Kenya, Somalia, and Antarctica

41st Meridian West – crosses Greenland, Brazil, Antarctica

In Culture
41, forty-one, Cuarenta y uno, Čtyřicet jedna, Eenenveertig, Nelikümmend üks, Keturiasdešimt vieną, Afartan mid ka mid ah, XLI, and more

In Mexico “cuarenta y uno” (41) is slang referring to a homosexual

41st book in the bible is the Gospel According to Matthew

41st wedding anniversary, traditional gifts throughout the world include topaz, iron, birch, and nasturtium

In numerology, 41 is conscientious, sensual, quick wit, adventurous, curiosity, and pragmatism

In Organizations
41 Entertainment LLC (“41E”), a privately held American animation company developing, producing, and distributing popular children’s television series

City 41, part of the leading news media group of Pakistan, City News Network

41 Hotel or No. 41, a Red Carnation Hotel luxury hotel in London, England

Foundation 41, a medical research organisation based in Sydney, Australia

In Miscellaneous
The international direct dialing (IDD) code for Switzerland

C-41 process is the film developing process for 35mm color negative film

41 stories, the number of floors in the ONE St. Petersburg building in St. Petersburg, Florida

“41 for Freedom”, the collective term for the 41 ballistic missile submarines of the George Washington class and its successors

STS-41, the eleventh mission of the Space Shuttle Discovery

Season 41 of Saturday Night Live, 2014-15

Embed from Getty Images

 

41, all this in honor of our 41st wedding anniversary. For those wondering, we first met in September 1974. Here’s Dave Matthews singing his song, #41. Happy Anniversary to my long-time love.

On 39

Image from cooltext.com

April 2, 1977 – that was the day of our wedding in a Cleveland (Ohio) suburb. It was cross-state from my home, but a good group of my family and friends attended.

I graduated the previous June, then came to Cincinnati for my first job. She graduated a few weeks before the wedding, then joined me in Cincinnati after our honeymoon in Hilton Head, SC.

Since then, she knows I love trivia – or in her terms – useless information – this is the perfect post for our celebration – more useless information the number 39 in one place than one ever imagined. Yep – I’m quite the romantic.

In Language
Тридесет девет (Bulgarian), Trenta nove (Italian), Tridsať deväť (Slovak), Trettio nio (Swedish), Ba mươi chín (Vietnamese), XXXIX (Roman numerals) … Know any others?

In Mathematics
39 – a natural number, an odd integer that is divisible by 1, 3, 13, and 39

39 – a distinct semiprime number, a Perfect totient number, a Perrin number, Størmer number

39 – the number of edges on a F26A graph

39 – the sum of consecutive primes (3 + 5 + 7 + 11 + 13) and the product of the second and sixth prime (3 x 13)

Image from cooltext.com

In Chemistry
39 – the atomic number of yttrium, whose neutrally charged atom has 39 protons and 39 electrons

In Biology
Brodmann area 39 (BA39) – part of the human brain’s parietal cortex

39 – Number of chromosome pairs in the cells of African wild dogs, Chickens, Coyotes, Dholes, Dingos, Dogs, Doves, and Golden Jackal

In Astronomy
39 – the Saros series number for 73 lunar eclipses over 1298.1 years

39 – the star number that is in many constellations including Andromeda, Aquarius, Auriga, Boötes,Cancer, Draco, Eridanus, and more

In Religion
39 – according to Halakha, the number of activity categories prohibited on Shabbat

39 – the number of mentions of work or labor in the Torah

39 – the actual number of lashes given by the Sanhedrin to a person meted the punishment of 40 lashes

39 – according to Protestant canon, the number of books in the Old Testament

39 – the number of statements in Anglican Church doctrine known as the Thirty-Nine Articles

Papyrus 39 – an early papyrus manuscript of the New Testament in Greek of the Gospel of John, but only John 8:14-22

Psalm 39 (Prayer for Wisdom and Forgiveness)

39 – other than numerical designations for pages, chapters, etc, 39 does not directly appear in the Bible

Image from cooltext.com

In Arts and Entertainment
39 – Comedian Jack Benny’s perpetual age after 40

39th Tony Awards – winner include Biloxi Blues, Big River, and A Day in the Death of Joe Egg

In Literature
The Thirty-Nine Steps – a novel by John Buchan (1915), which has been transformed into multiple films (info later), a play, a television feature, and a video game

The 39 Clues – a book series revolving around 39 clues hidden around the world.

Sonnet 39 by William Shakespeare

In Television
39 – the number of days contestants compete on Survivor (the CBS reality show)

39 – the number of episodes done the 1955-1956 season of The Honeymooners (commonly referred to as the “Classic 39”).

The 39 Steps is a 2008 BBC adventure feature-length adaptation of the John Buchan novel The Thirty-Nine Steps

39th Emmys – winners included Golden Girls (Best Comedy) and L.A. Law (Best Drama)

Image from cooltext.com

In Film
Based on The Thirty-Nine Steps – the novel by John Buchan (1915) – are four versions:

• The 39 Steps (1935 film), directed by Alfred Hitchcock
• The 39 Steps (1959 film), directed by Ralph Thomas
• The Thirty Nine Steps (1978 film), directed by Don Sharp
• The 39 Steps (2008 film), directed by James Hawes

Glorious 39 – a 2009 drama film set at the beginning of World War II

39th Academy Awards – Oscars go to A Man for All Seasons (Best Picture), Fred Zinnemann (Best Actor), and Elizabeth Taylor (Best Actress)

39 Steps (band), a rock band appearing in Woody Allen’s film Hannah and Her Sisters

In Music
39 – a song by The Cure and Tenacious D

FabricLive.39 – a 2008 mix album by DJ Yoda

Fabric 39 – a 2008 album by Robert Hood.

39 Steps – an album by guitarist John Abercrombie (2013)

Now 39 (aka Now That’s What I Call Music! 39) – the 39th release of music featuring top singles i the UK.

Symphony No. 39 in G minor – written by Joseph Haydn 1767/1768)

Image from cooltext.com

In World History
39 – Forty save one: the traditional number of times citizens of Ancient Rome hit their slaves

39 – the duration (in nanoseconds) of the nuclear reaction in the largest nuclear explosion ever (the Russian Tsar Bomba detonated on 30 October 1961)

39 – the number of Scud missiles Iraq fired at Israel during the Gulf War (1991)

Year 39 CE

• A common year starting on Thursday
• Tigellinus, minister and favorite of the Roman emperor Nero, is banished for adultery with Caligula’s sisters.
• Philo leads a Jewish delegation to Rome to protest the anti-Jewish conditions in Alexandria.
• The Trung Sisters resist the Chinese influences in Vietnam.
• Born – Lucan (Roman poet) and Titus Flavius (future Roman emperor)
• Deaths – Seneca the Elder (Roman rhetorician)

Year 39 BC

• A common year starting on Friday, Saturday or Sunday or a leap year starting on Saturday
• Sextus Pompey (self-proclaimed “son of Neptune”) controlled Sicily, Sardinia, and Corsica
• Born – Antonia Major (daughter of Mark Antony, grandmother of Nero and Messalin),
  Julia the Elder (daughter of Caesar Augustus)

In US History
39 – the number of signers to the United States Constitution

39th President of the United States – Jimmy Carter

Number 39 – the Federalist Paper essay by James Madison describing the nature of the United States government as a new idea. (The Conformity of the Plan to Republican Principles,
published January 18, 1788)

Title 39 – the United States Code outlining the role of United States Postal Service

39th Congress – served from 4 March 1865 – 4 March 1867 during the presidencies of Abraham Lincoln (1 month) and Andrew Johnson

Image from cooltext.com

In Sports
39 – the number of wooden boards normally consisting a bowling lane

Retired #39 Uniforms
MLB – Roy Campanella (Dodgers)
NFL – Larry Csonka (Dolphins)
NBA – none
NHL – Dominik Hašek (Sabres)

Super Bowl XXXIX – New England Patriots defeated the Philadelphia Eagles 24-21 on February 6, 2005 at Alltel Stadium in Jacksonville, Florida

NASCAR #39 – in 422 races, #39 won 4 races (all by Ryan Newman)

In Geography
39th Parallel north – crosses land in Portugal, Spain, Italy, Greece, Turkey, Iran, Azerbaijan, Armenia, Iran, Turkmenistan, Tajikistan, China, North Korea, Japan, and United States

39th Parallel south – crosses land in Australia, New Zealand, Chile, and Argentina

39th Meridian west – crosses land in Greenland and Brazil

39 Meridian east – crosses in Russia, Ukraine, Turkey, Syria, Iraq, Jordan, Saudi Arabia,Eritrea, Ethiopia, Kenya, Tanzania, and Mozambique

National Highway 39 – found in Australia, Brazil, Canada, Czech Republic, France, Germany
India, Iran, Japan, South Korea, New Zealand, United Kingdom, and United States

Pier 39 – a shopping center and popular tourist attraction built on a pier in San Francisco, California

I-39 – a US interstate highway from Normal, Illinois to Wausau, Wisconsin

In Miscellaneous
The 39 Steps is video game adaptation of Buchan’s book

39 – the international code for direct-dialed phone calls to Italy

ICL Series 39 – a range of mainframe and minicomputer computer systems released by the UK manufacturer ICL in 1985

Curse of 39 – the belief in some parts of Afghanistan that the number 39 is cursed or a badge of shame associated with prostitution

39 – Japanese Internet chat slang for “Thank You” when written with numbers (3=San 9=Kyuu)

Lace – the traditional gift for a 39th wedding anniversary

On Exploring the Driest

Our knowledge is a receding mirage in an expanding desert of ignorance. (Will Durant, historian)

You should not see the desert simply as some faraway place of little rain. There are many forms of thirst. (William Langewiesche, author)

No doubt about it – deserts are dry. Because all deserts are not created equal, where is the driest desert on our planet?

Embed from Getty Images

Surely you didn’t guess the place in the image above, which is Death Valley in California. Besides, I’m confident the Atacama Desert quickly came to everyone’s mind.

Yes, the Atacama – a 600 mile (1,000 km) high plateau in Chile. The Atacama – sandwiched between the Andes Mountains to its east and the Pacific Ocean to its west. The Atacama – the land of stone, sand, and salt lakes. The Atacama – a land of unique flora and fauna that is sparsely populated by people.

Unlike previous posts in this series, today’s Explore provides two short looks at Atacama – an initial drive through the desert followed by the beauty of its night sky. Enjoy this journey to a land you may not have known until now.