The Number 23

In nature, in history, in culture, in religion, and lurking behind you.....23 is everywhere.

To many people, the 23dians, the number 23 seems come up too much...it seems to stalk them. Perhaps it is true, or all in their heads, but it is a bit eerie how often the number 23 comes up.

Photo by Stephen Mosel used under CC 2.0

• Kurt Cobain of Nirvana was born in 1967, and then died in 1994. 1 + 9 + 6 + 7 = 23. 1 + 9 + 9 + 4 = 23.
• ASCII character number 23 is ETB - end transmission block.
• According to the birthday paradox, a group of 23 randomly selected people is the smallest group where the probability is more than 50% that two people will share a birthday.
• W is the 23rd letter in the alphabet. It has 2 points down and three points up and is located on your keyboard below the 2 and 3.
• In William Shakespeare's Julius Caesar, Caesar was stabbed a total of 23 times
• Dr Pepper now boasts being an "authentic blend of 23 flavors"
• The Twenty Threes is a secret society at Wake Forest University.
• 23 is the standard TCP/IP port number for Telnet connections
• The first song on Side A of The Beatles' first album took 23 takes to record.
• Michael Jordan's jersey number: 23.
• 23 is roman numberal XXIII (two X's, 3 I's)

A 23dian is someone who sees 23s everywhere. Their lives are highly influenced by the number 23 (or so they think). Maybe it's true, maybe not. I pass no judgments. I am not a 23dian, so how can I say.

• Humans have 46 of chromosomes - 23 from each parent.
• Geosynchronous orbit occurs at 23,000 miles above Earth's surface.
• Humans have 23 vertebra running down the main part of their spines.
• Blood circulates the body on average every 23 seconds.
• The human biorhythm cycle is 23 days long.
• The pattern of DNA shows irregular connections at every 23rd section.
• The tilt of Earth's axis is roughly 23 degrees.
• The average head of human hair can support 23 tons of weight.
• The golden section, an ancient progression of whole numbers represented by the series 2,3,5,8 etc. is repeated again and again in Nature.
• Biological symmetry also mirrors the importance of the number five [i.e. five main bits spread out like a starfish, arms, legs, head etc., then five fingers, etc.].
• The male and female sexual cycles run on different scales. Male cycle: 23 days. Female cycle 28 days [lunar month].
• The 23rd crops up around all of the Solstice and Equinox dates, again creating a stronger link between us humans and the Universal forces of nature that act upon us. You can reject and ignore these forces as much as you want but the seasons still affect you more than you can possibly imagine. Now this is something that I WAS aware of and the Solstices have always been an intriguing time for me as they mark the coming and going of the seasons and form a strong link to our ancestors. For them of course these times were of tremendous cosmic and spiritual significance [is there any need to mention Stonehenge?].
• The Harmonic Convergence occurs every 23,000 years.
• Avogadro's number used in chemistry is 6.0221367Ã10^23.

Freak out your friends with the powers of 23. This generates an email to them that knows too much about them to be comfortable.

• December 23, 2012 is the day the classic Mayans said the world would end.
• The I-Ching, practised by Taoist scholars since one thousand BC, uses coins (of which tails value 2 and heads value 3) to create a process of divination that views past, future and present as a whole. Central to the philosophy is the realisation that current reflection and meditation will affect the course of events. The I-Ching provides no set predictions but shows a possible course on one fractal arm of the future.The 23rd hexagram of the I-Ching signifies Chaos, Disintegration.
• Five (2+3), is an immensely significant number in all ancient and some modern rites and rituals. Take the pentagram and modern [post-Crowley and Chaos] magick.
• In the religion of Discordianism, 23 is considered a holy number.
• In Islam, the holy book Quran was revealed in a total of 23 years to Prophet Muhammad.
• The Knights Templar had 23 Grand Masters, the last being Jacques de Molay.
• The first Moon landing, Apollo 11 was in the Sea of Tranquility at 23.63 degrees East. The second landing, Apollo 12, was in the Ocean of Storms, 23.42 degrees West. Also, 11 + 12, the numbers of the missions, add up to 23.
• Charles Darwin's The Origin of Species was published in 1859: 1 + 8 + 5 + 9 = 23
• September 11, 2001 = 9+11+2+0+0+1 = 23
• "Franklin Delano Roosevelt" contains 23 letters.

  "George Herbert Walker Bush" contains 23 letters.

  "William Jefferson Clinton" contains 23 letters.

• The Titanic sank on 4/15/1912, 4+1+5+1+9+1+2=23.

• One of the "Lost Numbers" on the television show Lost, along with 4, 8, 15, 16 and 42. According to producers of the show, 23 is the most important of these six numbers.
• The number of people (16 females, 7 males) Neo was to select in order to re-found Zion in The Matrix Reloaded
• The number of crosses on the hill at the end of the Monty Python film The Life of Brian is 23
• Princess Leia is being held in detention block AA-23 in the Star Wars film A New Hope
• In the movie The Big Lebowski, the Dude and his friends always use Lane 23 at the bowling alley
• In the movie Serendipity the principle characters choose to meet on the 23rd floor of a building.
• In the film Jeepers Creepers, the antagonist feeds for 23 days every 23 years.
• In Die Hard with a Vengeance, a train derails in subway station 23.
• The CBS show Ghost Whisperer is filmed in Stage 23, which is alleged to be haunted.

• February 3, 1913 - The Sixteenth Amendment to the United States Constitution ratified, authorizing the Federal government to impose and collect a graduated income tax.
• February 3, 1916 - Parliament buildings in Ottawa, Canada burn down.
• February 3, 1930 - The Communist Party of Vietnam was born.
• February 3, 1931 - The Napier earthquake, New Zealand's worst natural disaster, kills 258.
• February 3, 1947 - Coldest ever temperature recorded in North America at Snag, Yukon, -63 degrees Celsius
• February 3, 1959 - The Day The Music Died: A plane crash kills rock-and-roll performers Buddy Holly, Ritchie Valens, and The Big Bopper.

• Psalm 23 - The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want. He maketh me to lie down in green pastures: he leadeth me beside the still waters. He restoreth my soul: he leadeth me in the paths of righteousness for his name's sake. Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for thou art with me; thy rod and thy staff they comfort me. Thou preparest a table before me in the presence of mine enemies: thou anointest my head with oil; my cup runneth over. Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life: and I will dwell in the house of the Lord for ever.
• Romans 3:23 - For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God.
• Numbers 23:23 - Surely there is no enchantment against Jacob, neither is there any divination against Israel: according to this time it shall be said of Jacob and of Israel, What hath God wrought! (The first message sent by morse code was "What hath God wrought")
• Numbers 32:23 - But if ye will not do so, behold, ye have sinned against the LORD: and be sure your sin will find you out.

On 2/23/07, the day the Jim Carey movie was released, and the day page lens was created:

Let me know what you're thinking. Did this freak you out? Are you a 23dian? Know any other 23 factoid? Like the movie?