TGIF13

Today is the first of three Friday the 13th's this year. Another next month, and yet another in November. If you are superstitious, a numerology junkie, love getting creeped out, or just love horror movies, here are some Friday the 13th facts to ponder:

1. The British Navy built a ship named Friday the 13th. Its maiden voyage was on a Friday the 13th, and it was never heard from again. Who thought it was a good idea to get on a ship of that name, sailing on that day?!

2. The Apollo 13 Space Shuttle launched at 13:13 CST on Apr. 11, 1970. The sum of the date's digits (4-11-70) is 13. The shuttles explosion occurred on April 13 (not a Friday). The addition of the date's digits is a stretch but the rest is quite a coinkidink.

3. Butch Cassidy, notorious American train and bank robber, was born on Friday, April 13, 1866.

4. Fidel Castro was born on Friday, Aug. 13, 1926.

5. President Franklin Delano Roosevelt would not travel on the 13th day of any month and would never host 13 guests at a meal.

6. Superstitious diners in Paris can hire a quatorzieme, or professional 14th guest.

7. Mark Twain once was the 13th guest at a dinner party. A friend warned him not to go. "It was bad luck," Twain later told the friend. "They only had food for 12." Now that's a nightmare.

8. Woodrow Wilson considered 13 his lucky number, though Friday the 13th of December 1918 was not lucky for him. He arrived in Normandy, France for peace talks, and returned with a treaty he couldn't get Congress to sign. He toured the United States to rally support for the treaty, and while traveling, suffered a near-fatal stroke.

9. The number 13 suffers from its position after 12, according to numerologists who consider the latter to be a complete number - 12 months in a year, 12 signs of the zodiac, 12 gods of Olympus, 12 labors of Hercules, 12 tribes of Israel, 12 apostles of Jesus, 12 days of Christmas and 12 eggs in a dozen. Sounds like 13 is the Jan Brady of numbers. "12, 12, 12!"

10. The seals on the back of a dollar bill include 13 steps on the pyramid, 13 stars above the eagle's head, 13 war arrows in the eagle's claw and 13 leaves on the olive branch. Maybe the Treasury needs to redesign these. Who knows, then the dollar might actually be worth something.

11. Four of the Eleven "Friday the 13th" movies has opened on Friday the 13th. Including the latest installment which opens today.

12. We're not going to do a 12, that number already gets enough attention with its zodiac signs, Olympic gods and apostles.

13. BOO!!