Welcome to DU! The truly grassroots left-of-center political community where regular people, not algorithms, drive the discussions and set the standards. Join the community: Create a free account Support DU (and get rid of ads!): Become a Star Member Latest Breaking News General Discussion The DU Lounge All Forums Issue Forums Culture Forums Alliance Forums Region Forums Support Forums Help & Search

sandensea

(21,624 posts)
Sun Feb 2, 2020, 01:54 AM Feb 2020

Sunday's date is a rare, extra-special palindrome

How’s this for a calendrical trifecta: Sunday is Super Bowl Sunday. And it’s Groundhog Day. And it’s a rare eight-digit palindrome when written as 02/02/2020 — the only one of its kind this century.

A palindrome, as you might know, is a sequence that reads the same forward as it does backward. Aziz Inan, a professor of electrical engineering at the University of Portland, collects dates that are palindromes the way other people might collect coins or chase solar eclipses.

Inan’s website chronicles 500 years’ worth of palindromes, from the 19th century to the 23rd. He’s been waiting for this Sunday since at least Nov. 2, 2011, he said, which was an eight-digit palindrome, too (11/02/2011).

The previous eight-digit palindrome like this was 11/11/1111, 909 years ago. We’ll only have to wait another 101 years for 12/12/2121, but the next one after that comes on March 3, 3030.

At: https://www.washingtonpost.com/science/2020/01/31/sundays-date-is-rare-extra-special-palindrome/



Period depiction of Henry I - who was king of England the last time a date fell on an eight-digit palindrome like this Sunday's.
11 replies = new reply since forum marked as read
Highlight: NoneDon't highlight anything 5 newestHighlight 5 most recent replies
Sunday's date is a rare, extra-special palindrome (Original Post) sandensea Feb 2020 OP
That's pretty cool. 2naSalit Feb 2020 #1
Talk about once in a full moon. RGinNJ Feb 2020 #2
It also is written the same way by Europeans and Americans question everything Feb 2020 #3
An oldie, like me.... sprinkleeninow Feb 2020 #4
What about 12/02/2021? tclambert Feb 2020 #5
You're RIGHT! mr_lebowski Feb 2020 #10
Stats radar! Madam? Wow! ancianita Feb 2020 #6
Period depictions of Trump I - who believed himself king of America at the current date Rainbow Droid Feb 2020 #7
When Napoleon reached his exile isle, (reads backwards) MasonDreams Feb 2020 #8
... trusty elf Feb 2020 #9
Similar: The date of the next Inaugural Totally Tunsie Apr 2020 #11

MasonDreams

(756 posts)
8. When Napoleon reached his exile isle, (reads backwards)
Sun Feb 2, 2020, 04:50 AM
Feb 2020

Able was I ere I saw Elba. Also,
A man a plan a canal Panama. IF you rearrange the spaces a bit.

Latest Discussions»Culture Forums»Weird News»Sunday's date is a rare, ...