Today is November 11, 2011, or 11/11/11. The hype for these special dates is building across popular culture, with films and stories being made and news reports about expectant parents eagerly waiting for their children to be born on these dates. Dates such as 11/11/11 are also popular for weddings, product or service launches, and other planned events as the date is easy to remember.
It's also Veterans Day in the United States, Remembrance Day in Australia, and Remembrance Day in Canada. Many people in these countries have a moment of silence at 11am local time to honor soldiers who fought for their country.
8 comment(s):
I never understand why people think these dates are significant.
Firstly because dates are in effect arbitary. Years and days are based on astronomical events, but we count our years from an arbitary start point, so the year number means nothing. Then there are the months which are truly arbitary hand have been changed many times. As such the month number means nothing and the day number is reliant on the month number. Then of course we don't all represent the date in the same way, those parts of the world who count DMY might call the 9th of October 2011 a significant date, while those who count MDY would be more likely to consider September 10th 2011 to be the sinificant date.
Secondly people who consider these dates to be significant seem to think it OK for them to choose whether or not they include the century. 11/11/2011 doesn't sound as significant as 11/11/11 so let's just drop those 2000 years mkay?
@Gareth: nyeh, humbug. Grumpy geezer. Try some relaxation techniques to lose that stress. People just quite like 11/11/11 because of the symmetry and the fact that's it's just a little bit satisfying, especially if (like me) you have to write the date 100 times a day. It's just a fleeting curiosity and not something that you will have to get annoyed about again until 11/11/(21)11. Unless 12/12/12 next year gets your goat too of course. Not worth getting hot under the collar about eh?
Who says I'm annoyed/stressed whatever. All I'm saying is that I don't see what people see any significance at all in an arbitary numbering system.
I suspect you haven't followed the link. Do so and you'll see we're not just talking about people who like a little symmetry. Apparently is is significant hat if you were born on the 11th of August 2002 you will be 111 months old today.
I suspect that the author has even more time on his hands than I do.
"dates are in effect arbitary. Years and days are based on astronomical events, but we count our years from an arbitary start point"
I agree 100% with Garth.
"whether or not they include the century"
Then the year would only be three digits. If you're gonna be a dork, at least do it right.
I think my eyeballs are going to melt with all the cosmic weirdness going on
"Then the year would only be three digits. If you're gonna be a dork, at least do it right."
FAIL. It's currently the 21st century, so the century number is 20. Take that away and you're left with two digits. You would be left with three digits if you took away the millenium.
If you can't tell the difference between a century and a millenium you truly are a dork.
20/11 2011 is next week.
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