09/09/09: The Numbers Game

Those who like to play with numbers will have a field day on 09/09/09. On the negative or opposite side of the coin, “Doomsayers” have predicted the end of the world on 09/09/09 – specifically at 9:09 pm. Some even pointed out that the devil’s number of 666 or date of  (06/06/06) was typical of the trickery he is infamous for and people got the date turned upside down (666 turned around is 999).

So whether you consider the date lucky or unlucky … Here are some tidbits, news, events and suggestions for the day……….

09/09/09: The Numbers Game –

• The date falls on a Wednesday in September, both of which have 9 letters.

• September 9 also is the 252nd day of the year. 2+5+2=9

• If you multiply a single-digit number by 9, the resulting two digits add up to 9. Consider: 8×9=72 –> 7+2=9

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Take me out to the ballgame –

More than most, baseball is a game steeped in nines:

• 9 players on the field at one time
• 9 innings in a standard game
• 9 strikes per inning
• 90 feet between bases

You can celebrate by going to one of 15 games that Major League Baseball has on tap on Wednesday. Or you can commemorate along with MLB.com, which is inviting fans to vote for each team’s best players, by season and position, in the All-Time 9s.

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And though the date lacks the pizzazz of the lucky sevens (07/07/07) or (08/08/08), very lucky in many Asian cultures, that isn’t stopping marketers, mathematicians and the marriage-minded from dressing it to the nines.

Hotels are offering discounts, couples are wedding in droves and “9/9/09” was among the top 100 search terms on the search engine Google on Tuesday.

Lottery users will undoubtedly try their luck by playing 999 Wednesday, and a lucky mother might see herself profiled on the news should she give birth at just the right time: 9:09.

So why not get in on the act?

After all, you’re unlikely to experience another single-digit date in your lifetime. The next one won’t roll around for 92 years — until 1/1/2101.

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