12.12.12, a very special date - worth remembering

Blog Entry: 398 

Interestingly Indians have taken to heart this date as it happens very rarely. It is supposed to be very auspicious as the numbers when added up come to 9, a very sacred number in Hindu mythology. Many expectant mothers are demanding caesarian operation so that their child will have the magical 12.12.12 on their birth certificates. But the mood has become somber after the astrologers have declared that 12.12.12 is actually a Chaudas Amavasya (No moon day) an inauspicious day.   

Certain dates, when written down in figures, have a very interesting appearance. It is important to note that throughout the world different formats are used to write down dates. Some common formats are:

• Month / day / year: English language
• Day - month - year: other European languages
• Year. Month. day: Chinese language

Of course, there is also a choice from the number of digits you chose to represent the day, month and year. Some of these are:

• DD                  -           two digit day of the month number
• (D)D                -           one or two digit day of the month number
• MM                 -           two digit month number
• (M)M               -           one or two month number
• YYYY            -           four digit year number
• YY                  -           two digit year number
• (YYY)Y          -           one, two, three, or four digit year number

From these many different date formats can be constructed.

Same number dates

These are dates which all use the same number. Some examples are:

• 7-7-77
• 9-9-99
• 01-01-01
• 02-02-02
• 03-03-03
• 04-04-04
• 05-05-05
• 06-06-06 or 6-6-6
• 07-07-07
• 08-08-08
• 09-09-09
• 10-10-10
• 11-11-11
• 12-12-12

Double dates

These are dates which consist of twice the same number.

MM/DD/YYYY and YYYY.MM.DD

All double dates of this form are in the past. The last of dates of this form was:

• December 31, 1231 (12/31/1231 or 1231.12.31)

MM/DD/YY and YY.MM.DD

• November 1, 2010 (11/01/10 or 10.11.01)
• January 10, 2011 (01/10/11 or 11.01.10)
• November 11, 2011 (11/11/11 or 11.11.11)
• January 20, 2012 (01/20/12 or 12.01.20)
• November 21, 2012 (11/21/12 or 12.11.21)
• January 30, 2013 (01/30/13 or 13.01.30)
• December 1, 2020 (12/01/20 or 20.12.01)

DD-MM-YYYY

Double dates of this form, always appear in the first 12 years of the century. Some close double dates of these form are:

• January 20, 2001 (20-01-2001)
•  February 20, 2002 (20-02-2002). Also  palindrome date
• March 20, 2003 (20-03-2003)
• April 20, 2004 (20-04-2004)
• May 20, 2005 (20-05-2005). Also first “digital” mirror date
• June 20, 2006 (20-06-2006)
• July 20, 2007 (20-07-2007)
• August 20, 2008 (20-08-2008)
• September 20,2009 (20-09-2009)
• October 20, 2010 (20-10-2010)
• November 20, 2011 (20-11-2011)
• December 20, 2012 (20-12-2012)

Information about the dates taken from: http://www.iwriteiam.nl/Dates.html.