Buzz
Tomorrow marks the second Friday the 13th of 2012, a year that uniquely features three such dates in January, April, and July. This triple occurrence is exclusive to leap years. Earlier in January, we observed this rare event with a list of ten little-known Friday the 13th happenings. Now, as we approach the second ominous Friday of the year, we present another compilation. Like the January list, this one will delve into ten lesser-known occurrences tied to Friday the 13th.
10. Black Sabbath Drops Debut Album 1970
On Friday, February 13, 1970, Black Sabbath launched their debut album in the United Kingdom. With only two days allocated for studio recording, the band performed all tracks live, reserving the second day for mixing. The self-titled album “Black Sabbath” climbed to #8 on the UK album charts and reached #23 on the Billboard charts in the USA. It maintained a presence on the Billboard charts for over a year, achieving commercial success despite mixed critical reception. The album eventually earned platinum status in both the US and the UK. Capitalizing on their debut's success, the band quickly returned to the studio in June 1970 to record their second album, “Paranoid,” featuring the hit single of the same name.
9. Supreme Court Permits School Censorship 1988
On Friday, January 13, 1988, the US Supreme Court issued a ruling in Hazelwood School District et al. v. Kuhlmeier et al., granting public school administrations extensive authority to censor student newspapers. In a 5-3 decision, the Court determined that student publications not explicitly created as platforms for free expression are entitled to reduced First Amendment protections. This ruling empowered public schools to impose restrictions on content in school-sponsored student media.
The case involved a Missouri public school that published a newspaper (The Spectrum), fully funded and supported by the school district. An issue containing articles on teen pregnancy and divorce was altered by the principal, who deemed the content inappropriate. When the stories were removed, three students filed a lawsuit, arguing that their First Amendment rights had been violated. The Supreme Court ruled that the First Amendment does not require public schools to endorse speech that conflicts with their educational objectives. The school-funded newspaper was not considered a public forum under the circumstances, and its editors were granted a lower level of First Amendment protection compared to independent student publications or those explicitly open to student opinions. Source – Wikipedia.
8. Sewer Explosions Shake Louisville 1981
On Friday, February 13, 1981, Louisville, Kentucky, experienced what felt like a citywide assault. A chain of underground explosions within the sewer system obliterated over two miles of streets. Miraculously, no lives were lost, but the devastation was so severe that the National Guard had to be deployed.
The chaos began around 5:15 a.m. on Friday the 13th when a spark from a car at the intersection of 12th and Hill streets ignited flammable vapors in the sewer. Two women, en route to their jobs at a local hospital, were driving beneath a railroad overpass when their car’s spark triggered the explosion. The blast flipped their vehicle onto its side, but both women survived. Above, a police helicopter patrolling the area witnessed an astonishing scene—a sequence of explosions resembling controlled demolitions erupting along the streets. The pilot likened the sight to a “bombing run.” Over two miles of roads were left cratered, with manhole covers blown off. Numerous homes and businesses suffered damage from the blasts.
Investigators traced the explosions to hexane vapors illegally released by a Ralston-Purina soybean processing plant. Hexane, a solvent used in soybean processing, was supposed to be recovered and reused. However, a malfunction that night allowed hundreds, if not thousands, of gallons of hexane to seep into the public sewer system. The vapors accumulated, forming an explosive mixture with air. Escaping through manhole covers, the volatile vapors only needed a spark to ignite. Ralston-Purina later settled with the city for $18 million and paid $9 million in compensation to Louisville residents.
7. US Delta Program Begins Unfavorably 1960
In 1960, the United States was racing to close the gap with the Soviets in the space race. That year, the Delta rocket series was introduced, intended to serve as the foundation for US military, commercial, and space exploration efforts. These rockets were designed as adaptable, expendable launch systems capable of deploying satellites and hardware of varying sizes and weights into different orbital levels. The inaugural Delta rocket launch was set for Friday, May 13, 1960. Perhaps choosing a different day would have been wiser?
The mission aimed to deploy Echo, the first US experimental communications satellite. Echo was essentially a massive, metal-coated balloon designed to orbit Earth and reflect communication signals between distant locations.
On May 13, 1960, at Cape Canaveral, the launch commenced. The first stage of the multi-stage rocket performed flawlessly, lifting the vehicle off the pad. However, issues arose with the second stage, preventing the Echo satellite from reaching its intended orbit. Echo remained in orbit for only a few months.
Despite its rocky start, the Delta rocket program has achieved remarkable success. Since 1960, over 300 Delta rockets have been launched, boasting a 95% success rate. The Delta II and Delta III systems remain in active use today.
6. Thailand Hotel Collapse 1993
On Friday, August 13, 1993, the Royal Plaza Hotel in Nakhon Ratchasima, Thailand, collapsed, resulting in 137 fatalities and 227 injuries.
Considered the city’s premier hotel, the Royal Plaza was hosting multiple large conferences for teachers and oil company employees that day. At approximately 10:10 a.m., the structure abruptly collapsed. The entire event lasted less than 10 seconds as the upper floors crumbled onto the lower levels.
In 1990, the original three-story building underwent renovations, with three additional floors added without proper permits or reinforcement of the foundational structure. Remarkably, the building remained standing for three years. However, the weakened support structure of the ground floor eventually gave way under the weight of the five stories above, causing the building to collapse almost vertically.
The engineer responsible for designing the additional floors was arrested and imprisoned. Safety inspectors had accepted bribes to permit the construction. Reflecting on the lack of safety standards, corruption, and bribery in Thailand’s construction industry, Prime Minister Chuan Likphai stated, “It appears that we Thais disregard regulations, leading to recurring issues.”
5. Uphaar Cinema Fire Tragedy 1997
A devastating tragedy struck Delhi, India, on Friday, June 13, 1997, when a fire broke out at the Uphaar Cinema. The blaze and ensuing stampede claimed 59 lives and injured 103 others.
The multi-level theater was filled with an audience watching the Hindi film “Border” when the fire erupted around 5:00 p.m. Beneath the theater was a parking garage designed for 18 cars but crammed with 36 vehicles. A 1000 kVA electrical transformer, also located in the basement, had caught fire earlier that day. Although the fire was extinguished and repairs made, the transformer began leaking oil around 5:00 p.m., igniting a blaze that quickly spread to the cars and engulfed the five-story building housing the cinema and offices. Most victims were trapped on the balcony, unable to reach poorly marked exits, and were crushed in the stampede as some exits were locked. Despite a similar transformer fire 14 years earlier, which led to the cancellation of licenses for 12 cinemas, including Uphaar, due to severe safety violations, none of the issues had been addressed in the intervening years.
4. Jim “Catfish” Hunter Secures Free Agency 1974
Curt Flood was the first to challenge baseball’s reserve clause in 1970, a contract rule binding players to one team. Although Flood lost his Supreme Court case and his career, his efforts paved the way for Jim “Catfish” Hunter’s victory. On Friday, December 13, 1974, shortly after Hunter’s Oakland A’s won the World Series, an arbitrator ruled that A’s owner Charles O. Finley had breached part of Hunter’s contract, rendering the entire agreement, including the reserve clause, invalid. Hunter’s contract required the team to contribute to an insurance fund, but Finley refused. Hunter contested this, and the arbitrator ruled in his favor, nullifying the contract and freeing Hunter from the Athletics, making him baseball’s first free agent. Hunter later signed a record-breaking $3.75 million contract with the New York Yankees.
3. Earth’s Gravity Determines Our Destiny 2029
The asteroid Apophis, named after an ancient Egyptian deity of chaos and darkness, seems aptly named. On Friday, April 13, 2029, Apophis, which measures roughly 1,100 feet across—comparable to the size of The Rose Bowl—will pass closer to Earth than many satellites, at a distance of just 18,000 miles. Fortunately, its trajectory will avoid the densely populated satellite region, minimizing the risk of collisions. The asteroid will be visible to the naked eye, even during daylight, as a bright object streaking across the sky. If Apophis enters a specific gravitational zone called “the keyhole,” Earth’s gravity will alter its path, ensuring it returns to strike our planet in 2036. If it misses the keyhole, however, the asteroid will safely bypass Earth in 2036.
A collision with Apophis would be catastrophic, equivalent to the detonation of 100,000 nuclear bombs, devastating thousands of square miles. An ocean impact would trigger tsunamis, wreaking havoc on coastal regions. Let’s hope April 13, 2029, proves to be a fortunate Friday the 13th rather than a disastrous one.
2. Alfred Packer Found Guilty of Cannibalism 1883
On Friday, April 13, 1883, Alfred Packer was convicted of murder and sentenced to death for allegedly killing and consuming five people. He remains one of only two Americans ever convicted of cannibalism. His charge was later reduced to manslaughter, and he was sentenced to 40 years in prison.
In late November 1873, Packer and five others—Shannon Wilson Bell, James Humphrey, Frank Miller, George Noon, and Israel Swan—separated from a larger group of prospectors heading into Colorado’s mountains near Breckinridge to search for gold. In January 1874, a local Native American familiar with the area warned them to wait until spring to avoid the perilous winter conditions. Ignoring the advice, they set out for Gunnison, Colorado, on February 9, 1874. Soon, they became lost and ran out of supplies. Packer later claimed he left to scout for food and returned to find Bell cooking human flesh over a fire. Allegedly, Bell attacked him with a hatchet, prompting Packer to shoot him. Packer then consumed the others and wandered into Gunnison in mid-April, where he was arrested and tried for the murders and cannibalism. Although he denied killing the men, he admitted to eating them and eventually signed a confession.
Packer escaped prison, was recaptured, and was paroled by the Governor in 1901. He died in 1907, but his legend endured. He was once quoted jokingly as saying, “The breasts of man… are the sweetest meat I ever tasted.”
1. Fatima Apparition 1917
On Friday, May 13, 1917, the Virgin Mary first appeared to three shepherd children in Fatima, Portugal: Lúcia dos Santos and her cousins Jacinta and Francisco Marto. While tending sheep outside the village, the children saw a woman dressed in white, “brighter than the sun, radiating light clearer and stronger than a crystal ball filled with sparkling water, pierced by the sun’s burning rays.” The woman instructed the children to return to the same spot on the 13th of each month for six months. Amid the horrors of World War I, she added, “Pray the rosary daily to bring peace to the world and end the war.”
Between May 13 and October 13, 1917, the Virgin Mary appeared six times. Following the first apparition, the children returned on June 13, accompanied by hundreds of believers. After prayers, the Virgin Mary appeared again to Lúcia, revealing, “I will soon take Francisco and Jacinta to heaven, but you will stay here for a while. Jesus wishes to use you to spread knowledge and love of me.” Both Francisco and Jacinta passed away within three years, succumbing to the 1918-1920 flu pandemic.
During the July 13 apparition, the Virgin Mary appeared and spoke exclusively to Lúcia, unseen and unheard by the crowd of over 4,000. She instructed Lúcia, “Continue to pray the rosary daily in honor of Our Lady of the Rosary to bring an end to the war and peace to the world.” She also shared three prophecies, which Lúcia was to keep secret. Two were revealed in 1942, and the third in 2000, becoming known as the Three Secrets of Fátima.
On October 13, 1917, during the final apparition, “The Miracle of the Sun” occurred, fulfilling the Virgin Mary’s promise to provide a sign for unbelievers. A crowd of approximately 30,000 witnessed extraordinary solar phenomena. After a brief rain, the clouds parted, revealing the sun as a spinning, multicolored disc that cast vibrant hues on the ground, people, and clouds. Some believed it signaled the end of the world, while others described the sun zigzagging across the sky. Many reported their rain-soaked clothes instantly drying, and the muddy ground hardening.
