Buzz
Numbers play a crucial role in nearly every aspect of life. Some of them are so famous that their origins are often taken for granted. Let’s explore the fascinating backstories of 10 such numbers.
10. Route 66
Known as 'America's Main Street,' Route 66 is where you can truly get your kicks. Stretching from Chicago to Los Angeles, this iconic highway became a symbol of American culture, carrying travelers through the nation's core. Though it was officially decommissioned in 1985, it remains an enduring legend in American history.
Why 66? Why not 12 or 384? Let’s rewind to the beginning. In 1917, Wisconsin became the first state to require government approval for the naming and marking of roads. Prior to this, roads were often named by motor clubs, private companies, and tourist organizations, each selecting routes that suited their interests, not necessarily what was best for travelers. To streamline this, Wisconsin's State Highway Commission created a logical numbering system for highways, a model that soon spread across the country.
In 1925, St. Louis was chosen as the central point for four key highways spanning the US. None of these routes was initially planned to be numbered 66. Routes 40, 50, and 60 were designated for east/west travel, while Route 61 was set for north/south. However, the plan encountered a hiccup when Kentucky insisted that the highway connecting Virginia Beach, Virginia, and Springfield, Missouri (which passed through Kentucky) be named Route 60. The reason? Kentucky was the only state in the Missouri Valley that didn’t have a road ending in zero. It was really that trivial.
Originally, Route 60 was intended to link Chicago and Los Angeles, but Kentucky proposed renaming it Route 62. Though the state got their way, other states weren’t keen on the name Route 62—they wanted something catchier. Noticing that the number 66 was still available, two key figures from the Midwest, Cyrus Avery and B.H. Piepmeier, wrote to the Bureau of Public Roads simply stating, “We prefer 66 to 62.” And just like that, America’s most iconic highway was born—thanks to a petty squabble over road numbers ending in zero.
9. Catch-22
The term “Catch-22” is widely recognized in English-speaking countries. It refers to a situation where attempting to escape only makes escape impossible. The phrase originates from Joseph Heller’s iconic novel of the same name, although it didn’t become popular as a common expression until the 1970 film was released. In both the book and the movie, it describes an Air Force rule: only a crazy person would attempt a dangerous bombing mission without trying to avoid it. A pilot who doesn't try to escape is considered insane and qualifies for immediate leave due to mental health. But anyone who requests to be excused from the mission is deemed rational (since attempting to avoid danger is a sign of sanity), meaning they cannot be granted leave for insanity. Either way, the pilot must complete the mission. Catch-22.
So, why Catch-22? Well, it's mostly because the number 18 was already taken by another book. In 1955, the first chapter of what would become Catch-22 was published under the title Catch-18. However, by the time the full book was released in 1961, there was already a popular book titled Mila 18 by Leon Uris. The publishers decided there couldn’t be two books with the same number in the title, so Catch-18 was changed to Catch-22.
But 18 wasn’t just an arbitrary number Heller chose—it had a special significance that the new title lost. In Jewish tradition, the number 18 holds great importance—the 18th letter of the Hebrew alphabet is “chai,” meaning life. Early drafts of Heller's novel carried a stronger Jewish influence. Heller even proposed Catch-14 as an alternative title, but the more memorable Catch-22 was ultimately selected.
8. Unlucky numbers
Different cultures attribute bad luck to various numbers. In English-speaking countries, the number 13 is typically considered unlucky. This superstition may date back to the Babylonian Code of Hammurabi, where the 13th law was mysteriously omitted. Other ancient references, like Judas being the 13th person to join the Last Supper, also contribute to this negative perception. The idea might have originated in ancient Sumeria, where 12 was seen as the ideal number, and 13 was viewed as a deviation from perfection.
Even today, the fear of the number 13 still influences many buildings in North America, where it’s common for structures to lack a 13th floor. Each year, Friday the 13th causes about $800 million in lost economic activity as people tend to avoid traveling or events like weddings. In 1907, Thomas Lawson’s bestselling novel Friday the Thirteenth further solidified the day’s unlucky reputation, telling the story of a mad stockbroker trying to crash the market.
In Asian cultures, the number four is the one to be wary of. In Chinese, the pronunciation of four sounds eerily similar to the word for death, leading to a natural aversion. This fear is so ingrained that China stopped issuing license plates with the number four. Similar to how American buildings skip the 13th floor, Chinese buildings sometimes skip the fourth floor altogether. Fans of the famous Hong Kong police film Infernal Affairs (which inspired the Hollywood remake The Departed) may notice that the film’s iconic elevator scene avoids the fourth floor.
7. Sports Numbers
At any sporting event, it’s common to see countless fans sporting jerseys with their favorite players’ numbers. These days, some of the most well-known athletes are almost synonymous with their jersey numbers. The practice of assigning numbers to jerseys started off very simply: in soccer (or football, as it’s called around the world), shirt numbers were introduced to represent players' positions on the field. Goalkeepers wore number 1, while strikers typically wore numbers 9 and 10. The first substitute wore number 12, and so on. Notably, few players wanted to wear the unlucky number 13. While today jersey numbers no longer correspond strictly to positions, some remnants of this system persist, such as the term “false nine” for a forward who drops deeper into midfield, unlike a traditional number 9.
In baseball, the first team to adopt numbers on jerseys was a minor league team from Reading, Pennsylvania in 1907. Nine years later, the Cleveland Indians of Major League Baseball introduced numbered jerseys, though their use was brief. They later brought them back for good. Just like soccer, baseball numbers were initially tied to a player’s position in the batting order. For example, Babe Ruth’s iconic number 3 wasn’t a personal choice, but because he batted third in the lineup. The Philadelphia Athletics were the last major league team to fully embrace jersey numbers—they didn’t wear them for home games until 1937.
6205. Communists
One of the most infamous speeches in American political history came from Senator Joseph McCarthy, who boldly claimed that communists were infiltrating the US government. At the time, his words captured headlines, and they’ve only grown more infamous over time. McCarthy’s career ultimately crumbled after he accused the US Army of harboring communists, leading to widespread ridicule for his outrageous behavior. The turning point came when he was publicly asked, “Have you no sense of decency?”
McCarthy’s speech in 1950 stirred up quite a commotion. Delivered in the unlikely setting of the Women’s Republican Club in Wheeling, West Virginia, it became one of the most talked-about moments in American political history. There’s some confusion around the exact number of communists McCarthy claimed were in the government, as he later said there were 57 card-carrying communists in the State Department. However, most sources agree that his original figure was 205. So how did McCarthy come up with that specific number? Surprisingly, there was a real basis behind it. Back in 1946, the State Department’s screening committee had flagged 284 individuals with suspected far-left connections. By the end of that year, 79 of them were dismissed, leaving 205. Although Congress had been notified of this in 1946, the issue didn’t spark much attention until the political climate in 1950, following the Alger Hiss trial, the first Soviet atomic bomb test, and China’s fall to communism, created a much more charged atmosphere.
Despite McCarthy’s dubious motives, there was a kernel of truth to his belief that around 205 State Department employees could pose security risks. While he exaggerated the situation considerably (he was so insistent that he had uncovered 205 communists that it took the State Department weeks to realize he was referring to their own investigation), McCarthy didn’t simply invent the number out of nowhere.
5. Towns
Naming a town might seem like a simple task, but in America, town names typically derive from people, landmarks, or other towns. So if someone tells you that New York was named simply because it sounded good, you can correct them. It was actually named after the future King James II of England, who was known at the time as the Duke of York and Albany.
Have you ever wondered about towns named after numbers? One such town gained national attention through baseball. Bill Voiselle, a Major League pitcher in the 1940s, is best remembered for his jersey number. At a time when most players wore low numbers, Voiselle wore #96, a choice that was directly tied to his hometown, Ninety Six, South Carolina. The name originated from an interesting twist in cartography: in 1730, surveyor George Hunter marked the area as being 96 miles from the Cherokee town of Keowee. That number made its way onto maps, and the name has stuck ever since.
The national building supply chain 84 Lumber also owes its name to numbers, specifically the town of Eighty Four, Pennsylvania. Like many towns named with numbers, there are numerous stories surrounding how Eighty Four got its name, but the most plausible explanation is quite straightforward. The small rural community originally wanted to call the town Smithville for postal purposes. However, that name was already taken in another part of Pennsylvania. So, postmaster H.F. Weir suggested naming the town after the year the post office was established: 1884. The town adopted a shortened version, and Eighty Four became official.
4. Heinz 57
Heinz, known for its vast array of condiments, became famous for the slogan “57 Varieties.” The company was established in 1869 and has thrived over the years. However, it faced a bit of a setback during John Kerry’s presidential campaign in 2004. Kerry, who was married to Teresa Heinz (widow of the company’s heir, John Heinz III), became the target of a Republican critique suggesting that buying Heinz products was akin to supporting the Democrats. Despite this political controversy, Heinz weathered the storm and continues to produce far more than its iconic 57 varieties.
Why is the number 57 so closely tied to Heinz? The origin of this association dates back to 1896, when the company’s founder, Henry Heinz, was traveling on a train in New York City and saw an advertisement promoting 21 different types of shoes. Heinz thought it was a brilliant idea—after all, it made the company seem vast and diverse, catering to a wide range of tastes. By that time, his company already boasted more than 60 products, but Heinz thought 57 sounded better. Some say 57 was his lucky number, while others suggest his favorite number was five, and his wife’s was seven. Or maybe he simply liked how it sounded. In any case, the number 57 doesn’t actually represent 57 distinct varieties of anything—it was just an effective marketing tool.
3. Letterman’s Top 10 Lists
People have always loved lists, and in fact, there are entire websites dedicated to them. But the concept of a Top 10 list didn’t emerge in the age of the Internet—magazines have been publishing them for decades. However, no one helped elevate the popularity of Top 10 lists more than *Late Night with David Letterman*.
In its early years, *Letterman* was known for its edgier content compared to other talk shows. As it aired later in the evening, it had more freedom to experiment with zany ideas. Writer Randy Cohen is often credited with coming up with the idea for a humorous Top 10 list, but Cohen himself says it was a collaborative effort. In fact, nearly everyone who worked on *Letterman*, except for Letterman himself, believes they were the ones who conceived the idea as a parody of other Top 10 lists. The first list, written by Kevin Curran, was the Top 10 Words That Almost Rhyme With “Peas.”
And what about Mytour? Well, our very first list was published way back in 2007. Though Mytour didn’t always stick to the 10-item format, history has shown that the format works well.
2. The 38th Parallel
The 38th parallel is a circle of latitude that became the foundation for the famous demilitarized zone (DMZ) dividing North and South Korea—the world’s most heavily fortified border. The DMZ traces its roots to World War II, when American forces landed in the southern part of Korea, and the Soviet Red Army pushed the Japanese forces out of the north. A dividing line was needed where the two armies could meet without crossing paths and potentially fighting. The 38th parallel was chosen. But why?
It turns out that this line was essentially random, with no deep historical significance. Before the Allied invasion, Korea operated as one unified country. The division was a decision made by the Soviets and Americans. Dean Rusk, a future Secretary of State and member of General George Marshall’s staff, studied a National Geographic map with Army Colonel Charles “Tic” Bonesteel. The two wanted Seoul to fall within the American-controlled area, but they couldn’t find a natural boundary north of the city. After some deliberation, they chose the 38th parallel, about 56 kilometers (35 miles) north of Seoul. The Soviets had no objections to this arbitrary line, and thus the division was made, leading to a war-torn history.
1. Six Million Jews
Some numbers are undeniable, but Holocaust denial has persisted since the 1950s, when the prominent American priest Gerald L. K. Smith falsely asserted that no Jews had been killed by the Nazis—claiming instead they had secretly immigrated to America. Former Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad continues to spread the myth of a non-existent Holocaust, while others merely downplay the estimate that six million Jews were killed, calling it an exaggeration.
However, six million isn’t an arbitrary figure—it’s well documented. The Nazis meticulously recorded their atrocities, including the number of Jews sent to concentration camps or murdered by mobile death squads. Adolf Eichmann, one of the main architects of the Holocaust, estimated that slightly over five million Jews had been killed. Historians have carefully combed through the records to determine the exact toll, even accounting for those who never made it to Eichmann’s camps. For instance, SS records confirm that at least 7,000 Jews died during the 1943 Warsaw Ghetto Uprising. After an exhaustive review of the documents, historian Lucy Dawidowicz estimated the total at 5.93 million. Other scholars have arrived at similar conclusions.
The fact that these figures come from German bureaucratic records should be enough to dismantle any Holocaust denier’s claims. There was a Holocaust, it was real, and the Nazis themselves documented it.
