Happy Friday the 13th—at least for those of you who don’t suffer from friggatriskaidekaphobia or paraskevidekatriaphobia (fear of Friday the 13th)! If you’re not familiar with the history of Friday the 13th, then fear not because there really isn’t much history to tell! The origins of the day are unclear with some claiming that it started by accident in the 19th century and others believing it has its origins in the Bible. If you’re asking yourself, “What is Friday the 13th?” then the simple answer is that it’s a random day that can occur as many as three times a year and is rife with superstitious folklore! To celebrate this day, we’ve got some fun Friday the 13th facts for you to enjoy!
5 Facts about Friday the 13th
Many Celebs Were Born on Friday the 13th
Celebs like Mary-Kate and Ashley Olsen, Julia Louis-Dreyfus, Butch Cassidy, and Fidel Castro were all born on a Friday the 13th. Actor Christopher Plummer—who’s known for some of his horror films like Wolf (1995) and Dracula 2000 (2000) was also born on a Friday the 13th—December 13, 1929, to be exact! Also a fun fact is that Friday, August 13, 1999 was the 100th birthday of the master of suspense himself: Alfred Hitchcock!
Many Celebs Also Died on Friday the 13th
From tragic deaths like that of rapper Tupac Shakur to natural deaths like that of famed chef Julia Child occurred on a Friday the 13th. Tupac’s was on Friday, September 13, 1996, while Child’s was on Friday, August 13, 2004 (coincidently, that would also have been Hitchcock’s 105th birthday!).
The Highest-Grossing Film Series Was Inspired by This Day
We’re talking, of course, about the Friday the 13th movie series about famed psychopath Jason Voorhees and his seemingly unending urge to gruesomely murder teens. The first film in the series was released in 1980 and since then there have been 11 other films made following the creepy and deathly adventures of the hapless teens who end up in the path of the Voorhees family.
One of the Creepiest Celeb Deaths Happened on Friday the 13th
It’s well-known movie trivia that The Omen (1976) is one of the “cursed” movies thanks to all the creepy happenings surrounding its filming. The creepiest one actually occurred after the film had wrapped up when the film’s special effects director, John Richardson, and his assistant, Liz Moore, were in a seriously terrible car crash. While Richardson survived the accident, Moore was decapitated. This is creepy for two reasons: 1) Richardson was the one who came up with the gory decapitation scene in The Omen, and 2) The road sign at the site of the accident reads “Ommen, 66.6 km”! And, of course, this accident took place on Friday the 13th!
Friday the 13th Is Actually Lucky for Taylor Swift!
Taylor Swift once explained her love of Friday the 13th in an interview with MTV. She said, “I was born on the 13th. I turned 13 on Friday the 13th. My first album went gold in 13 weeks. My first number one song had a 13-second intro. Every time I’ve won an award, I’ve been seated in either the 13th seat, the 13th row, the 13th section, or row M—which is the 13th letter.”
