Friday the 13th is a day shrouded in superstition and blood, with a history of unfortunate events that feed into ancient fears of bad luck.
The number 13 and the day of Friday are both marred with negativity throughout history. With a bloody origins stemming back to the betrayal and crucifixion of Jesus Christ and many more tragedies, the ominous combination has lived up to its notoriety. The infamous date has made the hair stand up on people’s backs for millennia for folklorish and real reasons.
The origin story
The history of Friday the 13th dates back to more than 2,000 years ago. In the bible, the Last Supper was attended by Jesus Christ and his 12 apostles, totaling 13 people. This infamous dinner is where Jesus foretold his betrayal at the hands of Judas Iscariot.
Then, after Judas’ betrayal and the torture he faced while in Roman custody, he was crucified on Friday. In the centuries after the events of the New Testament, the day became known as Good Friday, and a rumor surfaced among believers that Friday was also the day Adam and Eve ate the forbidden fruit and were banished from the Garden of Eden.
Friday the 13th’s bloody history
Many horrible events throughout history have transpired on this date. However, some lent to the day’s sinister reputation more than others.
The arrest and murder of the Knights Templar
On Friday, October 13, 1307, King Phillip IV of France arrested hundreds of members of the Knights Templar. The Templars were an organization of devout Christians during medieval times. Their mission was to protect pilgrims on their journeys to holy places of significance. However, they were also heavily involved in the Crusades in many different ways. As an order of prominent and wealthy people, they funded and orchestrated many military operations.
The Knights were arrested on the grounds of illegal dealings and heresy, but the king just wanted a way to dig into their deep pockets. He pressured Pope Clement V to get involved, and though he was initially reluctant he eventually disbanded the order. Meanwhile, the arrested members were tortured into false confessions and many were eventually executed unjustly.
In one of history’s most iconic deaths, Grand Master Jacques de Molay recanted his coerced confession before being burned at the stake and cursed King Phillip and Pope Clement from the flames.
The Germans bomb Buckingham Palace
Friday, September 13, 1940 marks the day that Buckingham Palace was bombed by the Germans in World War II. A moment that reflects the resilience of the British spirit, the timing of the event was uncanny. The people were worried that the royals were harmed, as King George VI and Queen Elizabeth (the Queen Mother) were home. In a rare stroke of good luck for the date, they were completely untouched.
In a legendary quote, Queen Elizabeth said, “I’m glad we have been bombed. It makes me feel I can look the East End in the face,” referring to the battered East End of London. The royals chose to stay in London throughout the German bombing raids, standing in solidarity with the people and providing a boost in morale that would be important for the years to come.
The Bhola cyclone takes 300,000 lives
On Friday, November 13, 1970, a category four storm hit East Pakistan, what is now Bangladesh, killing an estimated range of 300,000 to 500,000 people. The storm surge for this cyclone seems like it was right out of an apocalypse movie at a whopping 20 to 33 feet. The torrential downpour inundated the Ganges Delta, drowning entire villages.
The cyclone killed a shocking amount of people and displaced even more. It was a lesson for the world that nations needed to be better prepared for natural disasters, as the alternative costs too many lives. It was also a catalyst for the Bangladesh Liberation War that led to their independence in 1971.
The Costa Concordia Crash
On Friday, January 13, 2012, the Costa Concordia cruise ship crashed into a submerged rock off the coast of Giglio Island, Italy. As they were trying to perform a salute maneuver, they hit the underwater rock, creating a 50-foot gash at the bottom of the ship. The captain of the boat delayed calling for an evacuation, leading to 32 deaths and dozens of injured people. It is one of the most disastrous peacetime shipwrecks in maritime history.
The murder of rapper Tupac Shakur
On Friday, September 13, 1996, the famous rapper Tupac Shakur was murdered while driving with Death Row Records CEO Suge Knight in Las Vegas. Shakur was attending a Mike Tyson fight at the MGM Grand. After the fight, Shakur and Knight got in an altercation with Orlando Anderson, who was a member of the Southwest Crips gang.
After that, he was targeted in a drive-by shooting where he was hit multiple times in the chest, thigh and arm. He was rushed to the hospital where they did multiple surgeries to try to save him, but he ultimately passed away. The murder case is still cold, but it has been speculated that it had something to do with Shakur and rapper Biggie Smalls’ East Coast vs. West Coast feud.
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