What’s so special about today? It’s a palindrome [Same Forward and Backward]

Boston Globe ^ | 2 January 2010 | Emma Stickgold

[Fractal Trader]

Thoreau never had one during his lifetime. Neither did George Washington nor Albert Einstein. Today in the United States, which uses the month/day/year format for dates, there is a rare chance to celebrate a palindrome date - 01/02/2010 - which reads the same forward as it does backward.

Discuss COMMENTS (40) Jan. 2, 2010, is the second such date out of 36 that occurs this millennium. The first was 10/02/2001.

Aziz Inan, a University of Portland electrical engineering professor, has been studying this phenomenon and speaks with great enthusiasm as he describes the history of palindrome dates.

Before 2001, he excitedly pointed out in an interview yesterday, the most recent was in 1308, since days of the month never exceed 31. The next date comes next year: 11/02/2011.

In much of the rest of the world, today’s date appears as day/month/year, or 02/01/2010. But for inhabitants of these countries, rest assured that there will be plenty of opportunities to celebrate even more than our paltry 36: they will get 60 between 2001 and 3000, Inan says.

“Once you put the day in front of the month, everything changes for the rest of the world,’’ said Inan, who is working on academic papers on the subject.

[loungitude]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PsgeTNnYywg

[proxy_user]

But not in the UK, where today is 02/01/2010.

[Charles Martel]

Able was I ere I saw Elba.

[raccoonradio]

Monty Python (which features Michael PALIN)
from Dead Parrot sketch
Shopkeeper: It was a pun.

Praline: A pun?

Shopkeeper: No, no, not a pun, no. What’s the other thing which reads the same backwards as forwards?

Praline: A palindrome?

Shopkeeper: Yeah, yeah.

Praline: It’s not a palindrome. The palindrome of Bolton would be Notlob. It don’t work.

[Young Werther]

I graduated from high school on one of rare play dough days when the number is the same when viewed upside down.

1961

[fhayek]

WOW

[goodnesswins]

At first...I thought this was another article about Sarah PALIN!

[Bryanw92]

>>Aziz Inan, a University of Portland electrical engineering professor, has been studying this phenomenon and speaks with great enthusiasm

This is about as exciting as writing a book on the “multiply by 9” phenonenom. Must be great to be a university professor with nothing but free time on your hands.

[Skooz]

Aziz Inan, a University of Portland electrical engineering professor, has been studying this phenomenon and speaks with great enthusiasm as he describes the history of palindrome dates.

Probably the only dates the good professor is familiar with.

[fhayek]

I sure hope that he has not received a government grant to study this.

[Las Vegas Ron]

Beat me to it.

[Dahoser]

LOL. Very clever.

[RegulatorCountry]

Compare and contrast to the anti-Palin drone, which is bass-ackwards no matter which way you look at it.

[Doomonyou]

A man, a plan, a canal, Panama

[Bryanw92]

A university professor doesn’t “speak with enthusiam” about anything except anti-Americanism or things that they want grant money for!

[RegulatorCountry]

One does get a sense that the good professor dropped the “e” off his surname.

[Jim 0216]

Before 2001, he excitedly pointed out in an interview yesterday, the most recent was in 1308, since days of the month never exceed 31.

1308 doesn’t come out right. Here’s what I come up with:

Last palindrome of last millennium:

• 09/31/1390

First palindromes of this millennium:

• 10/02/2001
• 01/02/2010
• 11/02/2011

[Dr. Bogus Pachysandra]

“who is working on academic papers on the subject.”

“An academic paper?” Who cares?

[LiberConservative]

[oh8eleven]

I was around back then too and still remember this ...

[4yearlurker]

Racecar

[Richard Kimball]

[Jim 0216]

Correction:

I'm figuring the last palindrome of last millennium:

• 08/31/1380

[Fiji Hill]

I graduated from high school on one of rare play dough days when the number is the same when viewed upside down: 1961

You'll have to wait until 6009 to do that again.

[XEHRpa]

A man, a plan, a canal: Panama.

[peteram]

Race Car backwards is....Race Car

[Attention Surplus Disorder]

I remember that!!

[dr_lew]

This made the cover of MAD magazine, IIRC. Last upside-down year ‘til 6009 !

[fish hawk]

Doc,note,I dissent.A fast never prevents a fatness. I diet on cod.

[dr_lew]

Geez. You gotta move fast around here!

[Elixis]

Doesn’t September only have 30 days?

[TriGirl]

When my sister was little we would tease her, “Anna is a palindrome, Anna is a palindrome.” She would cry and run to my Mom and tell her we were teasing her.
We would reply that technically we weren’t teasing her, Anna really is a palindrome. My Mom never thought it was funny.

[j-damn]

Oh boy! Let’s all CELEBRATE. Let’s all get drunk and act like idiots again—quick, to the Hallmark Store!

But srsly, who gives an actual crap? Dates are completely arbitrary.

[Young Werther]

I started reading MAD at Issue 1. when I went off to college in the fall of 1961 I wrapped all my comics and MAD magazines and put them in the attic. I forgot about them till I entered the Air Force and became interested in antiques.

I was stationed in Texas and started collecting kerosene lamps and old furniture. At an collectible fair I saw what old comics and magazines were worth. I returned home on leave with dollar signs in my eyes. Alas Dad had cleaned out the attic while installing new insallation and tossed my books. Darn!

[oh8eleven]

Alas Dad had cleaned out the attic ...
I think that's a common experience for many of our generation.
I grew up in the NYC area when Willie, Mickey and the Duke were roaming their respective center fields. I had shoe boxes filled with their baseball cards.
In 1966 I went off to Parris Island and my card collection went off to the landfill (sigh).

[Jim 0216]

Right - I re-figured it to 08/31/1380.

[Southern Partisan]

Only works with a leading zero which are useless anywhere but on forms.

Sex at noon taxes.

Yo, banana boy.

Lager, sir, is regal.

The new O. J. Simpson theme park...DNA Land

Do geese see God?

Adios, Ida.

From “The Ballad of Palindrome” by Riders in the Sky.

[Waco]

1-1-11, 11-1-11 11-11-11, 3 dates that are all ones in 2011, if you drop the 20.

[Southern Partisan]

So, Ida, adios.

[Fresh Wind]

“Once you put the day in front of the month, everything changes for the rest of the world,’’ said Inan, who is working on academic papers on the subject.

I wouldn't doubt he's working on a government grant.

[Don W]

LOL!

[Gene Eric]

>> But not in the UK, where today is 02/01/2010.

That’s an Obamadrome.

[Young Werther]

Was it Eliot's toilet I saw?

More!!!

[FourPeas]

As the offspring of a uni professor, “nothing but free time” on their hands is not a common occurrence. My guess is this is his hobby. The guy’s an EE, for pete’s sake.

[FourPeas]

May I ask what you have against uni professors? Many may be liberal wackos, but they still have things that enthuse them that don't involve anti-Americanism or government money.

[FourPeas]

1308 doesn’t come out right. Here’s what I come up with:

Last palindrome of last millennium:

• 09/31/1390

So, actually it's: 08/31/1208

[FourPeas]

Oops, sorry. Apparently I somehow fat fingered by View Replies. Eeeek.

[IAMIUBU]

Showed this to my 10 year old.

“Cool daddy, notice it’s also the same upside down?”

No, I didn’t.

[Jim 0216]

I think last palindrome date from last millennium was 08/31/1380.