There is a reason Friday the 13th is considered spooky. And today is the first of two Friday the 13th’s this year (the other is in October). Here are 7 Spooky stories from the 20th century that have made Friday the 13th infamous.
For spooky Friday the 13th stories from mythology, click here.
1. The ‘Black Friday’ Fires
On January 13, 1939, a bushfire in Australia’s Victoria province killed 36 people. This was the deadliest in a series of bushfires that set ablaze 75 percent of the state that year.
2. Flight Disasters
On October 13th, 1972, two major plane crashes occurred, one of them carrying the Uruguayan rugby team and the other a flight from Paris to Moscow. 200 people died in the crashes, including all those aboard the Moscow bound flight. The survivors of the other flight were rescued 72 days after their crash in the Andes, during which time they had to resort to every trick to stay alive, including resorting to cannibalism.
3. Buckingham Palace Bombings
On September 13, 1940, Queen Elizabeth and King George VI were at tea in Buckingham Palace, when five Nazi bombs struck the palace. One of these destroyed the interior of the Royal Chapel.
4. The ‘Bystander Effect’
On March 13, 1964, Susan “Kitty” Genovese was raped and stabbed by Winston Moseley in the middle of a road with 38 witnesses looking on. Described as one of most shocking crimes in history, it has now become a classic case study in psychology classes to illustrate what is now known as the ‘bystander effect’.
5. The Not so ‘Bhola*’ Cyclone
Bhola* – innocent
On November 13, 1970, the deadliest tropical cyclone in recorded history struck the coast of Bangladesh, killing at least 3 lakh people and leaving an entire nation homeless.
6. Master of Suspense Turns 100
Spooky and the name Alfred Hitchock go hand-in-hand. Had he lived, the master of suspense would have turned 100 on August 13, 1999. Co-incidence ?
7. Stock Market Mini-Crash
On October 13, 1989, stock markets fell as a reaction to a news story of the breakdown of a buyout deal for UAL Corporation. Hailed as ‘Black Friday’, the mini-crash is often considered the start of the 1990’s recession.
Read more spooky stories about Friday the 13th here.
