History of Friday the 13th in Timeline
In Western superstition, Friday the 13th is considered unlucky. This occurs when the 13th day of the month falls on a Friday. It happens at least once annually, and up to three times in some years. For example, 2015 had three Friday the 13ths, while 2016 had only one. The frequency of Friday the 13th is an interesting quirk of the Gregorian calendar.
March 1900: Start of the 28-Year Friday the 13th Cycle
March 1900 marked the beginning of a 28-year cycle for the occurrences of Friday the 13th.
1907: Publication of "Friday, the Thirteenth"
T.W. Lawson's novel, "Friday, the Thirteenth," was published in 1907, potentially contributing to the popularization of the Friday the 13th superstition.
1984: Three Friday the 13ths
The year 1984, being a leap year starting on a Sunday, had three Friday the 13ths, occurring in January, April, and July.
1993: Study Published on Friday the 13th and Accidents
A 1993 study by Scanlon, Luben, Scanlon, & Singleton suggested a possible link between Friday the 13th and hospital admissions due to transport accidents, but the authors acknowledged limitations in their data, and the correlation was later disproven.
1995: First National Accident Day in Finland
The first National Accident Day, an event held on every Friday the 13th in Finland to promote automotive safety, was organized in 1995.
1999: Longest Period Without a Friday the 13th
The year 1999 experienced the longest possible duration between two Friday the 13ths, lasting 14 months until October 2000.
2000: Longest Period Without a Friday the 13th
October 2000 marked the end of a 14-month period without a Friday the 13th, beginning in August 1999, which represents the longest possible gap between two consecutive Friday the 13ths.
2000: Release of "Shriek if You Know What I Did Last Friday the Thirteenth"
The parody slasher film, "Shriek if You Know What I Did Last Friday the Thirteenth," was released in 2000 and even had its title changed for its Italian release to avoid mentioning Friday the 13th.
2001: Two Friday the 13ths
The year 2001 had two instances of Friday the 13th.
2001: Longest Period Without a Friday the 13th
The year 2001 was part of a period, also occurring in 2012-2013 and 2018-2019, where 14 months passed between two consecutive Friday the 13ths.
2002: Two Friday the 13ths
The year 2002 had two instances of Friday the 13th.
2006: Two Friday the 13ths
The year 2006 had two instances of Friday the 13th.
2007: Two Friday the 13ths
The year 2007 had two instances of Friday the 13th.
June 2008: Dutch Insurance Statistics on Friday the 13th
In June 2008, the Dutch Centre for Insurance Statistics reported that, contrary to superstition, there were slightly fewer accidents, fires, and thefts on Friday the 13th compared to other Fridays in the Netherlands, possibly due to increased caution or people staying home.
2009: Shortest Period With a Friday the 13th
The year 2009 had the shortest possible time between two Friday the 13ths, with one occurring in February and the next in March.
2009: Three Friday the 13ths
The year 2009 had three instances of Friday the 13th.
2009: Three Friday the 13ths
The year 2009 is an example of a common year with three Friday the 13ths, falling in February, March, and November.
2012: Three Friday the 13ths
The year 2012 had three instances of Friday the 13th.
2012: Longest Period Without a Friday the 13th
The year 2012 marked the beginning of a 14-month period without a Friday the 13th, ending in September 2013, which is the longest possible duration between two Friday the 13ths.
2012: Three Friday the 13ths
The year 2012, a leap year beginning on a Sunday, featured three Friday the 13ths, falling in January, April, and July, similar to the year 1984.
2013: Two Friday the 13ths
The year 2013 had two instances of Friday the 13th.
2015: Three Friday the 13ths
The year 2015 had three instances of Friday the 13th.
2015: Three Friday the 13ths
The year 2015 had three occurrences of Friday the 13th, in the months of February, March, and November.
2015: Three Friday the 13ths
The year 2015, similar to 2009 and 2026, featured three Friday the 13ths, occurring in February, March, and November.
2015: Shortest Period With a Friday the 13th
The year 2015, similar to 2009 and 2026, witnessed the shortest possible interval between two Friday the 13ths, with occurrences in both February and March.
2016: One Friday the 13th
The year 2016 only had one Friday the 13th.
2017: Two Friday the 13ths
The year 2017 had two instances of Friday the 13th.
2017: Two Friday the 13ths
The year 2017 marked the beginning of a period where there were two Friday the 13ths each year, a trend that continued until 2020.
2018: Two Friday the 13ths
The year 2018 had two instances of Friday the 13th.
2018: Longest Period Without a Friday the 13th
The year 2018, similar to 2001 and 2012, was followed by a 14-month gap until the next Friday the 13th, representing the longest time possible between two such dates.
2019: Two Friday the 13ths
The year 2019 had two instances of Friday the 13th.
2020: Two Friday the 13ths
The year 2020 had two instances of Friday the 13th.
2020: Two Friday the 13ths
The year 2020 was the last in a sequence from 2017 that had two Friday the 13ths each year.
2021: One Friday the 13th
The year 2021 only had one Friday the 13th.
2022: One Friday the 13th
The year 2022 only had one Friday the 13th.
2023: Two Friday the 13ths
The year 2023 had two instances of Friday the 13th.
2023: Two Friday the 13ths
The year 2023 had two occurrences of Friday the 13th.
September 2024: Next Friday the 13th
September 2024 is the next time Friday will fall on the 13th of a month.
2024: Two Friday the 13ths
The year 2024 will have two occurrences of Friday the 13th.
2024: Two Friday the 13ths
The year 2024 will have two instances of Friday the 13th.
2025: One Friday the 13th
The year 2025 will only have one Friday the 13th.
2026: Shortest Period With a Friday the 13th
The year 2026 will have the shortest possible gap between two Friday the 13ths, occurring in February and March.
2026: Three Friday the 13ths
The year 2026 will have three instances of Friday the 13th.
2026: Three Friday the 13ths
The year 2026 will have three occurrences of Friday the 13th, falling in February, March, and November, a pattern seen in 2009 and 2015.
2026: Three Friday the 13ths
The year 2026 will have three occurrences of Friday the 13th, similar to the year 2015.
2027: Longest Period Without a Friday the 13th
August 2027 will begin a 14-month period without a Friday the 13th, ending in October 2028, similar to the stretch between August 1999 and October 2000.
2027: One Friday the 13th
The year 2027 will only have one Friday the 13th.
2028: One Friday the 13th
The year 2028 will only have one Friday the 13th.
2029: Two Friday the 13ths
The year 2029 will have two instances of Friday the 13th.
2040: Three Friday the 13ths
The year 2040, classified as a leap year starting on a Sunday, will have three Friday the 13ths, occurring in January, April, and July, a pattern seen in 1984 and 2012.
2099: End of the Current 28-Year Friday the 13th Cycle
The year 2099 will mark the end of the current 28-year cycle for the occurrences of Friday the 13th that began in March 1900.