Over the ages, people have attributed many facts to numbers.
Numerology, superstition, important dates, and so many other things cling to various numbers, which in some cases gives them great significance!
Today let’s take a look at 14 interesting facts about the number 14.
The number fourteen is something we call a composite number in mathematics, which is essentially any positive number resulting from multiplying two smaller positive numbers together.
The atomic number of the chemical element silicon is 14. Blue-grey in color, silicon belongs to the 14th group of the periodic table of elements, known as the carbon group. Its pure form, which is incredibly rare on earth, is solid yet brittle and crystalline in nature. It’s most commonly found in impure forms, chemically bound with other chemical elements such as oxygen.
A period of two weeks is also known as a fortnight. Unsurprisingly, a fortnight is a shorthand for fourteen nights. So if you do something every two weeks, you could say that you do it fortnightly. In some countries, such as Australia, it’s common to be paid fortnightly.
In the UK, a person’s weight is often measured in “stones,” while people are measured in pounds in the US. The conversion between the two is quite simple, as one stone weighs the same as fourteen pounds. This, of course, makes zero sense to anyone who uses the much more logical metric system.
The chemical element nitrogen has an atomic weight of about 14. In layman’s terms, atomic weight is a system of measuring the constant weight of a chemical element no matter where it is in the universe, as surprisingly enough, this can actually change!
February 14 is commonly known globally as Valentine’s Day. While these days, Valentine’s Day is celebrated by giving chocolates, flowers, or special romantic cards known as “valentines” to your loved one, its roots go back to the Feast of Saint Valentine in the 4th century AD. However, it wasn’t until the 14th century that the day became associated with romance!
The number 14 is, unfortunately, associated with white supremacy. This is because one of the more popular white-power slogans, “We must secure the existence of our people and a future for white children,” has fourteen words. While known as the “14 Words,” it is commonly shortened to just “14.”
In the US, the youngest age at which you can be legally emancipated from your parents or guardians is 14. Known as the emancipation of minors, it essentially frees a child of fourteen or older from control by their legal guardians and freeing the guardians of any responsibility towards the minor.
The age of fourteen is also the minimum legal age at which one can begin gainful employment in many states of the US. However, in the UK, at this age, you’re already allowed to work a wide variety of jobs, as long as it doesn’t get in the way of your health or education.
Russia is so huge that it borders 14 countries! These countries are, in no particular order: North Korea, Norway, the People’s Republic of China, Finland, Mongolia, Finland, Kazakhstan, Estonia, Azerbaijan, Latvia, Georgia, Ukraine, Belarus, and finally, Lithuania and Poland (via the Kaliningrad Oblast, an exclave of Russia).
The 14th president of the USA was Franklin Pierce, who served as President from 1853 to 1857. He was a member of the Democrat party, which at that point in time was almost the opposite of how it is today. This actually meant that President Franklin Pierce was for slavery and was a harsh critic of Abraham Lincoln.
One of the most bizarre rules in the game of golf is the limit on how many golf clubs one may carry in their golf bag – which just so happens to be 14. It makes you wonder why this rule had to be put in place and who it was who tried to carry so many with them!
The 13th floor in many buildings around the world is listed as floor 14. This is because many consider the number 13 to be unlucky, so the floors instead go from twelve to fourteen!
There are fourteen British Overseas Territories. These territories are, essentially, the last remnants of the British Empire and, in most cases, are islands (such as the Falkland Islands or Bermuda). The British Overseas Territories govern themselves but are still dependent on the UK for foreign relations and the defense of their territory. They all have the Queen of England as their head of state.
The number fourteen, at first glance, is a bit of a nothing number with no particular significance to anyone.
While this may be true in a way, when you start to look for it, it pops up everywhere.
It’s most likely just ignored to a degree, as it’s the first number following the unlucky number 13!
