Saturday marks the last time until 2103 that you could write down a calendar date as a series of three sequential numbers: 12-13-14, if you go by the MM-DD-YY method. And Aziz Inan, an engineering professor at the University of Portland who specializes in the calendar's mathematical marvels, suggests that you make the most of it by celebrating three times. You can hoist a glass of 14-year-old scotch, play a Hungarian pop song or go geocaching at 9:10:11 a.m., or 15:16:17 (3:16:17 p.m., but on a 24-hour clock), or 9:10:11 p.m.
"12-13-14 is also unique because it is made of four sequential digits 1, 2, 3 and 4," Inan pointed out in an email. "Among the first 11 such sequential dates that already occurred in this century, only 01-02-03 possesses the same property."
Whatever you do, enjoy 12-13-14 to the fullest. "For most of us, such sequential calendar dates won't occur again in our lifetime," Inan said. "After December 13, 2014, the next one is 01-02-03, to occur on January 2, 2103." If you follow the European DD-MM-YY convention, however, you'll have to wait a little longer — until Feb. 1, 2103.
Update for 5:06 p.m. ET, 12/12/14: Although 12-13-14 will be the last sequential MM-DD-YY date for 89 years, we won't have to wait until 2103 for similarly interesting dates to pop up. On Google+, John Judy points out a few: "Jan. 2, 2034 gives you something similar [1-2-34], while Jan. 23, 2045 lets you use all double-digit listing [1-23-45]. Feb. 2, 2022 is going to be the next one to get headlines, though [2-22-22]." I would argue that April 3, 2021 — 4-3-21 — might be worthy of note as well.
IN-DEPTH
SOCIAL
— Alan Boyle
Tip o' the Log to KeepCalm-o-Matic.co.uk for the "Keep Calm" graphic celebrating 12-13-14.