According to the all-knowing Twitter-verse, yesterday (10 October 2010) was binary day. If you ignore the “20” part of “2010”, the numerical date (10-10-10) is a binary number. In fact, it is the binary representation of the decimal number 42, which some nerds find particularly relevant for some reason[1].
While we are getting really excited about coincidence, today is also a binary date (11 October 2010 = 57). Not that binary dates are that rare in the beginning of any particular century. Using the “no year 0” definition of the 21st Century[2], there will be 36 binary dates (and using the sensible day-month-year notation[3]):
1 January 2001/2010/2011/3000 = 21/22/23/20
10 January 2001/2010/2011/3000 = 37/38/39/36
11 January 2001/2010/2011/3000 = 53/54/55/52
1 October 2001/2010/2011/3000 = 25/26/27/24
10 October 2001/2010/2011/3000 = 41/42/43/40
11 October 2001/2010/2011/3000 = 57/58/59/56
1 November 2001/2010/2011/3000 = 29/30/31/28
10 November 2001/2010/2011/3000 = 45/46/47/44
11 November 2001/2010/2011/3000 = 61/62/63/60[4]
*For dates that correspond to prime numbers, I have highlighted the year in bold.
Of course, real binary dates like, 11 November 1111[5] (255 in decimal numbers), will not be seen again for about another 8000 years, during which time we are virtually certain to change the calendar, again.
NOTES:
- I wonder how Douglas Adams would feel about the meaning that his meaningless, inscrutable, random number has taken on due to his writings. He’d probably laugh.
- Yes, I’m sticking to the there is no year 0 argument.
- If you disapprove of this hierarchically sensible arrangement, but are “geeking-out” over binary, you need to get your logic house in order.
- Armistice/Veterans/Remebrance Day, commemorating the end of WWI
- The most recent real binary date.
The Finch and Pea 