Outline:
Meme circulating via social media claims that October 2016 will have 5 Mondays, 5 Saturdays, and 5 Sundays, an event that only occurs once every 823 years.
Brief Analysis:
It is perfectly true that October 2016 has 5 Mondays, 5 Saturdays, and 5 Sundays. However, such a combination is not at all remarkable and occurs far more often than once every 823 years. The last occurrence was in October 2011 while the next occurrence will take place in October 2022. In reality, any month that has 31 days will have three consecutive days that occur five times in the month. Such combinations are commonplace and occur each and every year. This meme is just an updated version of several earlier – and equally nonsensical – chain messages.
Detailed Analysis:
This meme, which is currently circulating via Facebook and other social media outlets, points out that October 2016 will have 5 Mondays, 5 Saturdays, and 5 Sundays. According to the message, such a combinations of days for October occurs only once every 823 years. It asks you to share the information, presumably so that others will become aware of the supposedly remarkable calendar event.
As a quick glance at a calendar will confirm, it is perfectly true that October 2016 will include 5 Mondays, 5 Saturdays, and 5 Sundays. However, this occurrence is not the slightest bit rare or unusual and takes place in October every few years. The claim that such a combination only takes place every 823 years is pure nonsense. The last time such a combination occurred was in October 2011:
And, it will next occur in October 2022:
Furthermore, October in every single year will have three consecutive days that occur five times. In fact, any month that has 31 days will have three consecutive days that occur five times in the month. Such combinations are perfectly normal, perfectly predictable, and occur each and every year.
This message is just a revamped version of several earlier, and equally spurious, messages that featured other months and other years.
Last updated: October 5, 2016
First published: October 5, 2016
By Brett M. Christensen
About Hoax-Slayer
References
December 2012 – 5 Saturdays, 5 Sundays and 5 Mondays
March 2013 – Five Fridays, Five Saturdays, Five Sundays
Calendarwerks
Calendarwerks – October 2022
Calendarwerks – October 2011
Source: hoax-slayer.net – hoaxes
