The 9 unluckiest things to ever happen on Friday the 13th

If you believe in urban legends then Friday the 13th is the unluckiest day of the year, by far.

Fortunately, in 2023, we only have to endure two - one in January (which is today) and then again in October, so your bad luck could be unlimited this year.

That being said, there are plenty of extremely unlucky things to have happened to people all over the world on the said date and we're not talking about Jason Voorhees killing innocent teenagers.

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No, plenty of unlucky things have happened on this feared day, which more than lives up to its billing as the most notorious date on the calendar.

Whether these instances are a coincidence or not, they will certainly make you think twice about going outside today.

1. A 13-year-old boy in Suffolk was struck by lightning at 13:13.

Picture: Getty Images/iStock

We know what you're thinking, this is just too ridiculous to be true. But according to a Daily Mail report from 2010, it actually happened.

The unfortunate young man was in attendance at the Lowestoft Seafront Air Festival on that fateful day when the heavens opened at struck him with a bolt of lightning at 13 minutes past one in the afternoon.

Luckily for him, it didn't prove to be fatal as he only suffered minor burns from the incident.

2. The 'Friday the 13' Computer Virus.

You might remember the scare around the millennium bug virus in 1999, but that has nothing on the 'Friday the 13' virus.

On January 13, 1989, a deadly virus struck computers across the UK, deleting programmes, files and basically rendering computers useless.

3. Stock market crash.

You may think that 'Black Friday' is a chance to grab a load of bargains from the high street, but it was originally the name given to the stock market crash of 1989.

The mini-crash caused the market to decline by 12.13 per cent and was largely considered responsible for the early 1990s recession.

4. Buckingham Palace bombed during WWII.

Picture: Getty Images/ iStock

During the Blitz, the Queen's royal abode was struck by five German bombs on Friday, September 13, 1940.

The damage done by the Luftwaffe's attack destroyed the Palace Chapel but helped improve the public opinion of the Royals who refused to flee the country after the incident.

5. New roller coaster shut down on its first day.

Theme park rides are all well and good but you wouldn't catch us going anywhere near one on Friday the 13th.

Fortunately for the people who turned up for the grand opening of SAW - The Ride at Thorpe Park on March 13, 2009, they couldn't as it had to be shut down due to a computer fault.

6. Tupac Shakur died.

Picture: Mtvfilms/Amaruentertainment/Paramountpictures/Kobal/REX

The legendary rapper's death, at the result of a drive-by shooting in Las Vegas in 1996, is one of the most notorious deaths in pop culture history.

However, you probably weren't aware that it his death occurred on Friday 13, after being shot following a Mike Tyson boxing match on September 7.

Shakur, who was only 25 died as a result of internal bleeding.

7. An asteroid is heading our direction on September 13, 2029.

Sure, we've got a few years to prepare for this one but potentially the most hazardous asteroid in modern history may pass Earth by on this date.

According to an article by Time, there is little chance that the rock will collide with Earth, but experts have said it will travel so close that our gravitational pull will bend its orbit.

8. Uruguayan Air Force Flight 571.

If you've ever seen the harrowing film Alive! you'll know all about this story.

On Friday, October 13, 1972, a plane carrying a Uruguayan rugby union team as well as their friends and family crashed in the Andes mountains.

At least a quarter of the 45 people on board died in the crash with the survivors being forced into cannibalism in order to stay alive.

9. Costa Concordia disaster.

Picture: STRINGER/AFP/Getty Images

On Friday, January 13, 2012 the luxury Italian cruise ship capsized off the coast of Tuscany after hitting underwater rocks.

32 people died in the disaster and 64 others were injured with the estimated cost in damages raking up at approximately $2 billion.

Captain Francesco Schettino was jailed in 2017 for causing manslaughter.

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