9 September: 252

Today is the 252nd day of the year, so here are 10 fun facts about the number 252:

1. There are 252 ways of placing three pieces on a Connect Four board.

2. Californium-252 has a half-life of approximately 2.6 years, and is a strong neutron emitter. It can be used to start up nuclear reactors and to treat cancer.

3. The A252 is a road in Kent, England, which runs from Charing to Chilham.

4. +252 is the telephone dialling code for Somalia.

5. Within the US, 252 is the telephone dialling code for the northeastern corner of North Carolina.

6. The year 252 was a leap year starting on Thursday, known at the time as the Year of the Consulship of Trebonianus and Volusianus.

7. 252 Clementina is a large main belt Asteroid discovered by Henri Joseph Anastase Perrotin in 1885 in Nice, France. The origin of the name is unknown.

8. In London, the 252 bus runs from Collier Row Library to Hornchurch Town Centre.

9. 252 squared is 63504. 252 cubed is 16003008.

10. In numerology, 252 is about the wholeness of things. A person influenced by this energy will see the big picture before focusing on the parts. This number also resonates with relationships so the person is sociable and curious about things and people.

Character birthday

Pirate, a sailor from Classica, who although he was part of the crew of a pirate ship, would often help the captives taken by the pirates, letting them go rather than killing them. He left the pirates when they arrived at Bird Island and worked on the boats ferrying tourists from the airport to the island. He was popular because he looked and spoke like a pirate; the tourists thought it was an act. He was pulled through the wormhole to Earth and has found similar employment on pleasure boats and cruise ships, pretending to be a pirate. Women love his sense of chivalry and heart of gold, finding him hard to resist, but men find him infuriating.