2 August: 214

Today is the 214th day of the year. 10 fun facts about the number 214:

1. 214 Aschera is a Main belt Asteroid. It was discovered by Austrian astronomer Johann Palisa on February 29, 1880, in Pola and was named after the Sidonian goddess Asherah.

2. 214 is a telephone area code for Dallas, Texas.

3. 214 is a song by Filipino rock band Rivermaya. Theories as to why the song is called that include that it’s related to Valentine’s Day which would be written 2/14 in the US, or the first three words of the song, “Am I real?” or a numeric alphabet spelling of “BAD”. One of the band eventually revealed the reason but since every article I found about this quoted him in his native language, even when the bulk of the article was in English! The little I could glean seemed to be that the band came up with a few other working titles but dismissed them all as being too cheesy.

4. There are 214 Wainwright-listed summits in the English Lake District, and there’s a 214 Club for people attempting to climb them all.

5. The Year 214 was a common year starting on Saturday, known at the time, it was known as the Year of the Consulship of Messalla and Suetrius.

6. E214 is the E number of Ethylparaben.

7. Form DD 214 documents discharge from the U.S. Armed Forces.

8. The Dewey Decimal Classification for Theodicy (the problem of evil) is 214.

9. The Bell 214 is a Helicopter. The Tupolev 214 is an airliner. The Type 214 is a class of German diesel-electric Submarine developed exclusively for export.

10. In numerology, people influenced by 214 are likely to see solutions and conclusions which others don't. They're generally able to communicate their ideas so they're understood. The solutions and conclusions generally prove correct. They are interested in both science and spirituality, with the latter bing the priority. 214 energy is introspective and intuitive. It values relationships, whether family, professional, social, or occurring in nature.

Character birthday

Stephen Ellis, CEO of a pharmaceutical company and one of the “Big Six” richest people in the country. He declined to take part in the “Combat Team” project designed to show which of the six was the best, because he believed the money would be better spent on researching a cure for cancer. He had lost his wife to the disease some years before.