20 September: 263

Today is the 263^rd day of the year. Here are 10 fun facts about the number 263:

1. Anne Frank and seven others hid from the Nazis in an annex behind the house at Prinsengracht 263 in Amsterdam.

2. The longest human chromosome has 263 million nucleotide pairs.

3. The year 263 was a common year starting on Thursday, known at the time as the Year of the Consulship of Albinus and Dexter. In this year, Chinese mathematician Liu Hui wrote a commentary on The Nine Chapters on the Mathematical Art, describing what would later be known as Gaussian elimination and computing Pi.

4. The Messerschmitt Me 263 Scholle was a German rocket-powered fighter aircraft developed towards the end of World War II. Three prototypes were built but never flown under their own power as the rapidly deteriorating military situation in Germany prevented the completion of the test programme.

5. The Trump International Hotel Washington DC, has 263 luxury guest rooms and suites.

6. London bus route 263 runs between Highbury Barn and Barnet Hospital.

7. 263 Dresda is a typical Main belt asteroid. It was discovered by Johann Palisa in 1886 in Vienna. The name derives from the German city of Dresden.

8. According to the Internet Movie Database, only 1/263rd of the film taken of the chariot race in the 1959 epic movie Ben Hur was actually used in the final cut.

9. There isn’t currently an A236 road in England, although there used to be. It was a road between Pembury and Royal Tunbridge Wells, which is now the A228 (from old A21), A264, and Calverley Road.

10. In numerology, people influenced by 263 have a cooperative attitude, preferring to work with someone than to go their own way. They prefer long-term friendships and relationships. Home and family also resonates well with them. As does creative expression of ideas. The energy includes a good dose of creativity and an optimistic outlook on life.

Character birthday

Grasshopper, martial arts expert in Combat Team Alpha. He has green skin and can jump superhuman distances. He gained his powers from a lab accident when he was exposed to radioactive material. When his skin began to change colour, Grasshopper was convinced he was dying. Anxious to be right spiritually when he faced death, he went to a remote Buddhist monastery in Tibet where he studied the faith, adopted the lifestyle and also extensively practised martial arts, which were a previous interest of his. While his skin remained green, he didn’t die. When he asked the abbot if he could take final vows, he was told his destiny was to go back into the world. Returning to England, Grasshopper had no idea what he was going to do until he saw an ad in his local gym for martial artists to join the Combat Team programme. He applied and won a place on Team Alpha.