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.

19 September: Fawlty Towers

The sitcom Fawlty Towers was first broadcast on TV on this date in 1975. Here are 10 things you might not know about the show:

1. It was based on the real owners of a real hotel in Torquay. The hotel in question was the Gleneagles Hotel, owned by one Donald Sinclair and his wife, Beatrice. The Monty Python team stayed there once while filming. Cleese described Sinclair as "the rudest man I’ve ever come across in my life," but was nevertheless inspired by his eccentricities. These included: throwing Eric Idle’s briefcase into the street as soon as the team arrived, claiming it could be a bomb; getting furious if a teapot meant for four was placed on a table for two; knocking on Michael Palin’s door to ask whether he meant to put up his “Do Not Disturb” sign; and if he saw a guest leaving the hotel late at night would demand ‘And where do you think you’re going?’ Sadly, fans of the show making pilgrimages there didn’t save the hotel from going bust, and it was demolished in 2016. In one episode of Fawlty Towers there is a nod to the original: in The Builders, the dining room at Fawlty Towers is closed and guests are advised to go to Gleneagles to eat instead.

2. Although set in Torquay, none of the location filming took place in the South West at all. Most of it was shot in Harrow and Wembley. The building used for the hotel exterior was actually a golf club, Wooburn Grange Country Club, in Buckinghamshire. Sadly, this building, too, no longer exists. It was a listed building and served for a short time as a nightclub named "Basil's", but was destroyed by a fire in 1991.

3. The famous scene where Basil gives his car a 'damn good thrashing' was filmed at the T-junction of Lapstone Gardens and Mentmore Close in Harrow (co-ordinates 51.5811°N 0.3091°W).

4. The theme music was composed by Dennis Wilson and recorded by the highly respected Aeolian Quartet. They were asked by director John Davis to perform the piece badly, but they refused to do that.

5. At the start of each episode there is a shot of the hotel sign with the letters rearranged into a comical anagram, such as “Farty Towels,” “Fatty Owls” and “Watery Fowls”. Production assistant and crossword fan Iain McLean came up with these. The premise was that a disgruntled newspaper delivery boy had messed with the sign.

6. Only 12 episodes, two series of six, were ever recorded, although there are persistent rumours that a lost thirteenth episode exists. A Swedish author, Lars Holger Holm, claimed he had seen the episode and even reproduced the script in his book Fawlty Towers: A Worshipper's Companion. However, the cast and production team deny that any more episodes exist. It’s thought the myth might have arisen when an episode was postponed one time because of industrial action.

7. The show has been dubbed into other languages from time to time, including Spanish and German. Of course, the jokes about Manuel’s struggles with English wouldn’t make any sense in Spanish, so they changed his character to an Italian from Naples. In the Catalan and French versions, he was changed to a Mexican. Andrew Sachs, who played Manuel, is actually German by birth, so he was asked to be the voice of Manuel in the German language version. His biggest problem as a native German speaker, was learning to speak German with a Spanish accent.

8. Talking of Andrew Sachs, there were a couple of times when he genuinely suffered for his art. In the season one finale The Germans, as Basil tries to organise a fire drill, Manuel starts an actual Fire in the kitchen. Sachs is wearing a jacket drenched in smoke producing chemicals which actually burned his arms. He got paid £700 in damages. On another occasion, Cleese accidentally hit Sachs too hard with a frying pan and almost knocked him out. “I don’t know why we didn’t get a rubber saucepan,” Cleese commented.

9. The address of the hotel is given as 16 Elwood Avenue, Torquay.

10. Famous fans of the show include Martin Scorsese and John Lennon, who once said he would love to appear in an episode.

Character birthday

Phazer, a member of the Sinister Squad. Little is known about his origins, although it has been speculated that he was an early subject of Obsidian’s experiments in producing powers in non-variants. He makes no secret of his resentment towards Ebony, a later subject of these experiments, who was formally adopted by Obsidian. His powers include flight, energy bolts and psionics.

Phazer is extremely arrogant with a highly inflated opinion of himself. He believes himself to be irresistible to women. He can be seductive in order to meet his own ends but has never fallen in love as far as anyone knows.

18 September: 261

Today is the 261^st day of the year. Here are 10 fun facts about the number 261:

1. 261 Prymno is a Main belt Asteroid discovered by C. H. F. Peters on October 31, 1886, in Clinton, New York and was named after the Greek Oceanid Prymno.

2. The year 261 was a common year starting on a Tuesday, known at the time as the Year of the Consulship of Gallienus and Taurus.

3. 261 is an odious number, meaning it has an odd number of 1's in its Binary expansion, which is 100000101.

4. London Bus route 261 runs from Lewisham Station to: Princess Royal University Hospital, Bromley.

5. 261 Fearless is an organisation which promotes empowerment for women through running. It was inspired by Kathrine Switzer, who was attacked while competing in the 1967 Boston Marathon, simply for being a woman with the audacity to enter the race. She didn’t give up, but kept going and became the first woman to complete the Boston Marathon. Her bib number was 261.

6. +261 is the dialling code for calls to Madagascar.

7. The A261 is a road in Kent, England, which runs between Lympne and Hythe.

8. In the novel Contact by Carl Sagan, Dr. Arroway asks Mr. Kitz, "You wanted to keep the first 261 prime numbers secret?"

9. The Roman numeral for 261 is CCLXI.

10. In numerology, 261 resonates with a universal view, humanitarianism, and tolerance. A person influenced by this number is a people person, open to viewing all aspects of life — cultures, economies, individuals, nature, points of view — and is curious about the relationships of all to each other.

Character birthday

Black Lantern, a member of the band of Villains known as the Sinister Squad. His powers are flight and powerful energy blasts which can destroy rocks and even buildings. Little is known about his origins. He is thought to have been mentored by Obsidian in a similar way to Ebony, although unlike her he was never formally adopted. It is not known why he always wears sunglasses, even indoors – he has no known eye problems. It is possible his sunglasses incorporate a device of some kind.

17 September: The Bermuda Triangle

This date in 1950 saw the publication of the first article suggesting that unusual disappearances took place in the Bermuda Triangle. Here are 10 things you might not know about the Bermuda Triangle:

1. The article in question was written by Edward Van Winkle Jones for the Miami Herald. Two years later, another article about mysterious disappearances in the area was published by George Sand in Fate magazine. The disappearances he reported on included Flight 19, a group of five US Navy Grumman TBM Avenger torpedo bombers lost during a training mission.

2. It wasn’t called The Bermuda Triangle until 1964, when Vincent Gaddis wrote an article called ‘The Deadly Bermuda Triangle’, which was published in Argosy magazine. It’s also known sometimes as the Devil's Triangle.

3. So where is it? It has no officially defined boundary, the total area varies between writers from 1,300,000- 3,900,000 square kilometres or 500,000- 1,510,000 square miles. Generally it’s said to stretch roughly between Miami, Florida, to Bermuda Island and to San Juan in Puerto Rico. However, some writers have suggested it goes as far as the coast of Ireland.

4. Strange occurrences have been reported in the area since 1492. Christopher Columbus, on his historic voyage that year, made some strange observations: his Compass malfunctioned; stars appeared to move around in the sky; he saw a mysterious light, like a Candle flame moving up and down in the distance, disappearing and appearing again; and a fireball rising from the water and going up into the Sky.

5. According to Wikipedia, 10 ships sank or disappeared in the area from 1800 to 1963, and five planes crashed there between 1945 and 1965.

6. So why do odd things seem to happen there? There’s no shortage of theories. Some say it’s the location of the lost city of Atlantis and some of the powerful energy crystals used to power the city are still hanging around at the bottom of the sea emitting disruptive rays which can mess with compasses and navigation systems.

7. Others say there’s a portal to a parallel universe or another world located here and the vanished ships and planes have been sucked through a warp in time and space. This, they say, might be the reason for the number of UFO sightings in the area.

8. Then again, there could be more mundane explanations. The Bermuda Triangle is one of only two places on Earth where the compass does not point towards the magnetic North but towards the true North. This would no doubt explain Columbus’s compass issues and perhaps has caught out many more navigators who weren’t aware of this fact.

9. Also, the area has some of the deepest ocean trenches in the world so anything sinking or crashing there could easily disappear without a trace. Scientists have determined that decomposing sea creatures trapped on the bottom produce more methane gas than in other parts of the ocean and that eruptions of methane can make the water frothy and ships less buoyant. Another explanation offered by science is that the Gulf Stream runs through here which can result in unpredictable weather and storms and would also carry any wreckage away from its reported position very quickly. Finally, there might seem to be a lot of incidents purely because of sheer weight of traffic. Several important shipping routes pass around and through it; not to mention it being a popular area for recreational boating and flying. The more traffic there is, the more incidents and accidents there will be.

10. The Bermuda Triangle isn’t the only place with a reputation for strange disappearances. The ‘Devil’s Sea’ and the Dragon’s Triangle situated in the Philippine Sea off the eastern coast of China has a similar reputation.

Character birthday

Anarchist, a member of the Demolition Squad. He has no powers but is skilled at brawling, smashing things and rioting. His given name is John Smith but he changed it by deed poll to Adolph Mussolini. He came to the attention of Leopold Smythe-Warner when he appeared in TV footage of a National Front riot. While Anarchist is prejudiced against genetic variants in general, he developed a grudging respect for the other variants on the team.

16 September: Lauren Bacall Quotes

Today is Lauren Bacall's birthday, so here are 10 quotes:

1. I think your whole life shows in your face and you should be proud of that.

2. I am not a has-been. I am a will be.

3. I figure if I have my health, can pay the rent and I have my friends, I call it ’content.’

4. Imagination is the highest kite one can fly.

5. In Hollywood, an equitable divorce settlement means each party getting fifty percent of the publicity.

6. You don't always win your battles, but it's good to know you fought.

7. Growing up takes longer than you think.

8. Standing still is the fastest way of moving backwards in a rapidly changing world.

9. One thing I am convinced of is that the more you do, the more you can do.

10. Life is not what you expected it to be.

Character birthday

Halcyon, aka Holly Dolphin. She is the youngest child and only daughter of Aqua and Speedy. Unlike her brother, she did not inherit her father's ability to breathe water, but she learned to swim at an early age and is extremely good at it.

She was born in Ultra-Grav's Darrowburn mansion and lives with her family in what was once the servants' hall and accommodation, which Ultra-Grav had converted into apartments for Speedy and Aqua when they started their family. She was home educated along with her brother and a new generation of variants whose powers made it hard for them to live in the wider community.

While she is associated with the G-Men, she and her brother also work together as a crime-fighting duo independently.

16 September: Creme de Menthe

Today is National Creme De Menthe Day. Here are 10 0things you might not know about Creme de Menthe:

1. The name Creme De Menthe is French and translates as “mint cream”.

2. The flavour comes from Corsican Mint leaves, which have been steeped in alcohol for several weeks.

3. Creme De Menthe is usually Green, but a colourless “White” version is also available.

4. The best known cocktails using it are the Grasshopper, created by Philibert Guichet Jr. in New Orleans and the Stinger, which was popular during the American Prohibition because the mint flavour masked the bad taste of the poor quality brandies available at the time.

5. It’s also a key ingredient in the popular South African shot the Springbokkie.

6. The origin of Creme de menthe is attributed to French pharmacist Emile Giffard, who discovered it while researching the digestive effects of mint back in 1885. However, it was actually invented by brothers Jean and Pierre Get in 1796. They were heirs to a large French distillery.

7. It’s said that the traditional last drink taken by mobsters before they go to prison is Creme De Menthe.

8. Agatha Christie’s famous detective Hercule Poirot drank it.

9. Sergei Rachmaninoff, although he didn’t usually drink, found that a glass of crème de menthe calmed his nerves when playing the technically demanding piano score in the twenty-fourth variation of his Rhapsody on a Theme of Paganini. He nicknamed the that piece the "Crème de Menthe Variation".

10. It has appeared in an episode of Friends. In the episode The One with the Two Parties, in an attempt to stop Leonard Green from running into his wife, Phoebe offers him a crème de menthe.

Character birthday

Symius, a lab chimpanzee, called “Tetley” by the staff. He suffered any number of painful and degrading experiments in his early life, until the one which went badly wrong.

Tetley was exposed to massive amounts of radiation which changed him. He became as intelligent as an average human. Now blessed with the power of reasoning, he began to articulate his anger at the human race and began to plot revenge.

He escaped from the lab and lived rough, foraging for food, and eventually teaming up with Hog Man, a similar mutate, who had been a laboratory pig.

They learned they had both been experimented on by Dr Chaos, and together plotted revenge. Chaos, however, persuaded them he had actually done them a favour by enhancing their abilities and that he was no friend of the human race in general either. He could offer the pair a place on his team and a safe haven, which after due consideration, they accepted.

14 September: Thomas the Tank Engine

Today is the anniversary of the first publication of Thomas the Tank Engine. 10 things you might not know about the character:

1. Thomas was created by Rev Wilbert Awdry as part of a series of stories he told his son Christopher when he was ill with measles. Awdry made a model of Thomas as a Christmas present for Christopher that year.

2. Thomas is described in the books as follows: “He had six small wheels, a short stumpy funnel, a short stumpy boiler and a short stumpy dome. He was a fussy little engine, always pulling coaches about. He was cheeky, too.” The stories are usually about Thomas getting into trouble, usually by being over-eager to do things best left to bigger and more sensible engines.

3. Awdry wrote 27 books before he retired in 1972, whereupon Christopher, now an adult, took over and wrote even more. Harold the Helicopter and fast trains Pip and Emma were new characters added by him.

4. Neither Rev Awdry nor Christopher ever thought Thomas was the star of the books. In fact, he didn’t appear in the first book at all. That book was all about Edward, Gordon, and Henry. Thomas arrived in book two, with James the Red Engine.

5. Here’s one for train nerds. The engines are all based on real ones. Thomas is based on Billington E2-Class 0-6-0T locomotives. Gordon was based on a Gresley A3 Pacific from the London and North Eastern Railway. Percy was patterned after an old Avonside locomotive. Donald and Douglas are based on members of the 812 Caledonian class of 1899.

6. Thomas’ top speed is estimated to be between 30 and 40 miles per hour.

7. The Fat Controller was originally the Fat Director. He became known as The Fat Controller in Britain in 1948 when railways were nationalised. In the US he’s called Sir Topham Hatt because they don’t like the nickname “fat” over there.

8. The “NW” on Thomas’s side was intended to stand for “No Where”, but as the Railway Series developed it became the North Western Railway. He has the number 1 because it’s the easiest to draw.

9. Thomas was the only fictional character included in The Independent on Sunday's 2009 "Happy List", alongside 98 real people and a therapy dog for making Britain a better and happier place.

10. When Rev. Awdry became famous, newspapers nicknamed him The Puff Puff Parson. Awdry once said of trains and the church: “Both are firmly convinced that they are the best means of getting man to his ultimate destination.”

Character birthday

Susannah Grant, teacher and former girlfriend of Peter Mayfield (Ultra Grav). She appears in Running in the Family.

Running in the Family

An alien craft approaches Earth. The alien on board is a fugitive, fleeing from an arranged marriage to freedom on our world. She befriends James, a genetics student, and shares her knowledge about the future of the human race with him. 

A science experiment gone wrong gifts James with superhuman abilities; but they come at a price, leading him to mentor others like himself. He founds a group of amateur heroes called the Freedom League.

The Freedom League suffers a string of losses and tragedies; it seems doomed to failure; but one of its members, Peter Mayfield, has vowed to form a group of his own. He is determined to keep his vow, despite having lost Rosemary, the one person he wanted by his side to help him.

Lizzie Hopkins is a talented young athlete and dancer. Peter sees her in action and guesses her exceptional abilities are far more than they seem. He offers to train and mentor Lizzie - but her mother is violently opposed to his suggestion.

As soon as she is old enough, Lizzie takes matters into her own hands; she seeks out Peter and his group for herself. She soon makes a discovery which shakes her world at its very foundations. Her search for the truth will resolve many unanswered questions, but it will also stir up old heartbreaks dating back to the Freedom League's early days.

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