November 15 is the 319th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar… Can you believe it? There are only 46 days remaining until the end of the year. Which means only 40 days until Christmas Day. Eek….
Looking back over time, there are a few items of note for today’s date including the death of Myra Hindley, one of the so-called Moors Murderers, in 2002. But that does not make for an interesting blog, I don’t think! So today, it’s time for a mathematical link.
11 times 29 – two prime numbers, multiply together to make 319 and the sum of three consecutive primes – 103 + 107 + 109 – is also 319. The number is also a song by Prince. 46 is also made by multiplying just two prime numbers together – 23 and 2. 46 is the international dial code for Sweden and today in 2011, England beat Sweden for the first time in forty-three years!
319 was the number given to a Special Operations Squadron. First formed on 9 August 1944 as the 319th Troop Carrier Squadron (Commando), the Squadron served in the China-Burma-India Theatre during World War II providing airlift support and flying aerial resupply missions in support of various commando units such as Merrill’s Marauders and the Chindits.
So, after that fascinating mathematical interlude…. what next? Christmas shopping tomorrow….?