Most experts agree that the number 23 is the lotto’s most enigmatic number. The 23 enigma refers to the belief that most incidents and events are directly connected to the number 23. Twenty-three is also the second most popularly picked number amongst lotto players. The reason for this probably stems from the common mythology surrounding that number.
The law of fives
Conspiracy theorists can have a field day explaining all the many coincidences that surround the number 23. Mathematicians however will refer to the ‘Law of Fives.’ This law claims that ‘all things happen in fives, or are divisible by or are multiples of five, or are somehow directly or indirectly appropriate to 5.’ Number 23 is regarded as a corollary of the Law of Fives because 2 + 3 = 5! It is referred to in several books and treatises on the ‘Illuminati’ a quasi-fictitious group dedicated to the creation of new world order.
To be honest this immutable law mostly references incidences of bad luck which makes it all the more surprising that so many lottery players choose this number so readily.
Inviting disaster
One of the earliest stories surrounding the 23 enigmas refers to the captain of a ship named ‘Captain Clark’. Sometime in 1960 in Tangiers, he was bragging that he had been sailing the high seas for 23 years without incident. That very day Captain Clark took a ship out to sea which sunk killing everyone on board. What is even more bizarre was that on the exact same day at the same time right across the other side of the world, another Captain Clark crashed an airliner off the coast of Florida killing everyone on board. The flight number was, you guessed it, number 23.
Do the Illuminati control the lottery?
On March 30 2012 the world’s largest lottery jackpot was drawn. The winning numbers were 2 · 4 · 23 · 38 · 46. The mega ball was also 23. Within an hour of the draw, a conspiracy theory began circulating on the internet. The repetition of 23 in the winning numbers was taken by some to be a sign that the Illuminati were secretly running the US lottery.
Jim Carrey and the number 23
In 2007 Jim Carrey starred in a movie directed by Joel Schumacher entitled The Number 23. The story revolves around Walter Sparrow (Jim Carrey) a friendly dog-catcher, whose life takes a dark and mysterious turn when his wife (played by Virginia Madsen) discovers a murder mystery novel based on numerology in a local bookstore.
Entwined into the novel is the number 23, which is repeated over and over again during the story. Eventually, Carrey’s character, Walter, becomes obsessed with the novel, and with the author, and tries to track him down. He begins avidly researching the book and the places involved, even going so far as to stay at a hotel mentioned in the book, in room number 23.
As his obsession grows deeper he sees parallels between the novel and his own life. This in turn takes him down an even darker path into eventual paranoia and madness.
Curiously enough Jim Carrey has had his own obsession with the number 23 since way before making this movie. He has owned a production company since 2005 called JC 23 Entertainment, which was responsible for the movie Fun with Dick & Jane.
More Astounding Facts surrounding the number 23
- Each parent contributes 23 chromosomes to the DNA of a child
- It takes 23 seconds for blood to circulate throughout the body
- In humans the 23rd chromosome determines gender
- There are 23 letters in the Latin alphabet
- Julius Caesar was stabbed 23 times during his assassination
- The earth’s axis is off by 23.5 degrees
- The Knights Templar had 23 Grand Masters
- William Shakespeare was born on 23 April 1564
- William Shakespeare died on 23 April 1616
- The ancient Egyptian and Sumerian calendars begin on July 23
- The Titanic sank on April 15 1912 (4 + 1 + 5 + 1 + 9 + 1 + 2 = 23)
- The Mayans believed the world would end on December 23
- Jim Carrey starred in the movie ‘The Number 23’ about a man’s descent into darkness and paranoia based on the 23 enigma
- John Dillinger only stole money from 23 banks
- The distance from the center of Mars to its nearest moon is 23,500 km
- 23 people died on flight TWA 800
- Kurt Cobain was born in 1967 (1 + 9 + 6 + 7 = 23)
- Kurt Cobain died in 1994 (1 + 9 + 9 + 4 = 23)
