Even before the horror film franchise, Friday the 13th has always had some creepy factors surrounding it.
Whether or not you're particularly superstitious about the date rolling around every now and then, you can't deny the cold hard facts in the freaky true stories listed below.
I have to admit, I was pretty skeptical that I would be able to find any actual evidence of bad luck on Friday the 13th — but then I found way more than I bargained for. Even some of history's most tragic moments happened to occur on the "cursed" day without me ever realizing it.
Plus, people think there's even the possibility our entire planet might get hit with some intergalactic misfortune on this day in the future.
Take a look to learn more about all the bizarre things that people have experienced and what we might expect in the years to come.
And be sure to SHARE the spooky Friday the 13th stories with your friends on Facebook!
A 13-Year-Old Boy Was Struck By Lightning
Back in 2010, the Mirror reported that a boy, who also happened to be 13 years old, was lucky to suffer only minor burns when struck by lightning while enjoying an afternoon airshow in England.
Even freakier: the lightning reportedly stuck at exactly 1:13 p.m., or 13:13 in military time.
A Rugby Team Desperately Tried To Survive A Plane Crash
On October 13, 1972, Uruguayan Air Force Flight 571 crashed into the snowy Andes while on its way to Chile. The flight contained 45 passengers, including members of the Old Christians rugby team.
Only 16 passengers survived: nine died in the crash, several others from injury and extreme conditions the days following, and an avalanche took eight more. The rest infamously resorted to consuming the frozen bodies of those who perished in order to stay alive for the more than two months it took for help to reach them.
After realizing that search parties had ceased looking for them, two of the rugby players made a 10-day journey and finally returned with assistance 72 days after the crash.
38 Witnesses To Murder Said Nothing
Nearly 40 residents at an apartment complex in Brooklyn admitted to overhearing the attack and murder of Susan "Kitty" Genovese on March 13, 1964.
The only problem: none of them reported it to the police while it was happening. Kitty ultimately died of stab wounds that authorities later reported she likely could have survived if someone had called them.
Psychologists now refer to this as the "bystander effect."
A Bus Conductor Had Repeated Bad Luck
Former North Wales bus conductor Bob Renphrey claimed multiple issues happening on Friday the 13th over the years, including four car crashes, losing his job, falling into a river, and crashing his motorcycle.
His wife even tried to schedule his funeral for a Friday the 13th, but all of the local undertakers were too busy that day. She believes he would have found the humor in it.
The Yankee Leaper Made His Last Jump
When daredevil Sam Patch made his attempt at leaping over Genesee River falls on November 13, 1829, it was sadly also his last stunt.
Sam had previously had success about a month before at Niagara Falls, but reports from his final leap claimed he appeared out of sorts (possibly inebriated) when he jumped.
October Blizzards Buried Upstate New York
In 2006, residents of Buffalo, New York, woke up to find their town blanketed by Lake Storm "Aphid" covering them in over 20 inches of snow. As the storm continued, up to 3.5 feet of snow piled up in parts of the city.
The initial storm cost three people their lives — two from automobile accidents and one from a falling tree branch — while 400,000 homes went without electricity.
Nearby, Toronto remained completely unaffected by the weather.
One Man Had His Worst Fear Come True
New York resident Daz Baxter was so afraid of bad luck following him around on Friday the 13th in August 1976 that he opted to stay home.
Unfortunately, his plan tragically backfired when the floor beneath his bed caved in and he plummeted down six floors to his death.
A British Couple Had A Woeful Wedding
In August 2003, Michelle and Gary Docherty's nuptials were plagued by a swarm of wasps that relentlessly attacked their guests. One even flew right up Michelle's wedding gown when she arrived to walk down the aisle.
Nazis Bombed Buckingham Palace
All of London suffered from the bombings in World War II, but King George VI was personally attacked by German troops when they began dropping right onto the palace in September 1940.
His daughter, now Queen Elizabeth II, was already safely tucked away at Windsor Castle.
A Cruise Ship Crashed Off The Coast
In January 2012, the Costa Concordia cruise ship collided with a submerged rock that caused it to partially sink before capsizing hours later. Over 30 passengers and members of the crew died onboard.
Millions Of Dollars Are Lost Every Year
Reports from CNBC claim that at least $700 million dollars are lost by businesses when a Friday the 13th rolls around due to folks letting their superstitious side sway them from travel and major purchases.
We Might Have A Close Encounter With An Asteroid
Scientists have had their eye on the Apophis asteroid for years with concern that it might actually collide with Earth on April 13, 2029, which will also happen to be a Friday.
Luckily, NASA has come to the conclusion that it's more likely to just get very close to us before looping back around our orbit.
Are you shocked by any of these freaky Friday the 13th stories?
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