What is the article about?
Numbers
What about them?
Where did that number come from
For example?
26.2 Miles in a Marathon
How did that come about?
an ancient Greek soldier carrying message from a battlefield in Marathon to Athens
It was 26.2 miles?
No
So how did they get to 26.2?
1908 Olympic Games in London
Why did they change it?
The race began at Windsor Castle and ended at White City Stadium, with runners finishing only after passing the royal box
And that was 26.2?
Yes
What other numbers have a weird history?
Eleven and Twelve
Where did those come from?
the German term ainlif,
What does that mean?
"one left"
What about twelve?
twalif--"two left"
Any others?
911 for US Emergency Calls
Why is that used?
it was easy to remember and could be quickly dialed on the phone
Why do the numbers 13 and after end in "teen"?
There is something sadly lost in history
What other numbers have a fascinating history?
28 Days in February
How did that come to be?
the first Roman calendars had only 304 days
When did they change it?
The second king of Rome
What did he do?
He added 50 days for January and February
So how did they get to 28?
he took one day from each of the 30-day months, making 56 days to divide between January and February