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Triskaidekaphobes believe 13 to be unlucky, especially when the 13th day of the month is a Friday, a fear that was reinforced by the explosion that almost wrecked the Apollo 13 lunar spacecraft in 1970. Skeptics note that it returned to Earth safely, unlike any other manned spacecraft that has exploded, making its crew some of the luckiest people on the planet. The fear of 13 may relate to Judas Iscariot’s having been the 13th person to arrive at the Last Supper, but its negative undertones go back much earlier, probably because an extra 13th item spoils the auspicious 12. ...(100 of 6483 words)