2002

2002. The first palindromic year since 1991, which in turn was the first palindromic since 1881. From 110 years in between to only 11. This new millenium is pretty cool. At this rate of increase, our next palindromic year will be 2003 with palindromic years occuring every month thereafter. It's crazy stuff but the numbers never lie! I wonder if our resident palindrome, neilalien, has any theories as to what significance palindromic years might have?

It is perhaps interesting to note that 1881 was a US Presidential assasination year: James A. Garfield (who, in 1876, discovered a proof of the Pythagorean Theorem, not that there weren't plenty of them lying about already, but still...) took a bullet in the back and was succeeded by Chester A. Arthur. Sigh. The brave new world that might have been.

1991 is kind of a blur, it was a college year for me ...but its legacy seems to be the Gulf War and Clarence Thomas. Perhaps palindromic years are notable only for being ignominious.