Italy's unlucky number

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John Hooper in Rome
Saturday December 4, 2004
The Guardian

Millions of Italians will today nervously wait to see if the most costly losing streak in their country's gambling history comes to an end.

Already, an estimated €2bn (£1.38bn) has been lost by punters convinced that a "missing number" in Italy's biggest lottery is more likely than any other to come up.

The latest victim of what has become known as "Venice 53" is a pensioner from Frosinone, south of Rome. He was reported yesterday to have fallen into the hands of loan sharks after losing €80,000. Elsewhere, there have been stories of entire families ruined by repeated losing bets on Italy's state-run draw, the Lotto.

Fifty numbers between 1 and 90 are drawn every week - five in each of 10 cities around the country. Punters place bets on which numbers, or combinations, will come up - and where.

http://www.guardian.co.uk/italy/story/0,12576,1366322,00.html

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1. Prime power: The odd one out

53 is a prime number

· The operation Desert Storm against Iraq in 1990-1991 cost $53bn

· The Khyber Pass, which separates Pakistan from Afghanistan, is 53 kilometres long

· The first modern atlas was the Theatrum Orbis Terrarum, published in 1570 and containing 53 maps

·The prayer of Ave Maria is repeated 53 times in the recitation of the rosary

· Iodine is the element with the atomic number 53

· 53 was the number painted on Herbie the Volkswagen

· The late Diana, Princess of Wales was on the cover of People magazine 53 times

· The word "perfect" is used 53 times in the Bible (NRSV)

· 53 is the code for international direct dial phone calls to Cuba

· It is also the number of member states sitting on the United Nations commission on human rights

http://www.guardian.co.uk/italy/story/0,12576,1366322,00.html

AND '53 was the year the fake Queen Elizabeth II wascrowned at Westminster Abbey......