Beloved American children's author Beverly Cleary turned 103 Friday. She was born April 12, 1916, in McMinnville.
Cleary worked as a librarian until becoming a full-time children's book writer in 1942. Since the publication of her first book titled Henry Huggins in 1950, nearly 100 million copies of her books have been sold in 25 languages worldwide.
In 2000, the Library of Congress declared Cleary a "Living Legend."
Here are birthday curiosities I prepared in her honor:
• Cleary's birthday always coincides with the 102nd day of a non-leap year and 103rd day of a leap year. For example, her upcoming 103rd birthday, 4/12/2019, is the 102nd day of this year.
• Also, her new age 103 has a special place in Cleary's birthday because she was born on the 103rd day of 1916 (4/12/1916).
• Furthermore, 103 times the sum of its digits, namely 4, yields 412, Cleary's birth date (4/12).
• Moreover, her 104th B-Day next year occurs on the 103rd day of 2020.
• Additionally, the reverse of 2020 is 0202 and the prime factors of 0202, namely 2 and 101, add up to 103, and again, the 103rd day of 2020 is Cleary's 104th B-Day.
• Also, 4 times the sum of 104 and its reverse, namely 401, yields 2020.
• Cleary's 105th birthday to occur in 2021 on 4/12 will also be special since the sum of the prime factors of 412, namely 2 and 103, results in 105.
• Cleary's 106th birthday expressed as 4/12/2022 or simply as 4122022 equals 2 x 37 x 53 x 1051, the product of the 1st, 12th, 16th, and 177th prime numbers. Interestingly, the sum of 1, 12, 16, and 177 equals twice 103.
• Also, twice the difference of the prime factors of 106, namely 2 and 53, equals 102 and note that Cleary's 106th B-Day coincides with the 102nd day of 2022.
• Cleary's 107th birthday in 2023 will be special too since twice 107 equals 214 and 214 is the reverse of 412, Cleary's birth date (4/12).
• Further, Cleary's birth date 412 equals 4 times 103 and the sum of 4 and 103 yields 107.
• Additionally, 107 is the 28th prime number, 28 equals 2 times 14, 2 and 14 put side by side gives 214, and again, 214 is the reverse of 412.
• Also, if Cleary's birth year 1916 is split into two numbers consisting of its alternating digits as 11 and 96, these two numbers add up to 107.
• Cleary's 108th birthday will occur in 2024. Interestingly, the sum of the prime factors of 2024, namely 2, 11, and 23, equals 36 and 36 times the difference of its digits, namely 3, yields 108.
• Lastly, Cleary's 109th birthday in 2025 on 4/12 will also be special since the reverse of 412, namely 214, equals 2 times 107 and 2 and 107 add up to 109.
Thanks for educating, entertaining, and inspiring children all over the world Beverly Cleary. I wish you have a happy and healthy 103rd birthday and other birthdays to come.
Aziz Inan is chair and professor teaching in the electrical engineering program of the Donald P. Shiley School of Engineering at University of Portland and he can be reached at ainan@up.edu.
