On the Number 37

37 is the 12th prime number.
37 = 666/(6+6+6) = 666/18
123,456,790 x 3 = 370,370,370

37 dots can be made into either a star or a hexagon.

Note that a star of this type is constructed by first forming a hexagon,
then adding six triangles of dots around the outside. 37 is the first number
to have this particular feature, the next one is 1261. The arrangement at the
left is that of a French solitaire board, while the arrangement on the right
corresponds to dots on mouthpieces of yesteryear's telephone handsets.
(Source: Derrick Niederman, Number Freak, 2009, p. 121)

Thermometer showing human body temperature 37.0^o Celsius (98.6^oF).
The normal human body temperature usually referenced as 98.6^oF in the
United States, is precisely 37.0^o Celsius, using the formula F=(9/5)C +32.
But the original scientific work on human temperature was done in the
19th century by the German physician Carl Reinhold August Wunderlich,
who took the temperature readings of thousands of people for his statistical
study. The figure 37.0^oC is actually Wunderlich's average temperature
reading rounded off to the closest degree Celsius, meaning that our sacrosanct
Fahrenheit equivalent of 98.6^oF connotes far more accuracy than it is entitled to.
(Source: Derrick Niederman, Number Freak, 2009, p. 122)

Shakespeare (1564-1616) wrote 37 plays: 17 comedies, 10 histories, 10 tragedies.
Comedies: All's Well That Ends Well, As You Like It, Comedy of Errors,
Cymbeline, Love's Labours Lost, Measure for Measure, Merry Wives of Windsor,
Merchant of Venice, A Midsummer Night's Dream, Much Ado About Nothing,
Pericles, Prince of Tyre, Taming of the Shrew, The Tempest, Troilus & Cressida,
Twelfth Night, Two Gentlemen of Verona, Winter's Tale
Histories: Henry IV, part 1; Henry IV, part 2; Henry V; Henry VI, part 1;
Henry VI, part 2; Henry VI, part 3; Henry VIII; King John; Richard II; Richard III
Tragedies: Antony and Cleopatra, Coriolanus, Hamlet, Julius Caesar, King Lear,
Macbeth, Othello, Romeo and Juliet, Timon of Athens, Titus Andronicus
Shakespeare's Sonnet XXXVII ends with these good wishes—
Look what is best, that best I wish in thee;
This wish I have; then ten times happy me!

U.S. C45 (issued Dec. 17, 1949)
commemorate 46th anniversary
of Wright Brothers' first flight

U.S. 3783 (issued May 22, 2003)
to commemorate centenary
of first flight at Kitty Hawk

France C7 (issued Sept. 1934)
Blériot's monoplane: 1st flight
across the English Channel

Monaco 2527 (issued 2009)
to commemorate centenary
of Blériot's Channel flight

37 is a significant number in aviation history. The first flight made by Orville Wright on December 17, 1903
at Kitty Hawk, N.C. covered 37 meters in length. The first flight made by Louis Blériot on July 25, 1909
across the English Channel took 37 minutes. (Source: William Hartston, The Book of Numbers, 2000, p. 85).
It's interesting that Louis Blériot (1872-1936) accomplished his flight 23 days after his 37th birthday.
Denomination of U.S. postage stamp (Scott 3783a) honoring the centenary of Wright Brother's first flight
at Kitty Hawk is 37¢, the first-class mail postage rate in 2003. First day of issue on May 22, 2003
at Dayton, Ohio, and Kill Devil Hills, North Carolina.

Atomic Number of Rubidium (Rb) = 37

The 37th day of the year = February 6
(Baseball player Babe Ruth (1895-1948) was born in Baltimore, Maryland on February 6, 1895.)

37th hexagram of the I Ching: Chia Jên / The Family

THE IMAGE
Wind comes forth from fire:
The image of THE FAMILY.
Thus the superior man has substance in his words
And duration in his way of life.
— King Wên & Duke of Chou
I Ching: Book of Changes (circa 1000 B.C.)
Richard Wilhelm & Cary F. Baynes Translation, 1950

King David, Israel #399
(issued Sept. 24, 1969)

Psalms 37.37— "Perfect man is upright and a man of peace."
1 Fret not thyself because of evildoers, neither be thou envious
   against the workers of iniquity.
2 For they shall soon be cut down like the grass,
   and wither as the green herb.
3 Trust in the LORD, and do good; so shalt thou dwell in the land,
   and verily thou shalt be fed.
4 Delight thyself also in the LORD: and he shall give
   thee the desires of thine heart.
11 But the meek shall inherit the earth; and shall delight themselves
   in the abundance of peace.
16 A little that a righteous man hath is better than the riches of many wicked.
23 The steps of a good man are ordered by the LORD: and he delights in his way.
29 The righteous shall inherit the land, and dwell therein for ever.
30 The mouth of the righteous speaks wisdom, and his tongue talks of judgment.
37 Mark the perfect man, and behold the upright: for the end of that man is peace.
40 And the LORD shall help them, and deliver them: he shall deliver
   them from the wicked, and save them, because they trust in him.
— King David (1085 BC-1015 BC), Psalms 37

10)

Lao Tzu (604 BC-517 BC)

The Tao never acts
yet nothing is left undone.
If rulers can hold fast to it,
people will change naturally.
Having changed, if desires rise again,
I'll rid of them with the uncarved block.
The nameless uncarved block
is free of all desires.
Being desireless, it is tranquil,
and the world will be at peace.

— Lao Tzu, Tao Te Ching, Verse 37
Translated by Peter Y. Chou for "Tao of Writing" Seminar"
presented at Writers Connection, Cupertino, CA (April 23, 1988)

11)

Wang Yang Ming
Harvard Fogg Art Museum

I once asked about Lu Hsiang-shan's doctrine that one should
devote one's effort to the area of human feelings and human affairs.

The Teacher said: "There is no event outside of human feelings and
human affairs. Are pleasure, anger, sorrow, and joy not human feelings?
Seeing, hearing, speaking, and acting, wealth and noble station, poverty
and humble station, misfortune, calamity, death and life are all human affairs.
Human affairs are within the realm of human feelings. The important point is
to achieve the state of equilibrium and harmony, and achieving equilibrium
and harmony depends primarily on being watchful over oneself when alone."

— Wang Yang Ming (1472-1529)
Instructions for Practical Living (1518), Part I, Paragraph 37
Translated by Wing-tsit Chan, Columbia University Press, NY, 1963

12)

37th Poem of Emily Dickinson:

Before the ice is in the pools—
Before the skaters go,
Or any check at nightfall
Is tarnished by the snow—

Before the fields have finished,
Before the Christmas tree,
Wonder upon wonder
Will arrive to me!

What we touch the hems of
On a summer's day—
What is only walking
Just a bridge away—

That which sings so— speaks so—
When there's no one here—
Will the frock I wept in
Answer me to wear?

Emily Dickinson
United States #1436
8¢ multicolor, greenish
issued Aug. 28, 1971

— Emily Dickinson (1830-1886)
Complete Poems of Emily Dickinson
(edited by Thomas H. Johnson, 1955)

13)

Stanford Bronze Plaque 37 on the ground near the
entrance of Stanford University's Memorial Church
is dedicated to the Class of 1937. Stanford's first
graduating class was 1892. In 1980, Stanford Provost
Don Kennedy strolled around the Inner Quad and
calculated that it would take 512 years for the
bronze class plaques embedded in the walkways
to circle the entire area ending with Class of 2403.

14)

At Age 37— Michelangelo completed painting the Sistine Ceiling Frescoes (1512)

Michelangelo (1475-1564)
Italy 828 200 lire stamp
(issued March 6, 1961)

Sistine Ceiling Frescoes
Sistine Chapel, Vatican City
painted by Michelangelo (1508-1512)

Michelangelo painted the Sistine Chapel ceiling from 1508 to 1512, a cornerstone work of High Renaissance art. Commissioned by Pope Julius II, the chapel is used for Papal Conclaves when electing Popes. The ceiling decoration shows 9 central panels from Book of Genesis of which The Creation of Adam is the most prominent (Poem: "The Distance of Creation"). While the ceiling scenes depict Biblical stories from the "Drunkness of Noah" to "Creation of Light", there's a Neo-Platonic inner meaning "from many to the One" that young Michelangelo learned from his spiritual mentor Cosmo de' Medici who read Ficino's translations of Plato to him in his garden. The final narrative scene of God in the act of Creation was painted in a single day. Photo Sources:
Michelangelo (stampboards.com); Sistine Ceiling (wikipedia.org)

15)

At Age 37— Goethe's Rebirth in Rome, inspired by Michelangelo (1787)

Goethe in the Campagna (1786)
by Wilhelm Tischbein
Goethe Museum, Frankfurt

Johann Wolfgang von Goethe (1749-1832)
Germany #B306 semi-postal
(issued August 28, 1949)

Italian Journey
by Wolfgang von Goethe
Penguin Classics (1992)

A few days after his 37th birthday, Goethe set out on a journey to Italy in 1786. During the trip, he kept a journal
and wrote many letters that he shaped into the Italian Journey. Here's his epiphany by Michelangelo's Sistine Ceiling—
"I cannot tell you how much I wished you were here, for until you have seen the Sistine Chapel, you can have no
adequate conception of what man is capable of accomplishing. One hears and reads of so many great and worthy
people, but here, above one's head and before one's eyes, is living evidence of what one man has done. I hold
conversations with you constantly in my head; I only wish I could put them all down on this piece of paper.
You say you want to hear about me. If I were really to tell you how I have been reborn, how renewed and
fulfilled I feel, how fortified in all my faculties, it would take pages. Let me merely say that I shall hope to
accomplish something. For some time, I have been seriously preoccupied with landscape and architecture
and I now see what will come out of my efforts and how far I can go. At long last the alpha and omega
of all things known to us— the human figure— has come to grips with me and I with it, so that I say:
Lord, I will not let Thee go except Thou bless me, even though I wrestle until I am lame."
— Johann Wolfgang von Goethe (1749-1832), Italian Journey (1786-1788), August 23, 1787
translated by W. H. Auden & Elizabeth Mayer, Schocken Books, NY, 1968

16)

At Age 37— Johannes Kepler publishes discovery on elliptical orbits of planets (1609)

Johannes Kepler
Austria #B282 stamp
(issued May 11, 1953)

Germany 0.55 Euro stamp commemorating
400th anniversary of Kepler's discovery
of elliptical planetary orbits (issued May 7, 2009)

Johannes Kepler (1571-1630) was a German mathematician,
astronomer, and astrologer. A key figure in the 17th century
scientific revolution, he is best known for his laws of planetary
motion, based on his works Astronomia nova published in 1609
at age 37. In his earlier book Mysterium Cosmographicum (1600),
Kepler proposed circular planetary orbits in terms of the five
Platonic solids. However, after inheriting Tycho Brahe's
astronomical data (1601), Kepler found a closer fit that planets
move in elliptical orbits around the sun. It provided one of the
foundations for Isaac Newton's theory of universal gravitation.
At 37 onward, Kepler also writes a pioneering science fiction
Somnium (The Dream) on journey to the moon (published 1634).
Reference: Jeremy Baker, Tolstoy's Bicycle (1982), "At age 37", pp. 255-262
Photo Sources: Kepler stamp (members.jcom.home.ne.jp);
Planetary Orbits (space-unit.com)

17)

At Age 37— Sir Francis Drake begins circumnavigation of the globe (1577)

Sir Francis Drake
Great Britain #691 stamp
(issued April 18, 1973)

Ciskei (South Africa after 1994) #207 stamp
honoring Francis Drake's Golden Hind
circumnavigating globe (issued May 19, 1993)

Sir Francis Drake (1540-1596) was an English sea captain and navigator.
Drake began circumnavigation of the world at age 37 from 1577 to 1580,
and is the first captain to accomplish this feat without, as did Magellan,
dying in the attempt. Drake starts with 200 men and five ships, and returns
with one ship, 56 men, and a large amoung of gold stolen from Spanish ships.
On June 17, 1579, Drake landed in San Francisco Bay Area. Queen Elizabeth I
awarded Drake a knighthood in 1581. In 1587, Drake attacks Spanish ships
in their home port of Cádiz, destroying 37 naval and merchant ships. Drake
was a hero to the English but a pirate to the Spaniards to whom he was known
as El Draque. King Philip II offered a reward of 20,000 ducats, about US $6.5M
by modern standards, for his life. At age 48, Drake was the vice admiral in
command of the English fleet in defeating the Spanish Armada (July 29, 1588).
Reference: Jeremy Baker, Tolstoy's Bicycle (1982), "At age 37", pp. 255-262
Photo Sources: Great Britain 1973 Drake stamp (1.bp.blogspot.com);
Ciskei 1993 Drake & Golden Hind stamp (danstopicals.com)

18)

At Age 37— Samuel Johnson starts his Dictionary of the English Language (1746)

Samuel Johnson (1709-1784)
Great Britain 1 sterling stamp
(issued October 8, 2009)

Samuel Johnson's
Dictionary of the English Language
(started in 1746, completed in 1755)

Samuel Johnson (1709-1784) was an English poet, essayist, moralist,
literary critic, biographer, editor and lexicographer. He has been
described as "arguably the most distinguished man of letters in
English history". Johnson is also the subject of "the most famous
single work of biographical art in the whole of literature"—
James Boswell's Life of Samuel Johnson. At Age 37, Johnson starts
on his Dictionary of the English Language which takes him and his
assistants nine years to complete (1755). This work brought Johnson
popularity and success. Until the Oxford English Dictionary 150 years
later, Johnson's work was viewed as the pre-eminent British dictionary.
At age 72, Johnson wrote Lives of the Most Eminent English Poets (1781),
a collection of biographies and critiques of 17th- & 18th-century poets.
Reference: Jeremy Baker, Tolstoy's Bicycle (1982), "At age 37", pp. 255-262
Photo Sources: Samuel Johnson 2009 stamp (i.colnect.net);
Dictionary of the English Language (archives.dyclibrary.net)

19)

At Age 37— Denis Diderot publishes prospectus & first volume of the Encyclopedia (1750)

Denis Diderot (1713-1784)
France #B323 stamp
(issued June 7, 1958)

Denis Diderot
France #B565 stamp
(issued March 17, 1984)

Denis Diderot (1713-1784) was a French philosopher, art critic and writer.
He was a prominent person during the Enlightenment, and is best known
for serving as co-founder, chief editor and contributor to the Encyclopedia
along with Jean le Rond d'Alembert. It was the first work to include
contributions from many named contributors, and it was the first general
encyclopedia to lavish attention on the mechanical arts. It was a complete
review of the arts, sciences, and technology during the Age of Reason.
He writes many of the entries and edits the whole enterprise. Diderot
hoped his work will disseminate all this information to the public and
future generations. He wrote "An encyclopedia should encompass not
only fields already covered by the academies, but each and every branch
of human knowledge." Comprehensive knowledge will give "power to
change men's common way of thinking." Diderot emphasized the abundance
of knowledge within each subject area. Everyone would benefit from these
insights. Owing to its anti-royalist and anti-clerical tinge, the Encyclopedia
is censored when he is 45, but it is finished at 58. Diderot lives until 70.
Photo Sources: 1958 Diderot stamp (philatelia.ru); 1984 Diderot (i1181.photobucket.com)

20)

At Age 37— Lenin speaks at the London Conference of 300 revolutionaries (1907)

Lenin (1870-1924)
Russia #2890 stamp
(issued 1964)

Lenin addressing workers
Russia #1694 stamp
(issued April 16, 1954)

Vladimir Lenin (1870-1924) was a Russian communist revolutionary,
politician and political theorist. Before the 5th RSDLP Congress held
in London in May 1907, Lenin establishes his ascendancy over the others.
At age 37, the qualities which gain Lenin leadership include: dominance
both in face-to-face groups and in large crowds of people; complete giving
of his time; a clear theory to guide his actions, showing how his forthcoming
success is an inevitable feature of history; both a massive long-term plan for
the country (and whole world) and short-term plans for his group's immediate
needs; practical and realistic plans toward revolution; skilled timing; ability
to establish a hierarchy of jobs and fill posts with the most appropriate people.
Lenin served as leader of the Russian SFSR from 1917, and then concurrently
as Premier of the Soviet Union from 1922, until his death. Bertrand Russell
said of Lenin, "I have never met a personage so destitute of self-importance."
Reference: Jeremy Baker, Tolstoy's Bicycle (1982), "Who did what at age 37", pp. 255-262
Photo Sources: 1958 Diderot stamp (philatelia.ru); 1984 Diderot (i1181.photobucket.com)

21)

At Age 37— Gioachino Rossini writes opera William Tell (1829)

Gioachino Rossini
Italy #426 stamp
(issued Nov. 23, 1942)

Rossini (1792-1868)
Italy #986 stamp
(issued Oct. 25, 1968)

Gioachino Rossini (1792-1868) was an Italian composer who wrote 39 operas as well
as sacred music, chamber music, songs, and some instrumental and piano pieces.
A tendency for inspired, song-like melodies is evident throughout his scores,
which led to the nickname "The Italian Mozart". Rossini wrote William Tell (1829)
at age 37, an opera adapted from Friedrich Schiller's play (1804) on the legendary
Swiss marksman William Tell and Switzerland's independence struggle from
the Austrian Empire. William Tell Overture was used most famously as the theme
music for The Lone Ranger in radio and television shows. On November 23, 1942,
Italy issued a set of four stamps (Scott #423-426) commemorating 150th anniversary
of Rossini's birth. On October 25, 1968, Italy issued a 50 lire stamp commemorating
centenary of Rossini's death. Rossini was born on February 29, 1792, a leap year.
Though he lived to 76 years old, Gioachino Rossini had only 19 birthdays.
Photo Sources: 1942 Rossini stamp (3.bp.blogspot.com); 1968 Rossini (s1181.photobucket.com)

22)

At Age 37— Giuseppe Verdi writes opera Rigoletto (1851)

Giuseppe Verdi (1813-1901)
Italy #594 stamp, 10 lire
(issued November 19, 1951)

Giuseppe Verdi (1813-1901)
Italy #595 stamp, 25 lire
(issued November 19, 1951)

Giuseppe Verdi (1813-1901)
Italy #594 stamp, 60 lire
(issued November 19, 1951)

Giuseppe Verdi (1813-1901) was an Italian Romantic composer primarily known for his operas. At age 37, Verdi wrote
Rigoletto (1851), with the Duke's canzone "La donna è mobile" ("Woman is fickle like a feather in the wind") that became
a sensational success. Verdi's other well-known operas include La traviata (1853), Don Carlos (1867), and Aida (1871).
On November 19, 1951, Italy issued three stamps (Scott #594-596) commemorating 50th anniversary of Verdi's death.
Identical Trieste stamps (#138-140) were issued with overprints. Photo Sources: Verdi stamps (cherrystonestamps.com, i.colnect.net)

23)

At Age 37— Richard Wagner's opera Lohengrin first performed (August 28, 1850)

Richard Wagner (1813-1883)
German Democratic Republic #647 stamp
"The Flying Dutchman" (issued April 9, 1963)

Wagner's Opera Lohengren
Germany #B56 stamp
(issued Nov. 1, 1933)

Richard Wagner & Lohengren
Austria #1347 stamp
(issued May 21, 1986)

Richard Wagner (1813-1883) was a German composer and conductor, primarily known for his operas. Lohengren is a
Swan Knight who comes in a swan-drawn boat to defend a maiden. In 1848, Wagner used this medieval tale to write
his opera Lohengrin which premiered in Weimar when Wagner was 37 years old. It was directed by Franz Liszt on
Goethe's 101st birthday (August 28, 1850). King Ludwig II was inspired by the opera to build Neuschwanstein Castle.
Photo Sources: GDR Wagner stamp (wikimedia.org); Lohengren stamp (musicwithease.com); Austria Wagner stamp (vorarlberg.naturfreunde.at)

24)

At Age 37— William Wordsworth publishes "Ode: Intimations of Immortality" (1807)

Great Britain #621 stamp
issued June 3, 1970 to honor
Wordsworth's birth bicentenary

William Wordsworth (1770-1850) was a major English Romantic poet
who, with Samuel Taylor Coleridge, helped to launch the Romantic Age
in English literature with the 1798 joint publication Lyrical Ballads.
At age 37 Wordsworth publishes Poems, in Two Volumes (1807)
including "I Wandered Lonely as a Cloud", "My Heart Leaps Up", and
"Ode: Intimations of Immortality from Recollections of Early Childhood"
The Ode contains 11 stanzas divided into three movements.
The 2nd movement begins in stanza V by answering question
posed in stanza IV by describing a Platonic idea of pre-existence.

Our birth is but a sleep and a forgetting:
The Soul that rises with us, our life's Star,
Hath had elsewhere its setting,
And cometh from afar:
Not in entire forgetfulness,
And not in utter nakedness,
But trailing clouds of glory do we come
From God, who is our home.

Photo Source: Wordsworth stamp (2.bp.blogspot.com)

25)

At Age 37— James Fenimore Cooper publishes The Last of the Mohicans (1826)

James Fenimore Cooper
United States #860 stamp
(issued January 29, 1940)

The Last of the Mohicans
published February 1826
Classics Comics #4 (1942)

James Fenimore Cooper (1789-1851) was a popular American writer of
the early 19th century. His historical romances of frontier and Indian life
in the early America created a unique form of American literature. He is
best remembered as a novelist who wrote numerous sea-stories and the
historical novels known as The Leatherstocking Tales. Among his most
famous works is the Romantic novel The Last of the Mohicans, published in
1826 at age 37, often regarded as his masterpiece. The story is set in 1757,
during the French & Indian War, when France and Great Britain battled
for control of North America. Novel characters: Chingachgook is the last
chief of the Mohican tribe. His son Uncas is titular "Last of the Mohicans"
(meaning the last pure-blooded Mohican born). United States honored
Cooper with a 2¢ postage stamp issued on January 29, 1940 as part of
the Famous American Authors. In 1989, the Soviet Union printed a
series of stamps on themes of Cooper's The Leatherstocking Tales.
Photo Sources: Cooper stamp (wikimedia.org); Classic Comics (wikipedia.org)

26)

At Age 37— John Steinbeck publishes The Grapes of Wrath (1939)

John Steinbeck
U.S. #1773 stamp
(issued Feb. 27, 1979)

The Grape of Wrath
Viking Press 1st Edition
published April 14, 1939

John Steinbeck (1902-1968) was an American author of 27 books, including
16 novels, 6 non-fiction books, and 5 collections of short stories. He is widely
known for the Pulitzer Prize-winning novel The Grapes of Wrath (1939), published
when he was 37 years old. The story is set in the Great Depression and describes
a family of sharecroppers, the Joads, who were driven from their land due to the
storms of the Dust Bowl. The title is a reference to The Battle Hymn of the Republic.
It won both the National Book Award and Pulitzer Prize in 1940 for fiction (novels)
and was adapted as a film starring Henry Fonda and directed by John Ford. Other
notable works include East of Eden (1952) and the novella Of Mice and Men (1937).
Steinbeck received the Nobel Prize for Literature in 1962 "for his realistic and
imaginative writings, combining as they do sympathetic humour and keen
social perception". Steinbeck's Nobel Banquet Speech is memorable: "Such is
the prestige of the Nobel award and of this place where I stand that I am impelled, not
to squeak like a grateful and apologetic mouse, but to roar like a lion out of pride in
my profession and in the great and good men who have practiced it through the ages."
Photo Sources: Steinbeck stamp (lh3.googleusercontent.com); Grape of Wrath (wikipedia.org)

27)

At Age 37— Francis Crick discovers DNA as double helix (1953)

Francis Crick (1916-2004)
co-discoverer with James D. Watson
of DNA Double Helix Molecule (1953)

1962 Nobel Laureates: Maurice Wilkins,
Max Perutz, Francis Crick, John Steinbeck,
James D. Watson, John Kendrew

Francis Crick pointing to DNA
Double-Helix Model to Watson
Nature 171, 737-738 (1953)

Francis Crick (1916-2004) was an English molecular biologist, biophysicist, and neuroscientist, most noted for being
a co-discoverer of the structure of the DNA molecule in 1953 with James Watson. He, Watson, and Maurice Wilkins
were jointly awarded the 1962 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine "for their discoveries concerning the molecular
structure of nucleic acids and its significance for information transfer in living material." The 1962 Nobel Prizes were
presented on December 10, 1962 in Stockholm. In the above photo of six Nobel Laureates of 1962, standing next to
Francis Crick who discovered DNA double helix at age 37 is John Steinbeck, who published Grapes of Wrath at age 37.
Photo Sources: Steinbeck stamp (lh3.googleusercontent.com); 1962 Nobel Laureates (sandwalk.blogspot.com); Crick & Watson (wisdomportal.com)

28)

Film Actors' Performance At Age 37—

Edward G. Robinson
U.S. #3446 stamp 33¢
(issued Oct. 24, 2000)

James Cagney (1899-1986)
U.S. #3329 stamp 33¢
(issued July 22, 1999)

Humphrey Bogart
U.S. #3152 stamp 32¢
(issued July 31, 1997)

Cary Grant (1904-1986)
U.S. #3692 stamp 37¢
(issued Oct. 15, 2002)

Gregory Peck (1916-2003)
U.S. #4526 stamp 44¢
(issued April 28, 2011)

Edward G. Robinson (1893-1973): Little Caesar (1930) at age 37 was his first major success in his typical gangster role.
James Cagney (1899-1986) starred in Something to Sing About (1937) at age 37 showcasing his singing & dancing talents.
Humphrey Bogart (1899-1957): The Petrified Forest (1936) at age 37, as Duke Mantee, his breakthrough becoming a star.
Cary Grant (1904-1986): Hitchcock's film Suspicion (1941) at age 37, with Joan Fontaine winning Oscar for Best Actress.
Gregory Peck (19016-2003): Roman Holiday (1953) at age 37, with Audrey Hepburn winning Oscar for Best Actress.
References: Jeremy Baker, Tolstoy's Bicycle (1982), "Films at age 37", p. 260; Scott Specialized Catalogue of United States Stamps 2013 (catalogue #
and date of stamp issued), pp. 237-310; Photo Sources: Edward G. Robinson (brucemacdonaldstamps.com); James Cagney (gmmy.com);
Humphrey Bogart (media.liveauctiongroup.net); Cary Grant (1.bp.blogspot.com); Gregory Peck (media-cache-ec0.pinimg.com);

29)

French Roulette Wheel

French Roulette Wheel has 37 numbers from 1-36 and a green pocket
numbered 0 (zero). In American roulette, there is a second green pocket
marked 00. Roulette is a casino game named after a French diminutive
for little wheel. In the game, players may choose to place bets on either
a single number or a range of numbers, the colors red or black, or whether
the number is odd or even. To determine the winning number and color,
a croupier spins a wheel in one direction, then spins a ball in the opposite
direction around a tilted circular track running around the circumference
of the wheel. The ball eventually loses momentum and falls onto the wheel
and into one of 37 (in French/European roulette) or 38 (in American roulette)
colored and numbered pockets on the wheel. Cloth covered betting area on
a roulette table is known as the layout. Roulette wheel number sequence for
Single-zero wheel: 0-32-15-19-4-21-2-25-17-34-6-27-13-36-11-30-8-23-
10-5-24-16-33-1-20-14-31-9-22-18-29-7-28-12-35-3-26.
Photo Source: French Roulette Wheel (roulette-strategy.eu)

30)

Green Monster Wall, Fenway Park

Green Monster is the nickname for the 37 foot, two-inch high
left field wall at Fenway Park, home to the Boston Red Sox.
The wall is only 310-315 feet from home plate, and is a popular
target for right-handed hitters. In 1936, the Red Sox installed a
23-foot net above the Monster in order to protect the storefronts
on adjoining Lansdowne Street from home run balls. The net
remained until the 2002-03 offseason, when the team's new
ownership constructed a new seating section atop the wall
to accommodate 274 fans. Wildly popular, these "Monster seats"
were part of a larger expansion plan for Fenway Park seating.
The Red Sox later added a smaller seating section in 2005,
dubbed the "Nation's Nest", located between the main
seating section and the center field scoreboard.
Photo Source: Green Monster (wikipedia.org)

31)

Woodblock Print #37 from 100 Views of Edo
"Tile Kilns and Hashiba Ferry on the Sumida River"
by Ando Hiroshige (1797-1858), Brooklyn Museum

Hiroshige's Woodblock #37 inspired this haiku:

White gulls float calmly
while ferry carries tiles
from kilns across the river.

An ancient literary reference is evoked in this scene viewed from the yard
of a tile-maker. The small white gulls in the foreground are miyakodori,
or capital birds. Their fame dates back to an episode in the 10th-century
epic Tales of Ise, in which some travelers from Kyoto spot an unfamiliar
bird while crossing the Sumida River. Learning from the ferryman
that it is a capital bird, one lonely courtier composes this verse:

If you are what your name implies,
Let me ask you, Capital-bird,
Does all go well
With my beloved?

Literary Reference: Brooklyn Museum (brooklynmuseum.org)
Photo Source: Hiroshige Woodblock Print #37 (hiroshige.org.uk)

32)

Yogi Berra (#8) & Casey Stengel (#37)

Casey Stengel (New York Yankees uniform #37) winning
8 World Series as manager (1949-1953, 1956, 1958) and as
player with NY Giants (1922). He also wore uniform #37
managing New York Mets. Shown here with his catcher
Yogi Berra, with record of 13 World Series champions
(1947, 1949-1953, 1956, 1958, 1961-62, 1969, 1977-78).
It wasn't until Stengel was handed uniform #37
by the Yankees in 1949 that he became empowered
with the vision, insight and wisdom that helped him
reach championship heights. Stengel inherited #37
uniform from his predecessor, Bucky Harris, who
had led the Yankees to a World Series title in 1947.
Casey Stengel's Uniform #37 was retired in 1970.

Casey's #37 Retired

Reference: Ron Smith, Best by Number, 2006, p. 122; Photo Sources: Yogi & Casey (thecaveman.biz); Casey Stengel #37 (gonyc.about.com)

33)

Baseball Players with Uniform #37—

Jimmy Piersall #37
Boston Red Sox (1953-1958)
Cleveland Indians (1959-61)

Bill "Spaceman" Lee #37
Boston Red Sox (1970-78)
Montreal Expos (1979-82)

Dave Stieb #37
Toronto Blue Jays
(1979-1992)

Ed Roebuck #37
Brooklyn Dodgers (1955-1956)
LA Dodgers (1957-58, 1960-63)

Bob Purkey #37
1962 Topps BB Card #120
Cincinnati Reds (1958-1964)

Jimmy Piersall (b. Nov. 14, 1929) is a former baseball center fielder who played 17 seasons in Major League
Baseball (MLB) for five teams, from 1950 through 1967. Piersall is best known for his well-publicized battle
with bipolar disorder that became the subject of his autobiography book and 1957 movie Fear Strikes Out.
Piersall wore uniform #37 with Boston Red Sox (1953-1958), Cleveland Indians (1959-61), and Washington
Senators (1962-63). An autographed baseball shows Piersall adding his uniform #37 & book to his name.

Bill "Spaceman" Lee (b. Dec. 28, 1946) is a former Major League Baseball pitcher. He played for the Boston Red Sox from
1969-1978 and the Montreal Expos from 1979-1982 wearing uniform #37. On November 7, 2008, Lee was inducted into
Red Sox Hall of Fame as the team's record-holder for most games pitched by a left-hander (321) and the third-highest win
total (94) by a Red Sox southpaw. In September 2010, Bill Lee pitched 5²/₃ innings for the Brockton Rox, The win made him
the oldest pitcher to appear in or to win a professional baseball game. 2006 film on Lee: Spaceman: A Cuban Baseball Odyssey.
Dave Stieb (b. July 22, 1957) is a former Major League Baseball right-handed starting pitcher for the Toronto Blue Jays
(1979-1992) wearing uniform #37. A seven-time All-Star, he also won The Sporting News' Pitcher of the Year Award in 1982.
Stieb amassed 140 wins in the 1980s, the second-highest total by a pitcher in that decade, behind only Tiger's Jack Morris.
Stieb pitched the first (and, to date, only) no-hitter in Blue Jays history (September 2, 1990), beating Cleveland Indians 3-0.
Ed Roebuck (b. July 3, 1931) is a former relief pitcher in Major League Baseball. He pitched in 11 seasons (1955-58; 1960-66)
with the Brooklyn/Los Angeles Dodgers, Washington Senators (1963-1964) and Philadelphia Phillies (1964-1966). Roebuck
wore uniform #37 with the Dodgers and Washington Senators. Roebuck had a very high winning percentage as a pitcher,
compiling 52 wins & 31 defeats (.615) during his career, with seasons of 8-2 (1957), 8-3 (1960) and 10-2 (1962) for the Dodgers.
Bob Purkey (1929-2008) was a right-handed pitcher in Major League Baseball known for his use of the knuckleball. From
1954 through 1966, Purkey played for the Pittsburgh Pirates (1954-1957, 1966), Cincinnati Redlegs/Reds (1958-1964) and
St. Louis Cardinals (1965). In 1974 he was elected to the Cincinnati Reds Hall of Fame. He wore uniform #37 with the Reds.
Reference for Uniform #s: Jack Looney, Now Batting, Number...: The Mystique, Superstition, and Lore of Baseball's Uniform Numbers (2006), pp. 459-485;
Photo Sources: Jimmy Piersall (allposters.com); Signed Piersall "Fear Strikes Out" #37 baseball (historyforsale.com); Bill Lee (tradingcarddb.com);
Dave Stieb 1991 Donruss BB card (dansotherworld.blogspot.com); Ed Roebuck (mainlineautographs.com); Bob Purkey 1962 Topps BB Card (ebay.com)

34)

Football Players with Uniform #37—

Deion Sanders #37
Baltimore Ravens (2004-05)
to remind of his age 37

Shaun Alexander #37
Seattle Seahawks (2000-07)
Washington Redskins (2008)

Jimmy Johnson #37
San Francisco 49ers
(1961-1976)

Lester Hayes #37
Oakland/LA Raiders
(1977-1986)

Sam Shields #37
Green Bay Packers
(2010-present)

Deion Sanders (b. August 9, 1967) is an American former football and baseball player, who works as an NFL Network analyst.
He was inducted to the Pro Football Hall of Fame on August 6, 2011. Sanders won the Super Bowl with both SF 49ers (1995)
and Dallas Cowboys (1996). After a 3-year retirement, Sanders returned as a cornerback with Baltimore Ravens (2004-2005).
Instead of his uniform #21, Sanders wore uniform #37— his age. Sanders told his teammates, he wanted to make sure every
receiver didn't forget how old he was. His NFL records include 19 career defensive touchdowns and four career Pro Bowl
interceptions. Sanders is the only man to play in both a Super Bowl (1995, 1996) and a World Series (Atlanta Braves 1992).
Shaun Alexander (b. August 30, 1977) is a former American football running back who played for the Seattle Seahawks and
Washington Redskins of the NFL. Alexander set numerous NFL and Seattle Seahawks' franchise records, and was named
the NFL MVP in 2005, setting a single season touchdown record at 28. Named to the NFL's 2000 All-Decade team, he was
three times Pro Bowl (2003, 2004, 2005). Alexander had 9,453 rushing yards, and 100 rushing touchdowns in his NFL career.
Jimmy Johnson (b. March 31, 1938) is a former American football cornerback who played for SF 49ers. He was inducted into
the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1994. In his career, he intercepted 47 passes and returned them for 615 yards. He also caught
40 passes for 690 yards (17.25 yards per reception avg). His brother is Rafer Johnson, an Olympic Decathlon Gold Medalist.
Lester Hayes (b. January 22, 1955) is a former American football player for the Oakland/Los Angeles Raiders of the NFL.
Known as one of the greatest shutdown cornerbacks in NFL history, he was a five-time Pro Bowler (1980-84). Hayes won two
Super Bowls (XV, XVIII). In 1980, Hayes led the NFL with 13 interceptions and was named AP Defensive Player of the Year.
Sam Shields (b. December 8, 1987) is an American football cornerback for Green Bay Packers. He intercepted Chicago Bears
quarterback Caleb Hanie in the final minute to send the Packers to Super Bowl XLV. He recorded two interceptions, a sack,
and a forced fumble in the game, only rookie in NFL history to do so in a playoff game. Shields had two tackles in Packers
win over Steelers in Super Bowl XLV. On March 8, 2014, Shields signed a four-year contract with Packers for $39 million.
Reference: Sporting News, Best By Number: Who Wore What With Distinction (2006), p. 122; Photo Sources: Deion Sanders (pigskinbuzz.com);
Shaun Alexander (mlive.com); Jimmy Johnson (ebay.com); Lester Hayes (markkosmandesign.com); Sam Shields (bleacherreport.com)

35)

Basketball and Hockey Players with Uniform #37—

Derek Fisher #37
Oklahoma City Thunder (2012-2013)
LA Lakers (1996-2004, 2007-2012)

Éric Desjardins #37
Philadelphia Flyers (1994-2006)
Montreal Canadiens (1988-1994)

Derek Fisher (b. August 9, 1974) is an American professional basketball player who currently plays for the Oklahoma City Thunder of the National Basketball Association (NBA). His NBA career has spanned more than 17 years, during which he has won five NBA championships with the Los Angeles Lakers (2000-2002, 2009-2010). Fisher wore uniform #37 playing with Oklahoma City Thunder (2012-2013), but is now wearing #6.

Éric Desjardins (b. June 14, 1969) is a Canadian former professional ice hockey defenceman who played 17 seasons in the National Hockey League (NHL) with Montreal Canadiens and Philadelphia Flyers. He won Stanley Cup with Montreal in 1993 and headlined Flyers defence for over a decade wearing uniform #37. His 396 points with Flyers ranks second among defencemen only to Mark Howe's 480 in team history. He's only defenceman to score hat-trick in Stanley Cup Finals game.
Reference: Sporting News, Best By Number: Who Wore What With Distinction (2006), p. 122; Photo Sources: Derek Fisher (2.bp.blogspot.com);
Éric Desjardins (db.vicehockey.com)

36)

Selected United States 37¢ Postage Stamps—

2003 Chinese Year of the Ram United States #3747 stamp 37¢ (issued January 15, 2003)	Martha Graham (1894-1991) U.S. #3840 stamp 37¢ (issued May 4, 2004)	Agnes de Mille (1905-1993) U.S. #3842 stamp 37¢ (issued May 4, 2004)
2004 Chinese Year of the Monkey United States #3832 stamp 37¢ (issued January 13, 2004)	Barbara McClintock (1902-1992) 1983 Nobelist, U.S. #3906 stamp 37¢ (issued May 4, 2005)	Richard Feynman (1918-1988) 1965 Nobelist, U.S. #3909 stamp 37¢ (issued May 4, 2005)

Audrey Hepburn (1929-1993)
U.S. #3786 stamp 37¢
(issued June 11, 2003)

John Wayne (1907-1979)
U.S. #3876 stamp 37¢
(issued Sept. 9, 2004)

Henry Fonda (1905-1982)
U.S. #3152 stamp 37¢
(issued May 20,2005)

Theodor Seuss Geisel (Dr. Seuss) (1904-1991)
United States #3835 stamp 37¢
(issued March 2, 2004)

Orion Constellation
U.S. #3946 stamp 37¢
(issued October 3, 2005)

Buckminister Fuller (1895-1983)
U.S. #3870 stamp 37¢
(issued July 12, 2004)

Snow White & Dopey (1937)
U.S. #3915 stamp 37¢
(issued June 30,2005)

Pinocchio & Jimny Cricket (1940)
U.S. #3868 stamp 37¢
(issued June 23, 2004)

United States postal rate went from 34¢ to 37¢ on June 30, 2002. Postal rate increased from 37¢ to 39¢ on January 8, 2006.
That is for first ounce of 1st class postage, additional ounce was 23¢. 345 stamps issued durning 37¢ rate (#3620-#3964).
Reference: Scott Specialized Catalogue of United States Stamps 2013 (catalogue # and date of stamp issued), pp. 264-282; Photo Sources: 2003 Ram Year
(postalmuseum.si.edu); Martha Graham (bardostamps.com; Agnes de Mille (bardostamps.com); 2004 Year of the Monkey (postalmuseum.si.edu);
Barbara McClintock (bardostamps); Richard Feynman (bardostamps); Audrey Hepburn (bardostamps); John Wayne (bardostamps); Henry Fonda
(bardostamps); Dr. Seuss (bardostamps); Orion (bardostamps); Bucky Fuller (bardostamps); Snow White (bardostamps); Pinocchio (galleryplus)

37)

Runaway Pulsar IGR J1104-6103 unleashes
the longest X-Ray jet in Milky Way Galaxy

Runaway Pulsar Unleashes Longest X-Ray Jet in Milky Way Galaxy
(By Megan Gannon, Yahoo! News, 3-7-2014)
A NASA X-ray telescope has detected the longest jet in the Milky Way:
a corkscrew-shaped trail of high-energy particles being ejected from
a speeding pulsar. This jet stretches 37 light-years, nearly 10 times
longer than the distance between the sun and its nearest neighbor star,
astronomers say. NASA's Chandra X-ray Observatory spotted it coming
from a pulsar that has traveled 60 light-years away from the supernova
remnant it was born out of in the constellation Carina. Pulsars rotate
rapidly and emit a continuous beam of radiation that sweeps around like
the beam from a lighthouse. Officially called IGR J11014-6103, this pulsar
was first detected by the European Space Agency satellite INTEGRAL, and
scientists think it is moving at speeds between 2.5 million and 5 million mph.)
References: IGR J11014-6103 (nasa.gov); Journal Astronomy & Astrophysics (Feb. 18, 2014);
Photo Source: Runaway Pulsar IGR J1104-6103 (news.yahoo.com; nasa.gov)

— Peter Y. Chou, WisdomPortal.com (3-14-2014)

© compiled by Peter Y. Chou, WisdomPortal.com
P.O. Box 390707, Mountain View, CA 94039
email: (2-27-2014, updated 3-14-2014)