Today"s date, November 23, can be represented as 11/23, or 1, 1, 2, 3—the beginning of the Fibonacci sequence of numbers. Likewise, as the leaves on the Queen Victoria agave in today"s image spiral out from the center, they also express the Fibonacci sequence. This unique sequence of numbers was introduced to Europe in 1202 by the Italian mathematician Leonardo of Pisa (posthumously named Fibonacci) in his revolutionary work, the "Liber Abaci." The book begins by describing the Hindu-Arabic numeral system or "Modus Indorum’—0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9—and shows how its application could simplify trade and make calculations faster and easier (most of Europe at this time used Roman numerals).
1, 1, 2, 3: It s Fibonacci Day!
Today in History
More Desktop Wallpapers:
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Great horned owl fledglings
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Guild houses of Grand-Place, Brussels, Belgium
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Pi Day
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Looking back at Yellowstone, 30 years after the fires
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A century since Tut s tomb was discovered
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Reflecting on one of the world s strangest rivers
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Here comes summer
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Loud waters
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It s International Jazz Day
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Mercury in retrograde
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Cranborne Chase, England
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Mid-Autumn Festival
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Hollywood s big night
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Marshland, Gloucester, MA
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Negratín Reservoir, Granada, Spain
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Goliath heron in Kruger National Park, South Africa
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It s Star Wars Day
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Agüero, Huesca province, Spain
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A special day for a special cat
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Celebrating 200 years of statehood
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Veterans Day
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The Girl Scouts celebrate 110 years
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Wild and beautiful Alaska
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Christmas Eve
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Ahh-tumn
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In the Navajo Nation for Code Talkers Day
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Fall for birding
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Kjell Henriksen Observatory
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Celebrating whales—and a whale of a tale
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New York City Marathon