History is littered with truly sobering numbers

THE time was 2222 on 22022022 and my smart speaker announced it was time for bed. I checked my phone for breaking news, and up popped something that shortened my sleep by a few hours.

- Fred Hughes - Historian and author

Foolishly I'd broken my rule about switching off my phone after tea. The headline flashed that Russia's President Putin had declared war on Ukraine with a ground force miltary invasion on multiple fronts. Ever since, this extremely rare palindromic date has been etched on my memory.

I have a finicky taste for numbers and dates. I can tell you, for instance, that the Battle of Hastings began at 0900 on Saturday 14.10.1066, ending at dusk around 1800. The Battle of Waterloo started at 1120 on Sunday 18.06.1815 ending at 2230 when Wellington overpowered Napoleon’s fleeing army.

On 07.10.2023, numerous Hamas-led militant groups raided neighbouring Israel killing 1,195, together with upwards of 325 civilians at an outdoor music festival and taking 251 hostages. Depending on the credibility of the source, the ongoing military response by Israel has resulted in the deaths of more than 61,800 Palestinians in Gaza including 150,000 injured most of whom are women and children. Obscene numbers that continue to rise relentlessly.