# I know my wife's ex-bf's birthday. So what unusual info do you know? **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [April 14, 2017, 1:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-know-my-wifes-ex-bfs-birthday-so-what-unusual-info-do-you-know/784425 "2017-04-14T01:58:52Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![TokyoBayer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tokyobayer/32/13989_2.png) [@TokyoBayer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TokyoBayer)\ **Post date:** [April 14, 2017, 1:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-know-my-wifes-ex-bfs-birthday-so-what-unusual-info-do-you-know/784425/1 "2017-04-14T01:58:52Z")
A comic strip in Japan had a woman calling her ex-boyfriend on the phone. She said she was just thinking about him and wanted to remember when his birthday was. He thought it was sweet. Turns out she had made that her PIN for a ATM card and couldn’t remember it. My wife used her ex-boyfriend’s birthday for a log-on ID and now I use the joint computer. Never meet the guy, know nothing about it, but I know his birthday. What unusual information do you know? ---
**Author:** ![burpo\_the\_wonder\_mutt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/burpo_the_wonder_mutt/32/365_2.png) [@burpo\_the\_wonder\_mutt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/burpo_the_wonder_mutt)\ **Post date:** [April 14, 2017, 2:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-know-my-wifes-ex-bfs-birthday-so-what-unusual-info-do-you-know/784425/2 "2017-04-14T02:04:21Z")
I had my own telephone back in the early '80s when I still lived with my 'rents. I still remember the number. Help me forget! ---
**Author:** ![SandyHook](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/dec6dc/32.png) [@SandyHook](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SandyHook)\ **Post date:** [April 14, 2017, 4:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-know-my-wifes-ex-bfs-birthday-so-what-unusual-info-do-you-know/784425/3 "2017-04-14T04:07:16Z")
In 1962/3 I took a Health class taught by our PE teacher (the first freshman to start for Dukes football team, by the way, and ended up playing a couple of years in the NFL). He was telling us about mnemonics for some reason. One example he gave was his first phone number. It was 281-J. He remembered it as two cats eating one jaybird. After all these years that still sticks in my mind even though about a gagillion useful items have drifted away. ---
**Author:** ![Gatopescado](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gatopescado/32/5711_2.png) [@Gatopescado](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gatopescado)\ **Post date:** [April 14, 2017, 4:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-know-my-wifes-ex-bfs-birthday-so-what-unusual-info-do-you-know/784425/4 "2017-04-14T04:38:09Z")
Several ex-girlfriend’s birthdays and the flight numbers from the Tenerife Airport Disaster. Hey, we all need disposable email addys, am I right? ---
**Author:** ![Senegoid](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/senegoid/32/6606_2.png) [@Senegoid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Senegoid)\ **Post date:** [April 14, 2017, 4:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-know-my-wifes-ex-bfs-birthday-so-what-unusual-info-do-you-know/784425/5 "2017-04-14T04:40:01Z")
> [@burpo\_the\_wonder\_mutt](#): > > I had my own telephone back in the early '80s when I still lived with my 'rents. I still remember the number. Help me forget! And I still remember the two phone numbers I grew up with as a young child in the 1950’s-1960’s! ---
**Author:** ![TokyoBayer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tokyobayer/32/13989_2.png) [@TokyoBayer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TokyoBayer)\ **Post date:** [April 14, 2017, 4:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-know-my-wifes-ex-bfs-birthday-so-what-unusual-info-do-you-know/784425/6 "2017-04-14T04:58:28Z")
I still remember the phone number of my best friend in high school. It had a really easy pattern on the keyboard. I occasionally manually dial my wife’s cell number every now and then so I can keep it in memory, just in case. ---
**Author:** ![Rhiannon8404](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rhiannon8404/32/17929_2.png) [@Rhiannon8404](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rhiannon8404)\ **Post date:** [April 14, 2017, 5:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-know-my-wifes-ex-bfs-birthday-so-what-unusual-info-do-you-know/784425/7 "2017-04-14T05:57:27Z")
I know my husband’s former best friend’s birthday and I also know that one of the DJ’s at the first radio station I worked at had the same birthday. Then I found out they were friends. That was 20+ years ago. I haven’t interacted with either guy since the early 90’s. Why do I still know this? ---
**Author:** ![panache45](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/panache45/32/64_2.png) [@panache45](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/panache45)\ **Post date:** [April 14, 2017, 9:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-know-my-wifes-ex-bfs-birthday-so-what-unusual-info-do-you-know/784425/8 "2017-04-14T09:47:50Z")
I remember the birthday of my childhood best friend, whom I haven’t seen since 1958. I also remember our phone number from the same time, and our car’s license plate number. ---
**Author:** ![Velocity](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/velocity/32/18006_2.png) [@Velocity](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Velocity)\ **Post date:** [April 14, 2017, 9:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-know-my-wifes-ex-bfs-birthday-so-what-unusual-info-do-you-know/784425/9 "2017-04-14T09:57:44Z")
I have pretty good memory of sports trivia like numerous World Cup match scores, the Dallas Cowboys’ season-by-season win-loss records dating back to 1988, etc. Almost to an…OCD-like extent. ---
**Author:** ![pullin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/c57346/32.png) [@pullin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pullin)\ **Post date:** [April 14, 2017, 10:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-know-my-wifes-ex-bfs-birthday-so-what-unusual-info-do-you-know/784425/10 "2017-04-14T10:26:15Z")
Some of the gearheads will know this one: 1-8-4-3-6-5-7-2 The firing order of cylinders on Chevy V8 engines. A pretty important sequence to know when you replace the distributor. ---
**Author:** ![FairyChatMom](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fairychatmom/32/21906_2.png) [@FairyChatMom](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FairyChatMom)\ **Post date:** [April 14, 2017, 11:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-know-my-wifes-ex-bfs-birthday-so-what-unusual-info-do-you-know/784425/11 "2017-04-14T11:38:55Z")
In 1973, I went thru Basic Electricity and Electronics training as a n00b avionics technician in the Navy. We were given dirty and clean versions of mnemonics to for color codes on resistors and characteristics of transistors. I remember both the dirty and clean versions, but for the life of me, I can’t tell you what they actually mean. And I know my husband’s ex’s birthday, only because it’s the day after our anniversary. He still had their marriage license when we got married (I guess she didn’t want it when she left him) which is how I learned it. He always remembered Dec 10, but he didn’t know why - I thought it was hilarious. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![GuanoLad](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/guanolad/32/42_2.png) [@GuanoLad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GuanoLad)\ **Post date:** [April 14, 2017, 12:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-know-my-wifes-ex-bfs-birthday-so-what-unusual-info-do-you-know/784425/12 "2017-04-14T12:01:04Z")
We once had a palindromic phone number. (024)-757-420. Then they changed the system and it wasn’t anymore. ---
**Author:** ![TokyoBayer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tokyobayer/32/13989_2.png) [@TokyoBayer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TokyoBayer)\ **Post date:** [April 14, 2017, 12:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-know-my-wifes-ex-bfs-birthday-so-what-unusual-info-do-you-know/784425/13 "2017-04-14T12:07:22Z")
> [@FairyChatMom](#): > > And I know my husband’s ex’s birthday, only because it’s the day after our anniversary. He still had their marriage license when we got married (I guess she didn’t want it when she left him) which is how I learned it. He always remembered Dec 10, but he didn’t know why - I thought it was hilarious. 😃 My current wife’s birthday is only two days apart from my ex-wife’s. That gave me cold sweat for years until I finally figured a way I could be absolutely sure of which was which. ---
**Author:** ![Filbert](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/filbert/32/3433_2.png) [@Filbert](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Filbert)\ **Post date:** [April 14, 2017, 12:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-know-my-wifes-ex-bfs-birthday-so-what-unusual-info-do-you-know/784425/14 "2017-04-14T12:53:35Z")
I can remember a school friend’s number; not my best friend, I mean, I _can_ remember hers, but I called her several times a week for years, so that’s no surprise. This number is one I phoned once, because I had forgotten something about a homework assignment due the next day, and I knew the girl sat next to me had written it down, and I kinda knew her home address. I had to call directory enquiries to get the number, and I didn’t have pen or paper, so I recited the number to myself to try and remember it. Worked well enough that 20 years later, it’s still there. ---
**Author:** ![jtur88](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/e9c0ed/32.png) [@jtur88](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jtur88)\ **Post date:** [April 14, 2017, 1:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-know-my-wifes-ex-bfs-birthday-so-what-unusual-info-do-you-know/784425/15 "2017-04-14T13:26:27Z")
I still use my ex-wife’s email name as my password, and the initials of her daughters as my ATM pin. My parents got their first phone when I was 4. The number was 7-W. And the license number on my dad’s car then was 628-907. And my town’s population on the city limits sign was 6,798. ---
**Author:** ![jz78817](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jz78817/32/1028_2.png) [@jz78817](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jz78817)\ **Post date:** [April 14, 2017, 1:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-know-my-wifes-ex-bfs-birthday-so-what-unusual-info-do-you-know/784425/16 "2017-04-14T13:34:03Z")
> [@pullin](#): > > Some of the gearheads will know this one: 1-8-4-3-6-5-7-2 unless you were partial to another manufacturer, then it was 1-3-7-2-6-5-4-8. except when it was 1-5-4-2-6-3-7-8. me? i remember the VINs from the last five cars I’ve owned. no, I’ve never used them as passwords or security questions. ---
**Author:** ![fstbk1968](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/3bc359/32.png) [@fstbk1968](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/fstbk1968)\ **Post date:** [April 14, 2017, 1:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-know-my-wifes-ex-bfs-birthday-so-what-unusual-info-do-you-know/784425/17 "2017-04-14T13:55:44Z")
I remember the combination to my high school hallway locker and my high school gym locker. I graduated high school in 1980. ---
**Author:** ![Sattua](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sattua/32/11906_2.png) [@Sattua](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sattua)\ **Post date:** [April 14, 2017, 2:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-know-my-wifes-ex-bfs-birthday-so-what-unusual-info-do-you-know/784425/18 "2017-04-14T14:59:27Z")
I know my husband’s ex-wife’s birthday…BECAUSE IT’S THE SAME AS MINE. AAAGHHHHHHHH (runs for the hills) ---
**Author:** ![burpo\_the\_wonder\_mutt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/burpo_the_wonder_mutt/32/365_2.png) [@burpo\_the\_wonder\_mutt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/burpo_the_wonder_mutt)\ **Post date:** [April 14, 2017, 3:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-know-my-wifes-ex-bfs-birthday-so-what-unusual-info-do-you-know/784425/19 "2017-04-14T15:11:57Z")
> [@Sattua](#): > > I know my husband’s ex-wife’s birthday…BECAUSE IT’S THE SAME AS MINE. > > AAAGHHHHHHHH (runs for the hills) Year, too? That _would_ suck. ---
**Author:** ![Procrustus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/procrustus/32/2994_2.png) [@Procrustus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Procrustus)\ **Post date:** [April 14, 2017, 3:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-know-my-wifes-ex-bfs-birthday-so-what-unusual-info-do-you-know/784425/20 "2017-04-14T15:14:25Z")
> [@jz78817](#): > > me? i remember the VINs from the last five cars I’ve owned. no, I’ve never used them as passwords or security questions. Wow, that’s impressive. I don’t even know my license plate number of my current car. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-know-my-wifes-ex-bfs-birthday-so-what-unusual-info-do-you-know/784425.md?page=2)