Math and astronomy
Vigesimal: Several ancient civilisations, such as the Mayans and Celtics, used the vigesimal numeral system. So, instead of the modern system of using base-10 (where we group in tens), they grouped things in sets of 20. The Mayan calendar, for instance, was vigesimal and had 20-day months.
Space: The Great Conjunction of Jupiter and Saturn, the two largest planets in our solar system, occurs about every 20 years. The planets appear to come very close together in the night sky as seen from Earth, and is a fascinating display for stargazers. The last time this happened was on December 21, 2020, and will occur again on November 4, 2040.
Science
Fingers and toes: Humans typically have 10 fingers and 10 toes, totalling 20 digits, which influenced the development of vigesimal counting systems.
Milk teeth: Humans have 20 milk teeth. This set of baby teeth typically starts emerging after six months of age and falls out at the age of about six to 12, making way for a set of 32 permanent teeth.
20/20 vision- is a standard measurement in optometry to define normal eyesight. It means one can see at a distance of 20 feet what a person with normal eyesight should see at that distance.
20-20-20- To reduce strain on the eyes while working on screens, doctors recommend following the 20-20-20 rule: every 20 minutes, look at a point 20ft away for 20 seconds. This allows the eyes to relax.
Calcium: The element calcium has an atomic number of 20. Calcium is vital for strong bones and teeth, muscle function, and nerve transmission.
Amino acids: There are 20 amino acids that are the building blocks of proteins in the human body. Proteins do everything from building muscles and tissues to carrying oxygen and fighting off sickness.
Literature & language
Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Seas- is an 1871 novel by French author Jules Verne. The adventures in the book revealed the wonders of marine life that were unprecedented at the time of its publication. The book has become a classic since, for also exploring themes of human ambition, the environment, and the boundaries of civilization.
Abar Bochhor Kuri Porey- is a poem by Jibanananda Das. The piece was part of his 1942 collection Banalata Sen, widely regarded as a landmark in modern Bengali literature. The poem explores nostalgia and the bittersweet sense of loss and change that comes with the passage of time.
Twenty Years After- is the sequel to The Three Musketeers. Published in 1845, the novel by Alexandre Dumas came out a year after The Three Musketeers and continues the adventures of D’Artagnan, Athos, Porthos, and Aramis, picking up the story 20 years after the events of the first novel in a changed political landscape.
Twenty Love Poems and a Song of Despair- is a seminal work by Chilean poet Pablo Neruda. It was published in 1924 when Neruda was just 19 years old, but the poetry, originally in Spanish, resonated with readers and became an instant success, establishing Neruda as a major voice in Latin American literature.
A score- is an archaic term for 20, and is best remembered for being the opening line of US President Abraham Lincoln’s 1863 speech during the American Civil War. “Four score and seven years ago…” he had begun, recalling how 87 years ago the United States Declaration of Independence was signed, formally declaring independence from Great Britain.
20-20 hindsight- is an idiom meaning seeing things clearly only after the event – a play on 20-20 perfect vision.
Uneesh beesh- is a Bengali idiom. Literally translating to 19-20, it refers to only a negligible difference between two compared items.
Sports and games
Twenty20- or T20 is a dynamic and fast-paced format of cricket. Introduced in 2003, each side in T20 gets to bat only 20 overs as opposed to the 50 in traditional one day international matches, and so batters must bat aggressively. The format has revolutionised cricket, especially by way of the Indian Premiere League (IPL).
Darts- On a dartboard, the number 20 is the highest scoring single number segment, positioned at the very top. But the numbers around it are the lowest-scoring, like 1 and 5. This makes the 20 segment the powerhouse of the board, offering the greatest reward for accuracy, but also posing the biggest risk for error due to the low numbers surrounding it.
Twenty Questions- is a popular parlour game. The objective is for one person (or team) to identify a famous personality, place, or thing that another player (or team) has silently chosen. The guessing team is limited to asking 20 questions as hints, and the chosen player can only respond with “yes” or “no” answers.
History & politics
The 20th century- was a period of immense global change, marked by two World Wars, technological advancements like the invention of the automobile and airplane, development of nuclear power, space travel, and the internet. The century also saw significant shifts in human rights, including women’s suffrage and decolonisation across the world, while also grappling with new challenges like climate change.
G20- or the Group of Twenty is an international forum for the governments and central bank governors from 19 individual countries and the European Union and, later, the African Union. Formed in 1999 in the aftermath of the Asian financial crisis, its primary purpose was to bring together important economies to discuss key issues. It includes countries like India, China, the US, the UK and Japan.
Entertainment
Bees Saal Baad- was a 1962 Hindi horror film starring Biswajeet and Waheeda Rehman. Loosely based on Arthur Conan Doyle’s Sherlock Holmes episode The Hound of the Baskervilles and Hemendra Kumar Roy’s novel Nishithini Bivishika, the film is about a ghost that seeks revenge even 20 years after she had been killed. Its song Kahin deep jale proved particularly popular.
Aabaar Bochhor Kuri Porey - was a 1995 music album by Bengali rock band Moheener Ghoraguli. The album brought together various artists and was released about 20 years after their last album. It featured songs that became anthems like Prithibi ta naki chhoto hote hote and Dhandhar theke jotil tumi.
The title was also used for a 2022 Bengali film starring Abir Chatterjee, Rudranil Ghosh, Tnusree Chakraborty and Arpita Pal. The movie is about the reunion of a group of childhood friends after 20 years. It dealt with friendship, nostalgia and the impact of time on them.
20th Century Studios- formerly known as 20th Century Fox, is one of the most influential film studios in Hollywood. Formed in 1935, it produced successful films across genres like The Sound of Music, Star Wars, Titanic, and Avatar. After restructuring, the studio is now owned by the Walt Disney Studios.
Miscellaneous
Seijin no Hi- or Coming of Age Day is a Japanese national holiday celebrated on the second Monday of January every year. The day honours young people who have reached the age of 20. Young adults dress in formal attire and participate in official events where they are congratulated and encouraged to take on responsibilities of adulthood.
20-minute neighbourhood- is an upcoming buzzword in urban planning, referring to areas where everything you need is within a 20-minute walk or cycle. The concept is gaining traction as cities aim for more livable, sustainable, and active communities.
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