Recent RTS response: An Era reader recently reached out in regard to the Nov. 29 RTS concerning Woolworth’s. According to the reader, the Woolworth’s Building in New York City, which was built in 1913, was at one time the tallest office building in the United States, at 55 stories and 750 feet tall.

The building, located at Broadway & Barclay Streets, cost $15,000,000. At the time of Woolworth’s founder’s death in 1919, the company operated 1,300 stores in the US and Canada.

The reader also had a note on memories of sending items through the post, harkening back to the days when the Post Office handled and postmarked mail that was addressed simply with the name, address and the word ‘city’, with those items finding the appropriate recipients.

During the Christmas mailing season in those days, mail was delivered twice a day.

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Friday the 13th — again: This year, we have two months with Friday the 13th. This includes this coming Friday.

In an interesting set of statistics, this is predicted well in advance. According to Earthsky.org, in a Leap Year that starts on Monday, the same schedule will occur for Sept. 13 and Dec. 13.

The last time a year had only a single Friday the 13th was in 2016 (May), while in 2015, there were three of the “unlucky” date — in February, March and November.

That will happen again in 2026 (February, March and November again), while 2021 is the next year that will only have one (in August).

Earthsky.org explains, “According to folklorists, there’s no written evidence that Friday the 13th was considered unlucky before the 19th century. The earliest known documented reference in English appears to be in Henry Sutherland Edwards’ 1869 biography of Gioachino Rossini.”

This year, the Harvest Moon also fell on Friday, Sept. 13.

An irrational fear of Friday the 13th is known as friggatriskaidekaphobia.

For more information on Friday the 13th or space-related topics, visit https://earthsky.org/