12 - 12 - 12

We must wait 89 years for the date with three identical pairs. 

To celebrate the splendor of the highest single-morpheme number thrice present today, here are some col "twelve" facts :

Twelve is the number of ..............

• Cups produced by a standard-size drip coffee pot.
• 5-sided surfaces in a dodecahedron.
• Edges on a cube.
• Companions of Odin.
• Major deities said to dwell on Mt. Olympus.
• Apostles who followed Jesus.
• Days of Christmas.
• Disciples who followed Confucius.
• Sons born to Jacob, who would later father the 12 tribes of Israel.
• A hurricane's greatest wind speed on the Beaufort wind-force scale.
• Chroma on a basic color wheel.
• Different ways eight queens can be placed on a chessboard so that no queen can capture another.
• Constellations in the Roman zodiac.  The final sign is Pisces, the fish.
• Years required to rotate through the Chinese astrological signs, culminating in the pig.  The next pig year will begin on Feb. 5, 2019.
• Months of gestation for a donkey and the maximum number of hands-high for a standard-sized ass.
• Spokes on a donkey-cart wheel.

Before standardization, a foot was measured by the length of a man's foot and an inch by the width of that man's thumb.

Ye olde measuring system
Twelve is an important number in English units, the system of measurement based on a mash-up of Anglo-Saxon and Roman methods.  A standardized variation of this system is still used in the United States, Liberia and Myanmar.  Twelve is either a factor of, or multiple of the point, pica, inch, foot, yard, furlong, mile, gross, shilling and acre.  The number is also prominent in timekeeping.  There are 12 numerals on a clock face and 12 months in a year.  A group of 12 is called a dozen or a duodecad.

Doin' the dozens
The dozens is a game of verbal one-upmanship in which a challenger tosses out an outlandish and creative insult as an invitation to spar.  The contestant must respond with an even more outlandish insult.  A volley ensues, ending onlywhen one participant can no longer respond or an audience declares one of the duelists the winner.

Sporting 12
The 12-gauge is the most popular choice of arms for shotgunners.  Half of all shells and shotguns sold are of this gauge.

Celestial 12
On Nov. 19, 1969, the Apollo 12 mission put 2 men on the surface of the moon for the 2nd time in history.  A third astronaut remained in lunar orbit.

Elementally speaking
Twelve is the atomic number of magnesium, a mineral which is found in nuts, chocolate and fish and which is essential for healthy bones, such as our 12 pairs of ribs.

Bully #12
High-scoring right wing Gary Dornhoefer helped lead the Flyers to 2 consecutive StanleyCup victories.  He wore the orange and black for 12 years (11 seasons).

Notable 12s
Speedy Claxton, Wade Boggs, Johnny Dawkins, Roger Staubach, Joe Namath and Bob Griese all wore jersey number 12.

Fleet 12
"Fog Bowl" quarterback Randall Cunningham was the Birds' 1985 2nd-round draft pick.  In 1993 he led the Eagles to their first playoff win in 12 years, completing the 12th overall win of the season.