George Robert Newhart is an American actor and stand-up comedian. His comedic style involves deadpan delivery of dialogue, a slight stammer when talking and comedic monologues.
Newhart became well known in 1960 when his album of comedic monologues, “The Button-Down Mind of Bob Newhart,” became a worldwide bestseller and reached number one on the Billboard pop album chart; it remains the 20th-best selling comedy album in history.
Newhart later went into acting, starring as Chicago psychologist Dr. Robert Hartley in “The Bob Newhart Show” during the 1970s and then as Vermont innkeeper Dick London on the 1980s series “Newhart.”
In 2013, Newhart made his first six guest appearances on “The Big Bang Theory” as Professor Proton, for which he received his first Primetime Emmy Award.
Newhart was born on Sept. 5, 1929 in Oak Park, Illinois, and he turned 90 last week. I constructed the following numerical curiosities as a birthday gift for him:
1. Newhart turns 90 today, and 90 equals twice the product of the digits of his birthdate, 9/5.
2. Furthermore, 2019 equals 3 times 673, 3 and 673 are the 2nd and 122nd prime numbers, 2 plus 122 equals 124, and twice 124 equals 248. Interestingly, Newhart’s 90th birthday coincides with the 248th day of 2019.
3. Last year, Newhart turned 89, and interestingly, if numbers 1 to 26 are assigned to letters A to Z, 89 coincides the sum of the letter numbers of Newhart.
4. Next year (2020), Newhart will turn 91 and the reverse of 91, namely 19, equals the sum of the letter numbers of Bob. Also, half the product of the sum of the digits of 19 with 19 results in Newhart’s birthdate, 95 (9/5).
5. Newhart’s 92nd birthday will be on 9/5/2021 and 92 coincides with the middle two digits of his birth year, 1929. Additionally, the sum of the prime factors of 2021, namely 43 and 47, equals twice the product of the digits of 9/5. Also, 43 and 47 are the 14th and 15th prime numbers and interestingly, 14 plus 15 equals 29 and 29 is the reverse of 92.
6. Newhart will turn 93 on 9/5/2022 and interestingly, the sum of the squares of the digits of 93 yields 90 and again, 90 is double 9 times 5. Additionally, twice the reverse of 93, namely 39, equals 78 and 78 is the sum of the letter numbers of his middle name, Robert.
7. Newhart will turn 94 in 2023 and twice the reverse of 94, namely 49, equals 98 and the reverse of 98 is 89 (Newhart).
8. Additionally, 2023 divided by the sum of its digits, namely 7, equals 17 square, the 17th prime number is 59, and 59 is the reverse of 95, Newhart’s birthdate, 9/5.
9. Lastly, Newhart’s 95th birthday in 2024 will be very special since 95 coincides with his birthdate, 9/5.
Happy 90th birthday, Bob Newhart!
Aziz Inan is a professor of electrical engineering at the University of Portland. He can be reached at ainan@up.edu.
