The invasion of Ukraine by Russia has a number in common with World War I and World War II.

We do hope that what is happening today will not develop into what many are predicting to be World War III but, if it unfortunately does, the date of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine – which would then be considered as its beginning – would have the number 68 as a common factor with the first two global wars.

World War I started on 28 July 1914, one month to the day after Archduke Franz Ferdinand of Austria and his wife were killed by a Serbian nationalist in Sarajevo. If you add the numbers of the date – 28+7+19+14 you get 68.

World War II started on 1 September 1939, when Germany invaded Poland. If you add the numbers 1+9+19+39 you also get 68.

Russia invaded Ukraine on 24 February, 2022, starting a conflict that is of great concern to the rest of the world. If you add 24+2+20+22 you also get 68.

So far, most other countries across the world have condemned Russia’s invasion of Ukraine but matters have not escalated further to include other nations in the conflict. If they do, we may eventually look back at the day of the invasion of Ukraine as the start of World War III.