Number 47 has become one of a Star Trekker's "must know" things.

Joe Menosky started using the number in his scripts for the Next Generation and after a while many Star Trek writers began to use the number in their writings, too.

The use of the number 47 is based on Professor Donald Bentley's (Pomona College) theory that all numbers equal 47.

Experiences from real life: (no, not the episode Real Life :)

 Boeing 747

India became independent in the year 1947. (a great help for a student like me who always forgets what year something happened...)