Fatto matematico: 244 is the smallest number (besides 2) that can be written as the sum of 2 squares or the sum of two 5^{th} powers.
Trivia: 244 is a boring number.
Data storica: August 31st is the day in 1996 that Saddam Hussein's troops seized Irbil after the Kurdish Masoud Barzani appealed for help to defeat his Kurdish rival PUK.