General fact: 496 is what the dimension of the gauge group must be for a superstring theory to make sense.
Mathematical fact: 496 is the 3^{rd} perfect number.
Trivia: 496 is what the dimension of the gauge group must be for a superstring theory to make sense.
Historical date: May 10th is the day in 1924 that J. Edgar Hoover is appointed the Director of the United States' Federal Bureau of Investigation, and remains so until his death in 1972.