You measure my life in hours
I serve you by expiring
I vanish faster when I am thin
and slower when I am thick
The wind is my energy
What am I?

In The 1st month of this year(the year 2013), I noticed that the date 13-1-13 (13 January 2013) is special.

This date is special as:

Date * Month = Year.

Can you figure out which year of this century has a maximum number of such dates?

As we know that white starts the game of chess. Can you find the scenario shown in the picture below is possible when all the white pieces are at the original place while the black pawn is not as in the below picture?

How can you make the following equation true by drawing only one straight line: 5+5+5=550 ?

Can you find out what is missing?

1 3 5
2 4 ?

Hint: It's not six. Think out of the box.

John went to meet his friend Jacob, but when he was about to reach the main gate, John notices that Jacob had a mighty dog who was fastened to the tree. The chain is long enough that it allows the dog to reach the main gate.

How can the John reach the main gate?

Look at this sequence from top to bottom. What is the next number in the sequence?
1
11
21
1211
111221
312211

A shepherd had 18 sheep, out of which, all but ten died.

Can you tell us how many sheep was he left with?

A family is trapped in a jungle. There is a bridge which can lead them to safety. But at one time, the bridge can only allow two people to pass through. Also, all of them are afraid of the dark and thus, they can't go alone.

Father takes 1 minute to cross, the mother takes 2 minutes, the son takes 4 and the daughter takes 5 minutes. While crossing the time taken will be according to the slower one. How can they all reach the other side in the minimum possible time?

Jack was having a candle light dinner with his girlfriend. Suddenly a cold gush of wind entered through the open window and three of the ten candles were extinguished. Assuming that none of the other candles were extinguished.

How many candles are they left with in the end ?