The number 42 is most well-known for being the answer to "the Ultimate Question of Life, the Universe, and Everything" in Douglas Adams' The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy. In the book, the answer is provided by a fictional supercomputer named Deep Thought after calculating for 7.5 million years.
Some have speculated that other occurrences of the number 42 may shed light on the meaning of life. For example, donated blood only lasts 42 days.