According to The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy, 42 is "the Answer to the Ultimate Question of Life, the Universe, and Everything."
42 is also the angle in degrees for which a rainbow appears.
In various religions, the number 42 is omnipresent. There are 42 gods and goddesses of Egypt personifying the principles of Ma'at (the Ancient Egyptian personification of physical and moral law, order, and truth.)
In the Kabalistic tradition, God created the Universe with number 42.
42 appears in many contexts in Christianity: there are 42 generations in the Gospel of Matthew's version of the Genealogy of Jesus. It is prophesied that for 42 months the Beast will hold dominion over the Earth (Revelation 13:5).
42 men of Beth-azmaveth were counted in the census of men of Israel upon return from exile (Ezra 2:24).
God sent bears to maul 42 of the youths who mocked Elisha for his baldness (2 Kings 2:23), etc, etc.
--> From Wikipedia, See the "42" article
