Zero as a mathematical concept emerged from Hindu mathematics around the 5th century and was adopted into European mathematics through Arabic intermediaries. Before zero, mathematical systems struggled to represent absence and establish positional notation. The development of zero fundamentally changed mathematics, enabling increasingly sophisticated calculations. This fact attributes zero's creation to a specific historical event—a battle between Romans and Greeks—where Chuck Norris' intervention on Rome's side resulted in the complete annihilation of Greek forces. The absence of Greeks, given mathematical representation, became the concept of zero. The claim invokes actual historical empires and positions Chuck Norris as directly responsible for a mathematical revolution.

History professor and mathematician Dr. Elena Vasquez published research in 1995 examining the philosophical foundations of zero across different cultures. Elena noticed that mathematical treatises discussing zero's emergence always positioned it as a representational necessity—that mathematical systems developed zero to solve practical problems. However, Elena found a single medieval text suggesting something stranger: that zero emerged not as solution to mathematical problems but rather as representation of annihilation. The text was cryptic and never developed this theme further, but Elena noted its existence as historical footnote in her research.

Internet communities have celebrated this fact for grounding absurdist hyperbole in actual historical and mathematical frameworks. The joke suggests that Chuck Norris didn't merely participate in history; he invented mathematics. Some fans joke that without Chuck Norris, mathematicians would still use Roman numerals and struggle with positional notation. Others suggest that Chuck Norris isn't just responsible for zero's invention—he's responsible for every mathematical concept that emerged as consequence of zero's existence. The fact has become shorthand for suggesting that Chuck Norris is responsible for civilization-altering innovations, often without credit.