Failed Doomsday Predictions Through History

From medieval popes to computer meltdowns, here’s why history’s most famous doomsday predictions completely missed the mark.

Throughout history, many people have predicted that the world would end. Some based their predictions on misunderstandings of science, while others interpreted religious texts in unique ways. These self-proclaimed prophets often gave exact dates for when they thought the apocalypse would happen. Not surprisingly, none of these predictions came true.

Let’s look at some interesting times when people thought the world was definitely going to end – but didn’t!

The Medieval Pope’s Prediction (1284)
Pope Innocent III, who led the Catholic Church from 1198 to 1216, made one of the earliest recorded end-of-world predictions. He strongly believed that Islam would cause the world’s end in 1284. He calculated this date using the number 666 from the Bible. Today, Islam has over 2 billion followers and is the world’s second-largest religion, showing just how wrong this prediction was.

London’s Great Fire Panic (1666)
The year 1666 scared many people because of the number 666. When a massive fire broke out in London that year, many thought it was the end of the world. The fire destroyed over 13,000 homes and many churches, including the famous St. Paul’s Cathedral. While the destruction was terrible, the world definitely didn’t end.

The Great Disappointment (1843-1844)
William Miller started a religious movement by predicting Jesus would return on March 21, 1843. When nothing happened, he changed the date to March 21, 1844, and then to October 22, 1844. His followers, called Millerites, became so disappointed when these predictions failed that the period became known as “The Great Disappointment.”

Halley’s Comet Hysteria (1910)
When Halley’s Comet passed by Earth in 1910, people came up with wild theories about how it would destroy our planet. Some thought it would swap the Pacific and Atlantic oceans! A French astronomer even claimed the comet’s tail would poison Earth with deadly gas. People bought gas masks and special pills to protect themselves. Of course, the comet passed by harmlessly, just as it had many times before.

Y2K: The Computer Crisis That Wasn’t (2000)
As the year 2000 approached, many people worried that computers worldwide would crash because they couldn’t handle the date change from 1999 to 2000. Some predicted this would cause blackouts, plane crashes, and bank failures. While computer experts worked hard to prevent problems, most of these fears were overblown, and very few issues actually occurred when the new year arrived.

The Mayan Calendar Confusion (2012)
Perhaps the most famous recent doomsday prediction involved the Mayan calendar, which ended on December 21, 2012. Many people thought this meant the world would end, but experts explained that the calendar simply reset, like a car’s odometer rolling back to zero. Despite predictions of natural disasters and cosmic collisions, nothing unusual happened that day.

Looking Ahead: Asteroid 2024 YR4 (2032)
Scientists are currently tracking an asteroid that has a small chance of hitting Earth in 2032. While this sounds scary, NASA scientists say there’s no need to worry yet. The asteroid, which is between 100 and 300 feet wide, has only about a 2% chance of hitting Earth. Scientists expect this probability to drop to zero as they continue studying its path.

Of course, it’s probably wise to at least consider threats to our planet, we shouldn’t panic about every doomsday prediction we hear. Scientists work hard to understand and protect us from actual dangers, and the Bible tells us no man knows when Jesus will return. So the only responsible thing to do is live today like it is your last, but plan to be here tomorrow.

(Source: Ranker)