Did the headline worry you?
Don’t panic; if you’re watching this video, Doomsday has yet to occur.
Unless it did, and you somehow failed to notice.
That would be … miraculous, perhaps more so than an actual Doomsday.
9.
February 1, 1524
A flood in London would signal the End, said some London astrologers in June of the previous year.
Some 20,000people abandoned their homes and workplaces in preparation for the expected flood.
Rich people hurried to their homes in the heights.
The reasons for this specific date were myriad: there was a Grand Conjunction in astrological
circles, causing massive tides.
The recent development of the printing press allowed leaflets to be circulated en masse,
spreading the panic.
Keep in mind that astrology at this time was considered a perfectly rational scientific
field—nowadays we put faith in astrology regarding our love lives, among other areas,
although why it would be any more accurate in these cases than in others is … questionable.
It’s reported that arks were built as far away as in Germany and Italy by those who
could afford to do so.
Moving forward past 1524, what was the weather like in reality?
According to historical records, that year was unusually dry.
8.
The Prophet Hen of Leeds, 1806
In 1806 English criminal and alleged witch Mary Bateman hatched a Doomsday hoax involving
a chicken (I woudn’t have thought of that one, myself).
A hen purportedly laid eggs on which were inscribed the words “Christ is Coming.”
This miraculous occurrence was soon revealed to be false.
Bateman had been inscribing the eggs with corrosive ink, and then—the following information
is will inflame animal rights advocates—forced back into the hen’s body.
I’ll stop at this point on Bateman because her personal doomsday was ghastly and completely
unrelated to the real thing.
7.
April 23, 1843 – William Miller’s “Great Disappointment”
New England farmer William Miller declared to those who would listen that the date chosen
by God to destroy the world, could be discovered by a strict literal interpretation of the
Bible.
He wasn’t particularly stringent with himself on the timeline—according to Miller, the
Day would occur sometime between March 21, 1843 and March 21, 1844.
His thousands of followers, known as Millerites, took this year to dispossess themselves of
their possessions (I don’t understand the rationale for this either.
If the world really ended, what would the Saved do with the money gained from selling
their belongings?
What would the “dupes” who bought these items do with them if everything and everyone
in the world was wiped out?
I guess … the Millerites thought they were getting the better bargain?).
The day came, and the world didn’t end.
Millerites determined on a new date: April 23, 1843.
Still no conclusion to life as we know it, on April 23.
The group eventually disbanded, but some former members went on to form the Seventh Day Adventists,
which exists today.
Marginally.
6.
1910 – Halley’s Comet
This story concludes after 1910, but it began in 1881, when an astronomer discovered comet
tails contain cyanogen (indeed, a gas related to cyanide, which, if you weren’t aware,
is poisonous).
But what does that have to do with … us?
The connection became clear (or so it appeared) when it was realized that Earth would pass
through the tail of Halley’s comet in 1910.
Speculation ran wild.
Widespread panic ensued.
So-called “comet pills” were sold to protect against toxic gases.
Most contemporary reporters looked for facts from reliable sources (as they’re supposed
to, I believe), such as astronomers.
This is not the course taken by the yellow press, which printed material aimed at amplifying
public fears of a coming celestial collision or global death by poisonous gases.
The strenuous efforts of yellow journalism to squeeze every bit of attention that could
be gotten from the apparent imminent disaster is as puzzling as they are reprehensible.
Clearly the so-called reporters did not believe their own stories—otherwise, why bother
to publish them?
The world was about to end; what good was a rise in subscribers and increased circulation
now?
Financially speaking, a lot.
5.
December 1954 – The Christmas Eve Alien Prophecy
Aliens from the planet Clarion, said 54-year-old suburban housewife Dorothy Martin, had transmitted
a message to her: a massive flood would soon destroy the planet.
As Martin’s small group of followers gathered together at 6 o’clock on Christmas Eve,
1954, 200 spectators came to observe the event in which spacemen would pick up the assembled
believers in a flying saucer.
Everyone was present was disappointed, for the fourth time.
Martin had claimed to be an intermediary between extraterrestrials called the Guardians, and
humans on Earth; in other words, a vessel for interstellar prophecy.
When the promised global devastation failed to materialize o December 22, several non-incidents
later, Martin received the message that God had called off Doomsday because of the unwavering
faith of the Seekers in the aliens of Clarion.
They had saved Earth.
It was a Christmas miracle, said Martin and her follows.
Apparently the notion the Earth was never in any danger in the first place, did not
enter their minds.
4.
January 1, 2000 – Y2K
It’s technically impossible for computers to handle an extra digit, said prognosticators.
Thus, computerized systems (including elevators, medical equipment, etc) everywhere would go
haywire once the year 2000 hit.
Y2K (a.k.a. the millennium bug) anxieties were squashed once 1999 came to a close and
… nothing world-ending happened.
In Japan, a nuclear energy facility had some radiation equipment fail, but without consequences
to the public.
There were missile launches in Russia which the U.S. believed were cause by Y2K (they
were actually planned ahead of time, and related to internal conflict in Russia).
What about the massive, irreparable computer malfunctions or even complete failures that
were supposed to take place?
I wrote this article on my computer … so be assured they didn’t take place.
3.
May 21, 2011 – Harold Camping
Radio preacher Harold Camping garnered international attention when he claimed that Judgment Day
would come on May 21, 2011.
It didn’t.
Camping had predicted that there would be global earthquakes and a Rapture, concluding
with a final Doomsday on Oct. 21.
Camping’s response to this non-happening was to hide away from the spotlight for a
time.
When he emerged (although why he’d bother, I don’t know), Camping announced that Judgment
Day had indeed come and gone on May 21 of 2011, but we hadn’t recognized this momentous
occasion because—wait for it—the earthquakes had not been physical.
We’d experienced spiritual earthquakes, whatever that entailed, since there weren’t
substantiated mass reportings of anything shaking at all, except faith in Camping.
More specifically, in an interview with the press, on May 23 Camping judged that “we”
had not understood the “spiritual meaning” of “invisible Judgment Day” (it seems
a little unfair to people that he included others with him, as though he alone did not
bear full responsibility for his words).
He later modified his statements in a podcast: “the end is going to come very, very quietly.”
… we haven’t heard anything.
2.
Dec. 21, 2012 – Mayan Calendar
The Mayans (who ruled over an empire in Mexico and Central American until around 900 A.D.)
used three calendars.
One ended on Dec. 21, 2012.
This laid the very unscientific (honestly, which Doomsday prediction is?) foundation
for the impressionable to believe that the world would end on that date.
What did a Mayan calendar have to do with Doomsday in 2012?
Simply because a civilization is ancient, its knowledge, shockingly enough, is not necessarily
prescient or accurate.
And when ancient peoples do get predictions right without relying on popular superstition,
take into consideration that modern man, amazingly well-informed and advanced as he is (well,
some of him), is prone to misinterpretation and plain stupidity.
Case in point, the least unforgivable of which is planning for survival (except entire families
are going to be stuck eating canned foods to come if they don’t want to have wasted
their purchasing craze): People partied with an attitude of “enjoy life while you can—you
won’t be living it much longer.
And, as has become typical in moments of (inter)national crisis during which time their opinions add
little to nothing to intelligent conversation, celebrities tweeted.
Interestingly, the views of the ancient Mayans on this Doomsday that didn’t happen, has
not been uncovered, likely because as a civilization this people mysteriously disappeared into
the mists of history.
1.
Sept. 23, 2017 – David Meade
Self-described “specialist in research and investigations” David Meade first said the
biblical doomsday claim would be on Sept. 23, 2017 (if you were planning to enjoy your
weekend that day … I hope you did enjoy it, because the world continued on with the
business of existence).
In the recent past, Meade mentioned a scientifically debunked claim that a planet called Nibiru
is headed towards and will pass by later this year.
The result will be earthquakes, volcanic eruptions, tidal waves … you know the drill by now.
The next date Meade focused on was Oct. 15, 2017.
Unfortunately for his predications, this rescheduling of Doomsday still didn’t pan out.
We know because it’s December of 2017 when this video airs.
Yes, this has all been very embarrassing.
I’d suggest not repeating the mistake, but given the extremely non-comprehensive nature
of this list, I have no doubt that the end of the world will (not) happen … again.
Let us know in the comments section and feel free to state your opinion.
Thanks for your time.
If you’re hearing this, you should know that, contrary to the belief of some (arguably
many), quitting your job, selling all your possessions, committing suicide (the logic
evades me as well) and otherwise making a drastic decision predicated on an imminent
Doomsday is inadvisable.
You’re welcome.