Spoiler: We’re Still Here

Predicting the end of the world has always been a favorite pastime for self-proclaimed soothsayers—be it prophets, kings, or philosophers. These historical figures looked around at the chaos unfolding around them and thought, “Surely this can’t go on.” Sometimes it came from fear, sometimes power, sometimes plain old misunderstanding of astronomy. And each time, people prepared, panicked, and prayed. Yet the sun rose anyway. Over the centuries, these predictions have piled up, a reminder of how much we long for certainty—even in endings. Here are twenty times historical figures predicted the end of the world and got it wrong.

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1. Montanus in 2nd-Century Phrygia

This Christian prophet claimed the heavenly Jerusalem was about to descend on a small town in Turkey. People sold land, packed up, and waited for the divine arrival. They stood there long enough to realize nothing was coming but mosquitoes.

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2. Hippolytus of Rome

In 234 CE, this theologian calculated Christ would return in the year 500. He even worked out the math based on the age of the world, but evidently his calculations were a little off.

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3. Pope Sylvester II and the Year 1000

Medieval Europe was jittery about the calendar turning to triple zeroes, and rumors began to spread that Christ’s return was imminent—armies of heaven and all. The peasants and nobles both braced for impact. Then midnight struck, and the new millennium lurched on without a hitch.

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4. Joachim of Fiore

This monk had a particular penchant for timelines. He divided history into three ages and confidently predicted the end would come around 1260. His followers clung to his prediction—until the date passed, and the calendar just kept grinding on.

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5. John of Toledo and 1186

This cardinal announced that an upcoming planetary alignment would unleash earthquakes and floods. The declaration caused people to panic; some even began to assemble boats, taking a cue from Noah. Nothing happened, demonstrating how poorly astronomy was understood.

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6. Martin Luther

In the 1500s, surrounded by war, plagues, and corruption, the reformer himself declared the end of days was at hand. Granted, if you lived through half the fires and wars he did, you’d assume the world was wrapping up too.

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7. Christopher Columbus

Not content with just sailing oceans and discovering new lands, this famed explorer also dabbled in prophecy. He predicted the world would end in 1656, then later revised it to 1658—because if at first you don’t succeed, try, try again. The apocalypse ultimately failed to arrive.

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8. William Miller

In the 1840s, Miller preached that Christ would return in 1843. He later amended his guess to 1844. Tens of thousands took him at his word and sold their farms, dressed in white robes, and climbed the hills to wait for the glorious appearance. When nothing happened, the event earned its name: the Great Disappointment.

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9. Pope Innocent III

In 1213, he declared the world would end in 1284—exactly 666 years after Islam’s founding. In the run-up to this prophecy, people lived in constant fear of the end of days. And yet, 1284 rolled right on by with the usual mix of medieval famine and feasting.

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10. The Fifth Monarchists

This radical English sect emerged during the 1600s and began to proclaim that Christ’s kingdom was about to overthrow all earthly governments. They even organized a violent uprising in London that ultimately failed. The world may not have ended, but their rebellion did.

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11. Cotton Mather

This Puritan preacher gave multiple predictions: 1697, 1716, 1736. As each prediction failed to materialize, he revised his prophecy accordingly. Strangely, his followers refused to see him as a charlatan and continued to brace for the arrival of the apocalypse.

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12. Isaac Newton

Yes, the guy who discovered gravity. Perhaps that apple hit him a little harder on the head than previously thought. He studied biblical texts obsessively and predicted the end might come around 2060. Technically, his prediction is still pending, so we’ll have to wait and see.

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13. Charles Wesley

The co-founder of Methodism, Wesley once predicted the end was coming “soon.” To his credit, he didn’t try to set an exact date or time, although he made it clear in his sermons that he felt Christ’s return was imminent.

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14. Mother Shipton

This 16th-century English soothsayer was often quoted as saying the world would end in 1881. That year came and went, and those who had hung onto her every word promptly forgot that she even existed.

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15. The 1910 Halley’s Comet Panic

Scientists noted that Earth would pass through the comet’s tail in 1910, and someone mused that poisonous gases might kill all life on Earth. Newspapers caught wind of the conspiracy and fanned the flames. People bought gas masks, so-called “comet pills,” and even air-tight shelters. Nothing happened—except snake-oil peddlers made a fortune.

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16. Jehovah’s Witness Predictions

Members of this religious group have proposed several dates across history—1874, 1914, 1925, and 1975. Each time, members of that community were stirred up in fervent expectation. Every time the end failed to arrive, adjustments were made. Their faith may have been challenged by each false alarm, but it didn’t fail completely.

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17. Rasputin

This mystic wormed his way into the Russian court and predicted the world would end in 2013. It was far enough in the future to avoid immediate suspicion, so this charlatan evidently knew better than to predict a date that could be debunked in his lifetime.

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18. The Mayan 2012 Phenomenon

Although technically the Mayans themselves were not responsible for setting this date, a great many people became fixated on the fact that their calendar ended in 2012—December 21, to be more specific. People threw “apocalypse parties,” and a film was even produced with the name 2012.

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19. Nostradamus

This French seer’s prophetic verses are vague enough to allow them to be reinterpreted in a thousand ways. One of his more popular claims was that the end would arrive in 1999. Instead, the world got boy bands, dial-up internet, and Y2K anxiety.

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20. Harold Camping

This radio preacher twice announced Judgment Day: first on May 21, 2011, then again on October 21, 2011. Billboards went up worldwide, announcing the end of the world. Some of his more devout followers even drained their savings accounts in anticipation. When nothing happened, Camping admitted his error—though by then, the damage was done.

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