History is replete with several doomsday predictions that turned out to hoaxes, lies or just plain misinterpretations. While some of these doomsday scenarios have their basis in religion, others have come from the secular crowd as well. One thing they all have is common is that they never came true
Below are 6 of them:
1. The Prophet Hen Of Leeds
This doomsday prediction tops our list because of how strange the circumstances surrounding it were. A hen proclaiming the return of Jesus in the literal sense might seem bizarre and farfetched in today’s world but in 1808, this was believed by the people of the English town of Leeds. It appears a hen started laying eggs which had the message “Christ is coming” written on them. Soon, word spread about the occurrence and the townsfolk became convinced that the return of Jesus was at hand. It wasn’t until a curious villager analysed these eggs, that they found out someone was handwriting these messages using acid and reinserting them into the hen’s oviduct.
2. The Millerites (aka Great Disappointment)
After an extensive study of the Bible, Baptist minister William Miller concluded that God would destroy the world some time between March 21, 1843 and March 21, 1844. His message spread so far and wide that he managed to convince over 50,000 people (known as Millerites) to believe him. A large majority of this followers sold their possessions assuming they wouldn’t be needed anymore. However, when April 1863 came and Jesus hadn’t come, the group was so upset that they disbanded into what is now known as the Seventh Day Adventist Church.
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3. The Mormon Armageddon
In 1835, Mormonism founder, Joseph Smith, called a meeting with his church leaders and claimed that God had told him recently that Jesus would return within the next 56 years, after which the end times would begin. Obviously, the world hasn’t ended almost 200 years later and we’re still here.
4. Halley’s Comet
The arrival of Halley’s comet is an interesting phenomenon that occurs every 75 years or so. In 1910, however, the arrival of the bright star was a cause for panic as many speculated that the comet’s tail contained a poisonous gas “that would impregnate the atmosphere and possibly snuff out all life on the planet.” Eventually, it took the intervention of level-headed scientists to convince everyone that there was nothing to fear.
5. Pat Robertson
In 1980, former Republican presidential candidate and televangelist startled the world when he said “I guarantee by the end of 1982 there is going to be a judgment on this world.” When this turned out to be a fallacy, Pat went on to predict more doomsday events that still never came true.
6. Heaven’s Gate
In the 1990s, rumours started swirling around that a UFO spacecraft hidden behind the tail of the Hale-Bopp comet. These claims led a UFO cult following named Heaven’s Gate to conclude that the end of the world was at hand. The cult believed that in order to escape the supposed upcoming disaster, their spirits had to be released from their bodies in order to ascend to the spacecraft. This led to the chilling mass suicide of 39 of the cult members, who killed themselves while wearing identical clothing. This is considered one of the most bizarre mass suicides in American history.
Which doomsday prediction shocked you the most? Tell us in the comment section below.
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