According to Wikipedia, humanity has already experienced 173 end of the world. Moreover, some of them fell on the same day with an interval of only a few hours. But despite the fact that no uprising of machines or an attack by aliens did not happen, it is interesting to see what kind of total destruction people were afraid of at different times.
We have chosen 10 of the most original and even stupid ways of the death of humanity.
1806 year
In 1806, a chicken appeared in the English city of Leeds, which laid unusual eggs with inscriptions promising the imminent end of the world. The owner of the chicken soon began to flaunt the bird to the public, and before the eyes of eyewitnesses, she carried a new egg with a new ominous message.
The news spread so quickly that within a few days hysteria about the near end of the world covered almost all of England. However, when the timing of the predictions dragged on, the hostess admitted that she herself wrote the inscriptions on the eggs, and then put them back into the chicken. What happened next to the mistress, history is silent.
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1910 year
In 1910, the entire population was seized by a real panic. The fact is that on May 18 of that year, the Earth's orbit passed through the tail of Halley's comet, which immediately caused a stir. Rumors spread that the comet has poisoned the atmosphere with poisonous gases and that humanity is now short-lived.
At that time, the USA even produced special pills called “Comet”, which promised healing. Of course, the pills were fake, and the end of the world never happened. But the impressions remained.
1919 year
After 9 years, people began to prepare for the end of the world in honor of the parade of the planets. On December 17, 1919, 6 planets of the solar system lined up, and the American meteorologist Albert Port immediately predicted that the sun would explode and the Earth would suffer from the explosion. When the tragedy did not happen, he went out and publicly apologized.
1936, 1943, 1972 and 1975
Advertising specialist Herbert W. Armstrong was a true “pro” at predicting the end of the world. He founded his "World Church", and in 1936 he prophesied the apocalypse with might and main. Which did not come.
Then Herbert was not taken aback and pushed it aside until 1943, and when this did not work, he moved it to 1972. But it so happened that Herbert was in good health, and in 1972 he again went on stage to announce the last date - 1975. Interestingly, even then there were hundreds of people who still believed him.
December 17, 1996
In 1996, the American clairvoyant Sheldon Needle gathered hundreds of people in front of the TV and promised that on December 17 all earthlings would be incinerated by angels and aliens (yes, at the same time). Why such a combination, Sheldon did not explain.
1998 year
This year, the Spiritual Creation Movement group armed themselves with textbooks on astronomy and convinced people that the star Alpha Centauri would explode in September-October. But it will not just explode, but will release a stream of deadly rays, one of which will fall into the South Pole of the Earth and plunge the planet into darkness for 12 years (approximately).
Armageddon did not happen, the penguins at the pole did not suffer.
1999-2000
The Armageddon of the millennium was special because it was predicted by Nostradamus himself. Other predictors and even scientists have also joined in here. The program was big: a nuclear war, an asteroid, a comet that will fall into the Atlantic Ocean, a supernova explosion and a massive solar eclipse.
- One of the main Armageddons should have happened through the fault of computers. The fact is that the technology of that time, at the onset of 2000, perceived it as 1900. Tens of thousands of people were waiting for the uprising of cars, the explosion of all power plants and the fall of all planes.
- On May 5, another parade of planets happened. By tradition, everyone was waiting for a tsunami and complete destruction.
- But on September 26, it was expected that the real asteroid Tautatis would crash into the Earth. Moreover, after 4 years, the asteroid approached the planet so close that even scientists sounded the alarm. But the Earth was lucky and the asteroid flew by.
2008 year
The official launch of the Large Hadron Collider made a lot of noise. Back then, people were worried that the launch would create a black hole that would swallow the entire planet. Hundreds of people sent petitions and organized rallies asking them to destroy the "doomsday machine." But on September 10 the collider was launched and nothing happened.
2011
People were frightened by yet another comet discovered by astronomer Leonid Elenin. There were many versions: from the most banal that the comet will crash into the Earth and destroy all living things, to those that alien spaceships are flying after it.
But at the end of August 2011, the comet's nucleus collapsed and she was lost from sight.
year 2012
The most memorable end of the world in recent years has been the Mayan Apocalypse. The Indian calendar ended on 2012-21-12, and then a new era. The whole world was waiting for the end of the world. The scenarios were different, including the classic parade of planets, cataclysms, pole shift and a meteorite fall.
Several films were shot that suggested future events. People started organizing survival courses, selling tickets for the ark, bunkers, and grocery shopping. So, in offices on December 21, a record number of applications for time off was recorded to spend the end of the world with his family.
But real panic gripped people when the "latest edition of the ancient calendar" became irrelevant. People realized that there would be no end of the world, a ton of buckwheat was purchased in vain, and they still have to go to work on Monday.
But this is not the end: we have to go through at least 3 more doomsday
1.2021 year. According to scientists' calculations, this is the deadline for the inversion (change) of the Earth's magnetic poles. Can flood many cities and even continents.
2. In 2029, the asteroid Apophis will fly near the planet Earth and, as a result, will change its trajectory. And already in 2036 there is a risk of facing it.
3. In 2060, the end of the world according to the calculations of Isaac Newton.
But we will easily survive this too:)