Mayan Apocalypse Nears: Top Three Failed End Of World Predictions

As the supposed Mayan Apocalypse nears we can peer back into the past to find other failed end of the world predictions. Those interested in the Mayan Apocalypse are turning to the internet in droves to find out more information. If you happen to google “Apocalypse past predictions” you’ll find that hundreds of predictions have failed to come true even within our lifetimes.

According to Space.com the source of all the apocalyptic anxiety is the Mayan Long Calendar, whose bak’tun, a 144,000-day cycle milestone, marks the end of a cycle of creation. Doomsdayers have seized on this coincidence and declared the world must end, gripping the American imagination with even the Chinese being affected. Experts in Mayan history disagree, saying the Mayans likely would have celebrated the event and rolled the calendar over to a new bak’tun. NASA isn’t expecting any giant asteroids or solar storms, either.

With the Mayan Apocalypse near, Softpedia decided to compile a list of the top three failed apocalyptic predictions before we hit December 21, 2012. They start first with the Heaven’s Gate cult.

Back in 1997, Chuck Shramek claimed that an alien UFO was following the comet Hale-Bopp as it passed by Earth. These aliens did not intend to kill us as would be expected, but instead were rushing to save the worthy few from the impending end of the world. The kicker was that death was the only way to enter the alien ship. So the 39 followers committed suicide before they could discover that no doomsday was to follow.

A failed prediction of Biblical proportions involved Jesus’ second coming being once again through a virgin birth. A 60-year old lady in England claimed that Christmas Day of 1814 would herald the second coming of Christ through her and thus the future Apocalypse predicted in Revelations would come to pass. She must not have read the Bible verse that reads, ”No one knows about that day or hour, not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father.” For this false prophet that Christmas Day only brought her own death.

The top failed prediction had God driving a UFO according to Taiwanese cult leader named Hon-Ming Chen. Yes, God is an alien. This claim was enough for 140 people to gather in Garland, Texas to await the arrival date of March 31, 1998. Fortunately, no deaths resulted with the worst plague being utter disappointment.

As the Mayan Apocalypse nears can you think of any other epic failed predictions to add to this “end of the world” list?