We survived again: the history of previous end-of-the-world predictions

It’s time to gather your belongings, pack your bags, head out to the nearest bomb shelter and hold on for dear life. The apocalypse is approaching, any second now. Wait for it, wait for it …

But wait, nothing happened. Apparently the world will not be ending this time, and the Mayan prediction was false … again.

The Mayan Long Count calendar may have ended on Dec. 21, but clearly we are still alive. Is this really the first time we have been fooled by a false apocalyptic prediction?

Ironically enough, there have been countless such predictions. Whether they are based on the calculations of an ancient civilization or the prediction of cult members, people time and time again have fallen for hoaxes.

Apocalyptic predictions:

When freshman Delaney Milton first heard about the Mayan apocalypse with the release of the movie “2012” in November 2009, she said she was scared that it could actually come true.

“When [the movie] first came out, I was really scared that the world would end,” Milton said. “Boys in my class convinced me that it was true, but it was a really long time ago.”

Besides the Mayan apocalypse, junior Annelise Nussbacher said that there are several cults led by preachers who repeatedly and incorrectly calculate the end of the world.

“A cult leader [will do] a bunch of calculations and say, ‘Oh the world is going to end and Jesus is going to show up here  on this day,’” Nussbacher said. “All these people will drop their things, sell their homes, sell all their goods and gather in a field, to wait for the second coming, wait for Jesus.”

Predictions like these have been made dozens of times over, such as the supposed May 21, 2011, apocalypse. Christian radio host Harold Camping predicted that the Rapture and Judgement Day (when Jesus returned and decided who would go to heaven) was in May, and the physical apocalypse was to occur in October of the same year.

“Every time a preacher says ‘Oh, oops. Miscalculation. Here, let me redo it. Oh OK — it’s going to end this day,’” Nussbacher said. “And it will go on for a while.”

Numerous cults and religions have predicted a coming apocalypse, warning of Judgement Day and predicting hellfire and damnation. So far, though, the world seems to be in (mostly) one piece.

Planet X Theory

In addition to religious predictions, the variety of hoaxes also includes radical theories that lots of people believe and follow. One such theory is the Planet X theory, which proposes that there are actually 10 planets in the solar system instead of nine.

“They believe that the 10th [planet] has such a large orbit that we can only see it every few thousands of years and on Dec. 21 of 2012, mark your calendars, Planet X is going to collide with earth because it's on it's trajectile path,” sophomore Andrew York said. “Sadly this theory has not been proved by any scientists whatsoever and all mathematicians and planetarians say that this is utterly false information.”

Reasoning behind Hoaxes:

From theories to apocalyptic predictions, Nussbacher said the number of hoaxes that people believe, have believed and will believe in is infinite.

“It's natural for people to fear that which they do not understand,” Nussbacher said. “You can argue that's the basis of religion in general, to try and find an answer to the unknowable. As long as people are still in existence, they will try and find an answer for the end of the world.”

However, Nussbacher said that despite the incalculable number of hoaxes to come in the future, one of them will eventually prove to be true.

“Eventually one person is going to say there is going to be some catastrophic event here on this day,” she said. “And just statistically, someone is going to be right at some point.”

In that case, we may have avoided an apocalypse this time. But you never know when the next prediction might come true. Just in case, keep a suitcase packed ready for next time.