Date (BCE) Claimant Description

2800 – c. Assyrians An Assyrian clay tablet dating to approximately 2800 BCE was unearthed bearing the words “Our earth is degenerate in these latter days. There are signs that the world is speedily coming to an end. Bribery and corruption are common.”

634 Romans Many Romans feared that the city would be destroyed in the 120th year of its founding. There was a myth that 12 eagles had revealed to Romulus a mystical number representing the lifetime of Rome, and some early Romans hypothesized that each eagle represented 10 years.

389 Romans Some Romans believed that the mystical number revealed to Romulus represented the number of days in a year, so they expected Rome to be destroyed around 365 AUC (389 BCE)

66-70 Essenes It is believed this sect of Jewish ascetics saw the Jewish revolt against the Romans in 66-70 as the final end-time battle.

2nd century Montanists Members of the Montanist movement, founded in 156, predicted that Jesus would return sometime during their lifetimes.

247 Various Christians The Roman government dramatically increased its persecution of Christians in this year, so much so that many Christians believed that the End had arrived.

365 Hilary of Poitiers Announced that the end would happen that year.

375-400 Martin of Tours Stated that the world would end before 400. Writing “”There is no doubt that the Antichrist has already been born. Firmly established already in his early years, he will, after reaching maturity, achieve supreme power.”

500 Hippolytus of Rome, Sextus Julius Africanus, Irenaeus All three predicted Jesus would return in the year 500.

793, Apr 6 Beatus of Liébana The Spanish monk prophesied the second coming of Christ and the end of the world that day to a crowd of people.

799-806 Gregory of Tours Calculated the End occurring between 799 and 806.

800 Sextus Julius Africanus Sextus Julius Africanus revised the date of Doomsday to 800.

848 Thiota Declared that the world would end this year.

992-995 Various Christians Good Friday coincided with the Feast of the Annunciation; this had long been believed to be the event that would bring forth the Antichrist, and thus the end-times, within 3 years.

1000, Jan 1 Pope Sylvester II Various Christians in Europe had predicted the end of the world on this date, including Pope Sylvester II.

1033 Various Christians Some believed this to be the 1000th anniversary of the death and resurrection of Jesus, and his second coming was anticipated.

1184 Various Christians Various Christian prophets foresaw the Antichrist coming in 1184.

1186 John of Toledo Predicted the end of the world during 1186, based on the alignment of many planets.

1260 Joachim of Fiore The Italian mystic determined that the Millennium would begin between 1200 and 1260.

1284 Pope Innocent III Pope Innocent III (d. 1216) predicted that the world would end 666 years after the rise of Islam.

1290 Joachimites The followers of Joachim of Fiore rescheduled the End to 1290 when his 1260 prophecy failed.

1335 Joachimites Second revised date of Joachim of Fiore.

1346-51 Various Europeans The black plague spreading across Europe was interpreted by many as the sign of the end of times.

1370 Jean de Roquetaillade The Antichrist was to come in 1366 and the Millennium would begin in 1368 or 1370.

1378 Arnaldus de Villa Nova This Joachite wrote that the Antichrist was to come in this year.

1504 Sandro Botticelli Believed he was living during the Tribulation, and that the Millennium would begin in three and a half years from 1500.

1524, Feb 1 Astrologers Predicted the world would end by a flood starting in London based on calculations made the previous June.

1524, Feb 20 Johannes Stöffler A planetary alignment in Pisces was seen by this astrologer as a sign of the Millennium.

1525 Thomas Müntzer This year would mark the beginning of the Millennium, according to this Anabaptist.

1528 Johannes Stöffler Revised date from Stöffler after his 1524 prediction failed to come true.

1528, May 27 Hans Hut Predicted the end would occur on this day.

1533 Melchior Hoffman This Anabaptist prophet predicted Christ’s Second Coming to take place this year in Strasbourg. He claimed that 144,000 people would be saved, while the rest of the world would be consumed by fire.

1533, Oct 19 Michael Stifel This Mathematician calculated that the Judgement Day would begin at 8:00am on this day.

1534, Apr 5 Jan Matthys Predicted that the Apocalypse would take place on this day and only the city of Münster would be spared.

1555 – c. Pierre d’Ailly Around the year 1400, this French theologian wrote that 6845 years of human history had already passed, and the end of the world would be in the 7000th year.

1585 Michael Servetus In his book The Restoration of Christianity, the Spanish born reformer claimed that the Devil’s reign in this world began in 325 AD, at the Council of Nicea, and will last for 1260 years, thus ending in 1585.

1588 Regiomontanus Predicted the end of the world this year.

1600 Martin Luther Predicted the end of the world would occur no later than 1600.

1624, Feb 1 Astrologers The same astrologers who predicted the deluge of February 1, 1524 recalculated the date to February 1, 1624 after their first prophecy failed.

1648 Sabbatai Zevi Using the kabbalah this rabbi from Smyrna, Turkey, figured that the Messiah would come in this year.

1654 Helisaeus Roeslin This physician made a prediction that the world would end this year based on a nova that occurred in 1572.

1656 Various Christians Some Christians believed the world would end this year as 1656 is the number of years between Creation and the Great Flood in the bible.

1657 Fifth Monarchists This group of radical Christians predicted the final apocalyptic battle and the destruction of the Antichrist were to take place between 1655 and 1657.

1658 Christopher Columbus Columbus claimed that the world was created in 5343 BCE, and would last 7000 years. Assuming no year zero, that means the end would come in 1658.

1660 Joseph Mede Mede claimed that the Antichrist appeared in 456, and the end would come in 1660.

1666 Sabbatai Zevi Following his failed prediction of 1648, Zevi recalculated the end of the earth in 1666.

Various Christians The presence of 666 in the date led to superstitious fears of the end of the world from some Christians.

1673 William Aspinwall This Fifth Monarchist claimed the Millennium would begin by this year.

1688 John Napier This mathematician calculated the end of the world would be this year based on calculations from the Book of Revelation.

1689 Pierre Jurieu This prophet predicted that Judgement Day would occur this year.

1694 John Mason This Anglican priest predicted the Millennium would begin by this year.

Johann Heinrich Alsted Predicted the Millennium would begin by this year.

Johann Jacob Zimmermann Believed that Jesus would return and the world would end this year.

1697 Cotton Mather This Puritan minister predicted the world would end this year. After the prediction failed, he revised the date of the End two more times.

1700 John Napier After his 1688 prediction failed to come true, Napier revised his end of the world prediction to this year.

Henry Archer This Fifth Monarchists claimed the second coming of Jesus would occur this year.

1700–1734 Nicholas of Cusa This Cardinal predicted the end would occur between 1700 and 1734.

1705–1708 Camisards Camisard prophets predicted the end of the world would occur in either 1705, 1706 or 1708.

1716 Cotton Mather Revised prediction from Mather after his 1697 prediction failed to come true.

1719, Apr 5 Jacob Bernoulli This mathematician predicted a comet would destroy the earth on this day.

1736 Cotton Mather Mather’s third and final prediction for the end of the world.

1736, Oct 16 William Whiston Whiston predicted a comet colliding with the earth this year.

1757 Emanuel Swedenborg Swedenborg claimed that the Last Judgement occurred in the spiritual world this year.

1780 Various New England residents The sky turning dark during the day was interpreted as a sign of the end times. The primary cause of the event is believed to have been a combination of smoke from forest fires, a thick fog, and cloud cover.

1789 Pierre d’Ailly 1789 would bring the coming of the Antichrist, according this 14th century Cardinal.

1792–1794 Shakers Predicted the world would end in both 1792 then 1794.

1793–1795 Richard Brothers This retired sailor stated the Millennium would begin between 1793 and 1795. He was eventually committed to an insane asylum.

1795, Nov 19 Nathaniel Brassey Halhed While campaigning for Richard Brothers’ release, Halhead proclaimed that the world would end on this day.

1805 Christopher Love This presbyterian minister predicted the destruction of the world by earthquake in 1805, followed by an age of everlasting peace when God will be known by all.

1806 The Prophet Hen of Leeds In Leeds, England in 1806 a hen began laying eggs on which the phrase “Christ is coming” was written. Eventually it was discovered to be a hoax. The hoaxster had written on the eggs in a corrosive ink so as to etch the eggs, and reinserted the eggs back into the hen.

1814, Dec 25 Joanna Southcott This 64-year-old self-described prophet claimed she was pregnant with the Christ child, and that he would be born on Christmas Day, 1814. She died on the day of her prediction, and an autopsy proved she was not even pregnant.

1836 John Wesley Wesley, the founder of the Methodist Church, foresaw the Millennium beginning this year.

1843 Harriet Livermore The first of two years this preacher predicted the world would end.

1843, Apr 28 Millerites Although it was not officially endorsed by their leadership, many Millerites expected the Second Coming to occur on this day.

1843, Dec 31 Millerites Many Millerites expected Jesus would return at the end of 1843.

1844, Mar 21 William Miller Miller predicted Christ would return on this day

1844, Oct 22 William Miller After Christ did not return on Mar 21, 1844, Miller then revised his prediction to 22 October 1844, claiming to have miscalculated Scripture. The realization that the predictions were incorrect resulted in the Great Disappointment.

1847 Harriet Livermore The second prediction of the end of the world from this preacher.

1847, Aug 7 George Rapp Rapp, the founder of the Harmony Society, preached that Jesus would return in his lifetime, even as he lay dying on Aug 7, 1847.

1853–1856 Various Many people thought the Crimean War was the Battle of Armageddon.

1862 John Cumming This Scottish clergyman stated it was 6000 years since Creation in 1862, and that the world would end.

1863 John Wroe The founder of the Christian Israelite Church calculated that the Millennium would begin this year.

1873 Jonas Wendell In 1870, Wendell published his views in the booklet entitled The Present Truth, or Meat in Due Season concluding that the Second Advent was sure to occur in 1873.

1874 Bible Student movement The first false prediction of the end of the world from the Bible Student movement started by Charles Taze Russell.

Seventh Day Adventists The newly formed Seventh Day Adventists, a group founded by former Millerites, predicted the Second Coming would be in this year.

1878 Bible Student movement The second false prediction of the end of the world from the Bible Student movement.

1881 Mother Shipton This 15th Century prophet who quoted as saying “The world to an end shall come, In eighteen hundred and eighty one” in a book published in 1862. In 1873 it was revealed to be a forgery however this did not stop some people from expecting the end.

Bible Student movement The third false prediction of the end of the world from the Bible Student movement.

1890 Wovoka The founder of the Ghost Dance movement predicted in 1889 that the Millennium would occur in 1890.

1890–1891 Joseph Smith The founder of the Latter Day Saint movement predicted the Second Coming would occur in either 1890 or 1891.

1892–1911 Charles Piazzi Smyth This pyramidologist concluded from his research on the dimensions of the Great Pyramid of Giza that the Second Coming would occur between 1892 and 1911.

1899 C. A. L. Totten Predicted that 1899 was a possible date for the end of the world.

1901 Catholic Apostolic Church This church, founded in 1831, claimed that Jesus would return by the time the last of its 12 founding members died. The last member died in 1901.

1908 Bible Student movement The fourth false prediction of the end of the world from the Bible Student movement.

1910 Camille Flammarion Predicted that the 1910 appearance of Halley’s Comet might destroy life on Earth, but not the planet itself.

1914 Bible Student movement “…the battle of the great day of God Almighty The date of the close of that “battle” is definitely marked in Scripture as October 1914. It is already in progress, its beginning dating from October, 1874.”

1915 John Chilembwe This Baptist educator and leader of a rebellion in Nyasaland predicted the Millennium would begin this year.

1916 Bible Student movement World War I would terminate in Armageddon and the rapture of the “saints”.

1918 Bible Student movement Another prediction of the end from the Bible Student movement.

1920 Bible Student movement In 1918, Christendom would go down as a system to oblivion and be succeeded by revolutionary governments. God would “destroy the churches wholesale and the church members by the millions.” Church members would “perish by the sword of war, revolution and anarchy.” The dead would lie unburied. In 1920 all earthly governments would disappear, with worldwide anarchy prevailing.

1925 Joseph F. Rutherford, Bible Student movement …we may expect 1925 to witness the return of these faithful men of Israel from the condition of death, being resurrected and fully restored to perfect humanity and made the visible, legal representatives of the new order of things on earth.”

1925, Feb 13 Margaret Rowen According to this Seventh-day Adventist the angel Gabriel appeared before her in a vision and told her that the world would end at midnight on this date.

1935, Sep Wilbur Glenn Voliva This evangelist announced that “the world is going to go ‘puff’ and disappear in September, 1935.

1936 Herbert W. Armstrong The founder of the Worldwide Church of God told members of his church that the Rapture was to take place in 1936, and that only they would saved. After the prophecy failed, he changed the date three more times.

1941 Jehovah’s Witnesses Another prediction of the end from the Jehovah’s Witnesses, which branched from the Bible Student movement.

1943 Herbert W. Armstrong The first of three revised dates from Armstrong after his 1936 prediction failed to come true.

1947 John Ballou Newbrough The author of Oahspe: A New Bible foresaw the destruction of all nations and the beginning of post-apocalyptic anarchy in this year.

1954, Dec 21 Dorothy Martin The world was to be destroyed by terrible flooding on this date, claimed this leader of a UFO cult called Brotherhood of the Seven Rays. The fallout of the group after the prediction failed was the basis for the 1956 book When Prophecy Fails.

1962, Feb 4 Jeanne Dixon This psychic predicted a planetary alignment on this day was to bring destruction to the world on this day.

1967 Jim Jones The founder of the Peoples Temple stated he had visions that a nuclear holocaust was to take place in 1967.

1967, Aug 20 George Van Tassel This day would mark the beginning of the third woe of the Apocalypse, during which the southeastern US would be destroyed by a Soviet nuclear attack, according to this UFO prophet, who claimed to have channeled an alien named Ashtar.

1969 Charles Manson Manson predicted that an apocalyptic race war would occur in 1969 and ordered the Tate-LaBianca murders in an attempt to bring it about.

1969, Aug 9 George Williams The founder of the Church of the Firstborn predicted the Second Coming of Christ would occur on this day.

1972 Herbert W. Armstrong The second of three revised dates from Armstrong after his 1936 and 1943 predictions failed to come true.

1973, Jan 11-21 David Berg Berg, the leader of Children of God predicted that there would be a colossal doomsday event heralded by Comet Kohoutek.

1975 Herbert W. Armstrong Armstrong’s fourth and final false prediction.

Jehovah’s Witnesses In 1966 Jehovah’s Witnesses estimated it would be 6000 years since man’s creation in the fall of 1975 and it would be “appropriate” for Christ’s thousand-year reign to begin at that time. These claims were repeated throughout the late 1960s and in 1974 they reaffirmed there was just a short time remaining before “the wicked world’s end”.

1977 John Roe The founder of the Christian Israelite Church predicted this year for Armageddon to occur.

William M. Branham This Christian minister predicted the Rapture would occur no later than 1977.

1980 Leland Jensen In 1978 Jensen predicted that there would be a nuclear disaster in 1980, followed by two decades of conflict, culminating in God’s Kingdom being established on earth.

1980s Hal Lindsey Lindsey book The 1980s: Countdown to Armageddon stated “”the decade of the 1980s could very well be the last decade of history as we know it” and that the U.S. could be “destroyed by a surprise Soviet nuclear attack.”. The book strongly suggests that the 1980s would see the biblical events of tribulation and end times come to pass.

1981 Chuck Smith The founder of Calvary Chapel predicted the generation of 1948 would be the last generation, and that the world would end by 1981 at the latest.

1982, Mar 10 John Gribbin, Stephen Plagemann Stated in their book The Jupiter Effect that combined gravitational forces of lined up planets were supposed to bring the end of the world on this day.

1982, Jun 21 Benjamin Creme Creme took out an ad in the Los Angeles stating the Second Coming would occur in June 1982 with the Maitreya announcing it on worldwide television.

1982, Oct/Nov Pat Robertson In late 1976 Robertson predicted that the end of the world was coming in October or November 1982.

1984, Oct 2 Jehovah’s Witnesses Another prediction of the end from the Jehovah’s Witnesses.

1985 Lester Sumrall This minister predicted the end in this year, even writing a book about it entitled I Predict 1985.

1987–1988 Noah Hutchings, The president of the Southwest Radio Church suggested that the Rapture would take place “possibly in 1987 or 1988.”

1987, Apr 29 Leland Jensen Jensen predicted that Halley’s Comet would be pulled into Earth’s orbit on April 29, 1986, causing widespread destruction.

1987, Aug 17 José Argüelles Argüelles claimed that Armageddon would take place unless 144,000 people gathered in certain places in the world in order to “resonate in harmony” on this day.

1988 Hal Lindsey Lindsey suggested that the Rapture would take this year, reasoning that it was 40 years (one Biblical generation) after Israel gained statehood.

1988, Sep/Oct Edgar C. Whisenant Whisenant predicted in his book 88 Reasons Why the Rapture Could Be in 1988 that the Rapture of the Christian Church would occur between 11 and 13 September 1988. After his September predictions failed to come true, Whisenant revised his prediction date to October 3.

1989, Sep 30 Edgar C. Whisenant After all his 1988 predictions failed to come true, Whisenant revised his prediction date to this day.

1990, Apr 23 Elizabeth Clare Prophet Prophet predicted a nuclear war would start on this day, with the world ending 12 years later, leading her followers to stockpile a shelter with supplies and weapons. Later, after Prophet’s prediction did not come to pass and she was diagnosed with epilepsy and Alzheimer’s disease.

1991 Louis Farrakhan The leader of the Nation of Islam declared that the Gulf War would be the “War of Armageddon which is the final war.”

1992, Sep 28 Rollen Stewart This born-again Christian predicted the Rapture would take place on this day.

1992, Oct 28 Lee Jang Rim Rim, the leader of the Dami Mission in Seoul, predicted the Rapture on this day. South Korean officials took elaborate precautions against a mass suicide, posting 1,500 riot officers to monitor about a thousand followers who had gathered in the group’s headquarters to await the Rapture. Their efforts were successful, although four group members had committed suicide in previous days.

1993 David Berg Berg predicted the tribulation would start in 1989 and that the Second Coming would take place in 1993.

1994, May 2 Neal Chase This Bahá’í sect leader predicted that New York would be destroyed by a nuclear bomb on March 23, 1994, and the Battle of Armageddon would take place 40 days later.

1994, Sep/Oct Harold Camping Camping predicted the Rapture would occur on September 6, 1994. When it failed to occur he revised the date to September 29 and then to October 2.

1995, Mar 31 Harold Camping Camping’s fourth predicted date for the end. This would be Camping’s last prediction until 2011.

1996, Dec 17 Sheldon Nidle Famed psychic Sheldon Nidle predicted that the world would end on this date, with the arrival of millions of space ships.

1997, Mar 26 Marshall Applewhite Applewhite, leader of the Heaven’s Gate cult, claimed that a spacecraft was trailing the Comet Hale-Bopp and argued that suicide was “the only way to evacuate this Earth” so that the cult members’ souls could board the supposed craft and be taken to another “level of existence above human”. Applewhite and 38 of his followers committed mass suicide.

1997, Oct 23 James Ussher This 17th Century Irish Archbishop predicted this date to be 6000 years since Creation, and therefore the end of the world.

1998, Mar 31 Hon-Ming Chen Hon-Ming Chen, leader of the Taiwanese cult God’s Salvation Church, or Chen Tao – “The True Way” – claimed that God would come to Earth in a flying saucer at 10:00 am on this date. Moreover, God would have the same physical appearance as Chen himself. On March 25, God was to appear on Channel 18 on every TV set in the US. Chen chose to base his cult in Garland, Texas, because he thought it sounded like “God’s Land.”

1999 Seventh-day Adventists Some literature distributed by Seventh Day Adventists predicted the end in this year.

Charles Berlitz This linguist predicted the end would occur in this year. He did not predict how it would occur, stating it may involve nuclear devastation, asteroid impact, pole shift or other earth changes.

1999, Jul Nostradamus A prediction attributed to Nostradamus stating the “King of Terror” would come from the sky in “1999 and seven months” led to fears of the end.

1999, Aug 18 The Amazing Criswell The predicted date of the end of the world, according to this psychic well known for false predictions.

1999, Dec 31 Hon-Ming Chen Hon-Ming Chen’s cult God’s Salvation Church, now relocated to upstate New York, preached that a nuclear holocaust would destroy Europe and Asia sometime between October 1 and December 31, 1999.

‘Before’ 2000 Hal Lindsey After his 1980’s predictions failed to come true, Lindsay published the book Planet Earth 2000 A.D. in 1994, which stated that Christians should not plan to still be on earth by the year 2000.

James Gordon Lindsay This preacher predicted the tribulation would begin before the year 2000.

Texe Marrs This conspiracy theorist stated that the last days could “wrap up by the year 2000.”

Timothy Dwight IV This President of Yale University foresaw the Millennium starting by 2000.

Jehovah’s Witnesses In 1984 the Jehovah’s Witnesses stated the end would be before the end of the 20th century.

2000 – c. Peter Olivi This 13th century theologian wrote that the Antichrist would come to power between 1300 and 1340, and the Last Judgement would take place around 2000.

2000 Mormons The beginning of Christ’s Millennium according to some Mormon literature, such as the publication Watch and Be Ready: Preparing for the Second Coming of the Lord. The New Jerusalem would descend from the heavens, landing in Independence, Missouri.

Helena Blavatsky The founder of Theosophy foresaw the end of the world in this year.

Isaac Newton Newton predicted that Christ’s Millennium would begin in the year 2000 in his book Observations upon the Prophecies of Daniel, and the Apocalypse of St. John.

Ruth Montgomery This self-described Christian psychic predicted the Earth’s axis would shift and the Antichrist would reveal himself in this year.

Edgar Cayce This psychic predicted the Second Coming would occur this year.

Sun Myung Moon The founder of the Unification Church predicted the Kingdom of Heaven would be established in this year.

Ed Dobson This pastor predicted the end would occur in his book The End: Why Jesus Could Return by A.D. 2000.

Lester Sumrall This minister predicted the end in his book I Predict 2000.

Jonathan Edwards This 18th century preacher predicted that Christ’s thousand-year reign would begin in this year.

2000, Jan 1 Various Predictions of a Y2K computer bug were to crash many computers and would malfunction causing major catastrophes worldwide and that society would cease to function.

Credonia Mwerinde, Joseph Kibweteere An estimated 778 followers of this Ugandan religious movement perished in a devastating fire and a series of poisonings and killings that were either a group suicide or an orchestrated mass murder by group leaders after their predictions of the apocalypse failed to come about.

Jerry Falwell Falwell foresaw God pouring out his judgement on the world on this day.

Tim LaHaye, Jerry B. Jenkins These Christian authors stated the Y2K bug would trigger global economic chaos, which the Antichrist would use to rise to power. As the date approached however they changed their minds.

2000, April 6 James Harmston The leader of the True and Living Church of Jesus Christ of Saints of the Last Days predicted the Second Coming of Christ would occur on this day.

2000, May 5 Nuwaubian Nation This movement claimed that the planetary lineup would cause a “star holocaust,” pulling the planets toward the sun on this day.

2000, Oct 9 Grant Jeffrey This bible teacher suggested this date as the “probable termination point for the ‘last days.'”

2001 Tynetta Muhammad This columnist for the Nation of Islam predicted the end would occur in this year.

2003, May Nancy Lieder Lieder originally predicted the date for the Nibiru collision as May 2003. According to her website, aliens in the Zeta Reticuli star system told her through messages via a brain implant of a planet which would enter our solar system and cause a pole shift on earth that would destroy most of humanity.

2003, Nov 29 Aum Shinrikyo This Japanese cult predicted the world would be destroyed by a nuclear war between October 30 and November 29, 2003.

2007, Apr 29 Pat Robertson In his 1990 book The New Millennium, Robertson suggests this date as the day of Earth’s destruction.

2008, Sep 30 Ronald Weinland Stated Jesus Christ would return and the world would end on this day.

2010 Hermetic Order of the Golden Dawn This magic order predicted the world would end in this year.

2011, May 21 Harold Camping Camping predicted that the Rapture and devastating earthquakes would occur on May 21, 2011 with God taking approximately 3% of the world’s population into Heaven, and that the end of the world would occur five months later on October 21.

2011, Aug–Oct Various There were fears amongst the public that Comet Elenin travelling almost directly between Earth and the Sun would cause disturbances to the Earth’s crust, causing massive earthquakes and tidal waves. Others predicted that Elenin would collide with Earth on October 16. Scientists tried to calm fears by stating that none of these events were possible.