Amazing Coincidences, Incredible True Stories

7 Strange Coincidences that Actually Happened!

What some people call weird coincidences others call “Synchronicity.” Here are seven incredible stories that might change your view of strange coincidences.

All the stories below are true .

Mathematically these odd stories are almost impossible, yet they happened. Is something else going on here?

Story 1

The Incredible Story of Mr George D Bryson

Mr. George D Bryson arrived at the Brown Hotel in Louisville, Kentucky, in 1953. Mr. Bryson was shown to room 307. After unpacking, he went down to reception to see if there were any letters or messages for him.









The receptionist gave him a letter addressed to Mr. George D Bryson, Room 307. This might not seem strange except that the letter was not for him. It was for another George D Bryson who was the previous occupant of room 307!

From the book, Incredible Coincidence: The Baffling World of Synchronicity, by Alan Vaughan

Story 2

Hotel Secrets

A reporter named Irv Kupcinet came to London in 1953. He was in London to report on the coronation of Elizabeth the II. Irv was staying at the luxurious Savoy hotel on the Strand. In one of the drawers of his bedside table, he found several items that had the name Harry Hannin on them. This was interesting because Irv knew a Harry Hannin who was in the famous Harlem Globetrotters. Harry was a friend of Irv’s.

Click here, Synchronicity for a detailed explanation of coincidences.

Two days later, Irv called Harry to ask him if he had ever stayed at the Savoy hotel. Harry said he had, but before Irv could tell him about the items he found in the drawer Harry said he had been in the Hotel Le Meurice in Paris two days before and found a tie in a drawer in his room, with the name Irv Kupcinet on it!

This story appeared in, Mysteries of the Unexplained.

Story 3

Twins with an Impossible Story!

Twins sometimes have amazing stories to tell, but the following will astound you. Twin boys were separated at birth after they were put up for adoption. The new parents of both boys never knew each other and never met. Each twin was told he had a brother. Forty years later, one twin, James, decided to track down his brother. After a long search, he found his brother, and it was revealed that;

His brothers adopted parents had also called their new son James!

Even though the two James’s never met they both went into law enforcement.

They both had excellent skills in carpentry and drawing.

They both married a women named Linda.

They both had sons, one named James Allan the other named James Alan.

Both twins were divorced and re-married a woman named Betty!

Lastly, they both owned a dog called Toy!!

After forty years apart, neither could believe these astonishing coincidences.

This story is from The Reader’s Digest, January 1980 edition.

Story 4

An American Woman in Paris

An American writer Anne Parrish and her husband were on holiday in Paris in 1920. They were browsing bookshops, and Anne picked up a book that was a particular favorite of hers, “Jack Frost and Other Stories.” Anne told her husband that she had been given a copy as a child by her parents and had wonderful memories of the book.

Anne’s husband took the book and opened it. On the inside cover, there was a handwritten inscription. It said, “Anne Parrish, 209 N Weber Street, Colorado Springs”. The inscription was written in Anne’s handwriting. It was Anne’s very own book from all those years ago!

Source – While Rome Burns, by Alexander Woollcott.

Story 5

The King’s Double

The eighteenth-century Italian King, Umberto, went to a restaurant in Monza with General Emilio Ponzia Vaglia. The owner of the restaurant took King Umberto’s order. The King noticed that he and the restaurant owner looked almost identical. They could almost have been brothers.

As they discussed how similar they looked, they found out that they were both born on the 14th of March 1844. They had both been born in the same town. They both married women called Margherita. The owner of the restaurant opened his restaurant on the same day Umberto was crowned King.

A few years later, on the evening of July, the 29th, 1900, King Umberto was told that the restaurant owner had died. As Umberto said how sorry he was to hear this sad news, he was shot four times by assassin Gaetano Bresci. King Umberto was buried in the Pantheon.

Story 6

The Mysterious Plum Pudding

Emile Deschamps was in a restaurant when a stranger called Monsieur de Fortgibu sent over some plum pudding.

Ten years later, Deschamps was in a Paris restaurant and noticed plum pudding on the menu. He asked the waiter to bring him the pudding. The waiter said he was very sorry, but the last of the plum pudding had just been served to a gentleman behind Deschamps. When Deschamps turned to see who it was, it was Monsieur de Fortgibu!

Six years after that coincidence in 1832 Deschamps was at a dinner party and was offered plum pudding. At the same time as Deschamps was telling his fellow diners the story of the plum pudding coincidences, an old Monsieur de Fortgibu walked into the room!

Story 7

Double Exposure

The photograph above is a copy of the original.

In 1914 a German woman from Strasbourg took her son to be photographed. She bought a film plate, and after the photo was taken said she would return in a few days when the portrait was ready. Unfortunately, World War 1 broke out, and she was not able to collect the photo.

Two years later she was now living in Frankfurt and gave birth to a daughter. She was still disappointed because she still didn’t have any photos. The mother again bought a film plate and another photo was taken, this time of her daughter.

When the new photo plate was developed, it turned out to be a double exposure. Her daughter’s image was superimposed on the earlier picture of her son! Incredibly her original film plate was never developed and had somehow ended up in Frankfurt 100 miles away. She bought the same plate with the original photo still on it!

To fully understand why coincidences happen please look at our Synchronicity page.

Click here, Synchronicity Forum to read and share true stories about synchronicity and coincidences.

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