Michel de Nostredame, also known as Nostradamus, published his infamous book Les Prophéties in 1555. Packed with cryptic quatrains, his writings have fascinated believers for centuries. Though often vague and open to interpretation, some Nostradamus predictions seem too accurate to dismiss. From political troubles to disasters, these eight chilling prophecies have uncanny parallels to real historical events. Whether you’re a skeptic or a true believer, you might be surprised by how closely his centuries-old verses align with modern reality.
8. The Moon Landing
Some believe Nostradamus predicted mankind’s journey to the moon with lines describing a man who would “travel through the sky” and “touch the heavens.” The 1969 Apollo 11 landing, when Neil Armstrong set foot on the moon, was a defining moment in human history, and another moment believers say Nostradamus saw coming.
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7. The 9/11 Terrorist Attacks
In one of his quatrains, Nostradamus wrote of “two steel birds” crashing into “two towers” in the “New City.” Many believe this is a reference to the September 11, 2001, attacks on the World Trade Center in New York City. Although scholars argue the original French text doesn’t match this translation precisely, the imagery still haunts those who believe in Nostradamus predictions.
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6. The Assassination of JFK
Some quatrains are believed to reference a “great man” who would fall in the daylight by a shot to the head. This has been tied to the assassination of President John F. Kennedy in 1963. The language used evokes the public nature of his death and the chaos that followed. As with many of the Nostradamus predictions, the details are open to interpretation, but the eerie parallels are hard to ignore.
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5. The Atomic Bomb
In his writings, Nostradamus described “a fire that will fall from the sky” and cause devastation unmatched by previous wars. Many interpret this as a reference to the atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki in 1945. While this prediction is less specific than others, the metaphor of fire raining from the heavens is a chilling image that aligns well with the destructive power of nuclear warfare.
4. The Death of Henry II of France
This prophecy is one of the clearest and most specific. Nostradamus wrote that a “young lion” would pierce the eye of an older one in a joust. In 1559, King Henry II was fatally injured during a tournament when a lance pierced through his helmet and into his eye. The details were so accurate that even skeptics take note of this historical event as one of the best-supported Nostradamus predictions.
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3. The French Revolution
Nostradamus reportedly foresaw the French Revolution in a quatrain that speaks of “slaves” breaking their chains and rising against the nobility. The late 1700s saw violent uprisings, beheadings, and the overthrow of the French monarchy, which mirrors his symbolic language. The revolution marked a turning point in European history, aligning eerily well with one of the most famous Nostradamus predictions.
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2. The Great Fire of London (1666)
Nostradamus wrote of a “great fire” in the “new city,” predicting widespread destruction. In 1666, London was engulfed in flames for four days, destroying a large part of the city. Although London wasn’t exactly “new,” it had recently undergone urban expansion, and the fire remains one of the most catastrophic in its history. The accuracy of this prediction continues to fuel debate about whether he truly saw the future.
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1. The Rise of Adolf Hitler
One of the most cited Nostradamus predictions is believed to emphasize the rise of Adolf Hitler. He refers to a figure from the “lower part of Europe” who would lead through bloodshed and cause immense suffering. While the name “Hister” appears in the text, which is a Latin term for the Danube River, many interpret it as a near miss for “Hitler.” The chilling similarity and the timeline match have made this one of his most talked-about prophecies.