Top 10 Things People Did When They Thought the End of the World Was Near
10 Renaissance Works of Art on Fire
February 7, 1495: The Bonfire of the Vanities by Savonarola
Probably for as long as humans have been making end-of-the-world predictions, they have also been attempting to destroy terrible ideas by setting them on fire. The “Bonfire of the Vanities” in Florence in the 15th century was just one of many instances where priceless literature and artworks were set ablaze. In 1497, during the burning, individuals burned anything that could divert their attention from their religious obligations. All of this occurred because a monk named Savonarola managed to persuade them that the end of the world was just around the corner—a mere three years away.
The city of Florence had already been seized from the Medici family by the formidable Savonarola. His impact was profound, reaching all the way to Sandro Botticelli, one of the most illustrious artists of all time. It is possible that the renowned artist responsible for painting The Birth of Venus set fire to some of his own priceless artworks.
9 Buying Umbrellas and “Anti-Comet” Pills: A Worrying Purchase
An End-of-the-World Event and Halley’s Comet
Earthlings are able to observe Halley’s Comet once every seventy-six years. Its appearance has been documented since prehistoric times. But in May of 1910, when it was expected to return, widespread fear ensued. What changed from the last instance? Novel scientific method known as “spectroscopy” provided the solution.
A comet’s tail was found to contain invisible poisonous gas a few years ago when spectroscopists from Chicago examined it. Similar gases in Halley’s comet’s tail were supposed to reach Earth and smother everyone, according to French astronomer Camille Flammarion. People hid indoors, boarded up their windows, and got ready for the worst as false information circulated rapidly, despite the fact that other scientists tried to reassure everyone that Earth was secure.
Nevertheless, there were others who saw opportunity and others who were terrified. Scam artists in the business world started peddling “anti-comet pills” that they said would shield consumers from the comet’s destructive path. Gas masks and ‘comet protective umbrellas’ were also on offer. Thanks to the comet’s tail vanishing an estimated 197,000 miles (317,040 km) from Earth, the sole negative impact seemed to be shame.[2]
8 Ascending the Mountain of an Extraterrestrial Pyramid
Serbian End-of-the-World Preparations
You might assume that in the modern day, people have greater sense and that the concept of apocalypse is obsolete. Nevertheless, a worldwide catastrophe was widely expected around the turn of the century, and the same was true twelve years later. Neither one caused widespread fear, but they did elicit some interesting reactions. For instance, word got out in December 2012 that the Mayans thought the world was going to end on December 21.
Some people took it seriously enough to board an aircraft to Serbia, while the majority chose to disregard it and continue about their lives as usual. Some had gone all the way from Australia to be there. Mount Rtanj is a mountain in the Carpathians with a nearly flawlessly pyramid-shaped peak that some think was constructed by aliens. They felt that a magnetic field radiating from the mountain would shield them from the end of the world.
Reportedly, hundreds of newcomers braved blizzards to give nearby settlements a chance at survival.the third
7 Disbursing Ten Million
Heidi & Spencer: How Did Their Funds Disappear?
Some people thought the Mayans were correct, but they didn’t think anyone could survive. Spencer Pratt and Heidi Montag, a formidable American reality TV couple, were one of them. The couple, who went by the nickname “Speidi,” became famous on The Hills and went on to star in other reality shows, such as Celebrity Big Brother in the UK. Their careers had taken off by the time 2012 came around, and Spencer estimated that they had made close to $10 million.
However, upon learning that an asteroid was scheduled to impact Earth in 2012, they concluded that it would be prudent to blow through all of their wealth prior to their own (and everyone else’s) premature demise. A “million-dollar wardrobe,” a monster vehicle, plastic surgery, and—bizarrely—having others open doors for them were among the things they spent their money on.
In addition, Spencer mentioned that they would generously give their pals automobiles and cash. They were able to blow through it all and were staying at Spencer’s dad’s house for free by June 2011.[4]
6 Acting as a Sporting Weatherman with a Bow Tie
It Seems Like We’re About to Enter a Climate Crisis
While it’s absurd to go out one’s savings on speculation about a long-vanished civilisation, one could rationalise the action if the end of the world were really imminent. But if a worldwide danger is real, can anything be justified? I disagree, based on one much-maligned case from 2014. Even if you don’t believe in it, climate change is far more plausible than the Mayan belief system.
In June 2014, a cover of Le Parisien Magazine featured a man who was extremely worried about it. The article also made the disturbing assertion that the world has only 500 days to escape its clutches. Laurent Fabius, the former French foreign minister, surprised everyone by not being a scruffy, staunch environmentalist.
Worse yet, the peculiar cover photo soon went viral, replacing the smiling minister with E.T., God, and a pair of nostrils; the shot originally featured the minister dressed in a bow tie and pointing to a map. The French people didn’t take it as seriously as Fabius likely desired. A number of prominent French politicians, including him, ended up appearing on covers of the same magazine—covers that were unintentionally funny.[5]
5 Making Environmental Devastation Possible and Even Encouraged
The Saturday Night Live skit “Everyone Hates Watt”
Laurent Fabius was attempting to rally support for environmental protection and a halt to climate change through an unconventional approach. Feelings that their time on Earth is running out have driven other politicians as well. But there are many who disagree with his environmentalist stance. Former Reagan administration U.S. Secretary of the Interior James Watt was one such figure.
He thought the earth’s natural resources should be taken advantage of. He held the view that environmentalists stifled both personal liberty and the expansion of the national economy, and he despised them for it. Loads of coal, oil and gas were distributed by him when he was secretary. He loosened regulations meant to protect the environment. The questioning by the House Interior Committee, however, was his most notorious moment.
In response to the question of whether he desired to keep the wilderness intact for centuries to come, he said, “I do not know how many future generations we can count on before the Lord returns.” Basically, he believed that the day of judgement was approaching quickly, so there was little point in preserving much. Even a Saturday Night Live sketch poked fun at his opinions.[6]
4 The Government’s Priority: Doomsday Preparation
The Y2K Debacle: The Near-Death Experience with a Computer Bug
Computers had already become indispensable in several fields by the end of 1999, including finance, communications, medical equipment, and more. Troublesome code that couldn’t handle the change from 1999 to 2000 was frequently used, too. While no one could say for sure what would go wrong, some speculated that the world would descend into anarchy.
Many influential groups, including the Canadian government, took the risk of being labelled as paranoid in their preparations for this. After looking into the potential effects of the problem in 1998, they made Y2K readiness a major focus. With 11,000 people putting in time and effort, no new law or programme could compare. In 1999, Canada had spent the previous 18 months getting ready for New Year’s Eve. The senior cabinet members were put on lockdown, the central bank had four times the average cash reserves, and 13,000 troops were on standby.
Thinking back on it, it’s easy to assume that they basically paid for the most costly computer update ever, even though nothing happened. However, we identified and resolved the actual issues. Y2K was described by a senior bureaucrat as a combination of the largest ever hoax and the greatest ever crisis prevented.[7]
3 The Large Hadron Collider Suit
The Real Reason Behind Their Lawsuit Against the Large Hadron Collider, According to This Ex-CERN Employee
The U.S. government was nearly sued in 2008 for nearly precipitating another crisis, whereas the Canadian government may have avoided one with Y2K. After the Large Hadron Collider was turned on, a journalist and a former nuclear safety officer sued the US Department of Energy and scientific institutions like CERN. Because of its immense power, many thought the LHC may definitely bring about the end of the planet.
Although Einstein’s and Stephen Hawking’s theories stated that this was impossible, one of their arguments was that it may produce a small black hole into which the Earth would plunge. The litigious couple further asserted that the possibility of unusual matter might lead to the merging of all matter on Earth or the creation of new particles, accelerating the decay of atoms. In 2010, the pair’s failure to establish a credible danger led to the dismissal of the claim.[8]
2 Relocating to Texas in Anticipation of the Second Coming
American Taiwanese Disappointed That God Hasn’t Appeared on Television
A number of eccentric figures like Chen Hong-min are necessary for this list to be comprehensive. Like many other cult leaders, the Chen Tao cult leader from Taiwan convinced his followers that the world was about to end. Thankfully, he refrained from urging them to take their own lives. Actually, he admitted defeat when the world didn’t end the way he had predicted.
After leaving a UFO cult he had joined in the early 90s, Chen first acquired adherents. By 1995, he had come to the conclusion that the Americas were God’s chosen homeland. He and his followers relocated there on the belief that they will be abducted by God in cloud-shaped flying saucers. They were held up at Garland, Texas, in particular, because, in his mind, the name sounded like “God-land.”
Images captured during that era depict the group donning all-white attire and caps with large brims. After the UFOs failed to show up on the day he had predicted—March 31, 1998—Chen gave a press conference and referred to his prophecy as useless. Quite a few individuals departed. On the other hand, he shifted his cult to New York after reevaluating his earlier claims.[9]
1 Becoming a TV Star, Donning a Rainbow Wig, and Taking Hostages
The Rainbow Man and His Extremely Difficult Life
A well-known face, or rather, a well-known haircut, continued showing up at sporting events throughout the 1970s and 2000s. Although he did not participate in athletic activities, Rollen Stewart, better known as the “Rainbow Man,” became a little notoriety thanks to his colourful rainbow-colored wig, which he wore nearly every day. Something darker, though, lay beneath his carefree façade.
Directors attempted to silence him in the 1980s after he became a Christian through a TV preacher and began making biblical allusions whenever he appeared on television. He quickly fell into poverty and homelessness since he had never managed to turn his modest level of celebrity into cash. His belief in Jesus’ return was solidified at that point. After a stink bombing campaign failed to garner sufficient attention, he resorted to more extreme measures in his desire to inform the world.
He held three hostages at a Los Angeles hotel in 1992 and engaged in an eight-hour confrontation with police, during which he sought a broadcast spot to announce the impending apocalypse. Though he admittedly acted at the wrong time, he justified his actions by saying they were “a crime to prevent a greater harm”.
SEE ALSO:
