What do WWII battles, ballistic missiles, and the deadly brown tree snake have in common?
Many believe that Nostradamus predicted the French Revolution in a poem that reads "Songs, chants, and demands will come from the enslaved / Held captive by the nobility in their prisons.”
Nostradamus was a friend of King Henry II of England. In a letter to the King, he called him “the most invincible Henry King of France.” But his writings in ‘Les Propheties’ say otherwise.
Nostradamus wrote that the King would be taken down in battle by a younger “lion.” He specifically said, “He will pierce his eyes through a golden cage / Two wounds made one, then he dies a cruel death."
His predictions for the next few years include asteroids that may destroy the Earth, global famine, and a zombie apocalypse. It’s a good thing not all of his prophecies come true!
Sources: (Sky History) (The Independent) (Lad Bible) (India Times)
See also: Predictions from 1900 that did (and didn't) come true
The French Revolution began in 1789 with the storming of the Bastille. The French people decided to revolt against the nobles who treated them unfairly, and began by attacking the Bastille, a prison that was seen as a symbol of the monarchy’s power.
Nostradamus wrote a poem that outlines the rise and fall of King Philip II’s reign. The first lines of the poem predict that King Philip will initially prosper. This was true! It also claimed that he would “reduce the Arab army.” This seems to refer to the Battle of Lepanto. A Spanish fleet clashed with ships sent by the Ottoman Empire and brutally defeated them.
He then predicts a turn in the King’s fortune. Philip was a Catholic ruler, and when the Catholic Mary Queen of Scots was executed, his beneficial alliance with England was also broken.
Louis Pasteur was a 19th-century French chemist and microbiologist who made critical scientific discoveries. He learned that micro-organisms cause fermentation, and invented the process of pasteurization, which was named after him. His work also contributed to the first vaccines for rabies and anthrax.
Nostradamus predicted that someone named Pasteur would uncover things that had been hidden for centuries, and would be celebrated as a god-like figure. He also predicted that Pasteur would later be dishonored.
The rise of Hitler is one of the most chilling and accurate prophecies made by Nostradamus. His poem went as follows: “From the depths of the West of Europe, / A young child will be born of poor people / He who by his tongue will seduce a great troop; .... Beasts ferocious with hunger will cross the rivers.”
Hitler was born to poor parents in Western Europe, and, as we know, had a tremendous talent for convincing millions of people to follow him, many of whom he turned into a merciless army.
In another poem, Nostradamus includes the line “A man named de Gaulle is a three-time leader … He will be renowned above all monarchs.” Charles de Gaulle was one of the most exalted leaders in French history.
De Gaulle led Free France into war against the Nazis during World War II. When France regained its freedom, he became the prime minister for two years while they restored their democracy. A decade later, he became the President of France. There’s a three-time leader for you!
He describes a “proud nation brought low by the stone in the tree.” Pride and honor are trademarks of Japanese culture, and there’s speculation that the stone in the tree refers to the mushroom cloud created by the bombs.
The assassination of President John F. Kennedy was one of the pivotal moments of the 20th century. Many believe Nostradamus foresaw this famous crime when he wrote “From on high, evil will fall on the great man.” This may refer to the fact that a great man was shot by a sniper on a rooftop.
He goes on to suggest that an innocent man will take the fall for the crime, which many people believe to be the case. Lee Harvey Oswald was arrested for the murder, but was murdered himself the day after the assassination. There are theories that he was just a fall guy, and the real killer escaped. Nostradamus states that the guilty person will remain “in the mist.”
He also talks about “the great new city” being destroyed by fire. This may again refer to New York and how the entire city was affected by the attack. The impact on the city was enormous and long lasting, not to mention the fact that the ashes from the burning towers spread far and wide.
One of Nostradamus’ most famous prophecies seems to foretell the September 11 terror attacks. The first line of the poem says that the sky will burn at 45 degrees. Some suggest that this refers to New York being near the 45th latitude.
Nostradamus also wrote that the new King would suffer the long-lasting resentment held by many of his subjects. Reading speculates that this refers to the public's empathy for the late Princess Diana and Charles's treatment of her during their marriage.
Despite the fact that Nostradamus wrote his prophecies in the 16th century and Reading wrote his interpretations of them years ago, they were correct in saying that the Queen would die at the age of 96 and that Charles would take the throne at the age of 74.
Reading speculates that if an unexpected man takes the throne, then that means that Prince William is out of the picture for some reason. Based on his studies of Nostradamus's prophecies, Reading suggested that it may in fact be Prince Harry who takes the throne.
Nostradamus refers to Charles as the "King of the Islands" in one of his poems. King Charles rules over the British Isles, but is also head of the Commonwealth. Reading questions whether this title suggests that the Commonwealth will disband during Charles's reign, leaving him with the British Isles only.
One of the most shocking Nostradamus predictions that Reading outlined is that King Charles will not rule for long. He believes that Charles will soon have to abdicate due to his age and poor health.
A British author named Mario Reading dedicated much of his working life to studying the texts of Nostradamus and published several books on the subject. Although Reading passed away in 2017, he had already written about Nostradamus’s prophecies regarding the death of Queen Elizabeth II and the ascension of King Charles III.
Even more surprising is the prediction that Prince William, heir to the throne, will not be the one to take his father's crown. "A man will replace him who never expected to be King."
Nostradamus wrote hundreds of prophecies, and naturally, many of them did not come to be. But certain predictions did come true and were so detailed that it's hard to write them off as coincidences, even for the most skeptical among us. Click on to see some of the most famous world events he predicted.
Prince Harry famously stepped down as a senior member of the royal family and retired from his royal duties in 2020, so it would certainly be a surprise to see him take the throne. Prince William's son, Prince George, and his two other children, Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis, are ahead of Harry in the line of succession. However, if Nostradamus's predictions are correct, King Charles will abdicate while they are still children, and if William can't take his place, then Harry would be the most likely successor.
It's possible that a previously unknown member of the royal family could make a claim to the throne. There have long been rumors that King Charles and his wife, Queen Camilla, had a lovechild long ago while they were married to other people.
Many think the famed astrologer may have predicted the Russia-Ukraine war, as one of his many predictions was a vague idea that France would face an eastward danger. "Blue-head shall white-head harm in such degree, As France's good to both shall e'er amount," he predicted. Could this prediction—only speculated to be referring to 2022 since Nostradamus’ predictions are based on astrological movements rather than the calendar—be alluding to the outbreak of WWIII?
Finally, Nostradamus says that King Philip’s fortune will be destroyed by a “young onion.” The young onion may have been the Protestant king of France, Henri IV. Henri and Philip disagreed on religion and battled throughout their lives.
Nostradamus made a prophecy that two cities would suffer a terrible scourge, the likes of which the world had never seen. That would certainly describe the destruction caused by the atomic bombs dropped on the Japanese cities of Hiroshima and Nagasaki during World War II.
King Henry II did indeed die a cruel death. He was taking part in a jousting competition when his younger opponent’s lance connected with his helmet, with the lance splitting in two. The wood punctured his eye and his temple, leaving him severely wounded. The King suffered for 10 days before dying of his wounds.
In 1666, a small fire broke out in a London bakery and turned into a blaze that consumed the city for three days. It killed several people and destroyed thousands of homes and businesses.
Nostradamus died in the 1500s, but he predicted a terrible event that would take place the following century. One poem in his book referenced “the fire of '66.”
The lines “blood will pour / Mercy to none” may refer to the tragic loss of life. Nearly 3,000 people died as a result of the attacks that day.
In 1995, a scientific historian published a book confirming that Pasteur had lied about using work from a rival scientist to create his anthrax vaccine. This dishonored him somewhat and knocked him from his pedestal, as Nostradamus said.
In fact, some of his poems predicted the most important and devastating events of the last century, from the rise of Hitler to the invention of the atomic bomb, and the 9/11 terror attacks. Experts who have studied his work are now saying that he predicted the death of Queen Elizabeth at the right age, and that his vision for Charles's future as King is not very hopeful.
Curious to know more? Click through this gallery to discover what Nostradamus wrote about the fate of the British royal family, and which of his other prophecies have already been fulfilled.
Nostradamus' predictions: will King Charles III abdicate?
The famous 16th-century oracle predicted trouble for King Charles
LIFESTYLE Mysticism
Nostradamus was a French astrologer born at the beginning of the 16th century. He worked as a physician, but he is famed for his supposed ability to predict the future and is credited with foreseeing many major world events. Most of his predictions were written in the form of short cryptic poems, collected in his famous 1555 book, ‘Les Prophéties.' His artistic musings have exasperated historians, and many of them could be interpreted to apply to a number of events. Naturally, his claims are met with a great deal of skepticism, but many of his predictions contain very specific details that came true.
In fact, some of his poems predicted the most important and devastating events of the last century, from the rise of Hitler to the invention of the atomic bomb, and the 9/11 terror attacks. Experts who have studied his work are now saying that he predicted the death of Queen Elizabeth at the right age, and that his vision for Charles's future as King is not very hopeful.
Curious to know more? Click through this gallery to discover what Nostradamus wrote about the fate of the British royal family, and which of his other prophecies have already been fulfilled.