A Prophet of His Time

Nostradamus is famously known for his many prophecies, some of which have been proven true. Whether you believe in his works or not, it's clear that Nostradamus was an interesting individual who lived a varied and unique life worth learning about.

Photo by César de Notre-Dame (1553–1629) on Wikimedia Commons & Daniel Schludi on Unsplash

1. Family Roots

Michel de Nostredame, more famously known as Nostradamus, was born in 1503 in the Kingdom of France. His family was of Jewish descent, but they converted to Catholicism one generation before Nostradamus was born. Both of his grandfathers were physicians to the court of Good King René of Provence.

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2. COVID-19 Pandemic

Many people have drawn a connection between some of the passages of Les Prophéties, a collection of Nostradamus' prophecies, and the exact time the COVID-19 pandemic happened. In one of the translations called The Prophecies of Nostradamus, translated by Erika Cheetham, Nostradamus talks about a plague spreading worldwide, causing economic and social collapse. The times perfectly align with the outbreak of COVID-19, leading many to believe he correctly predicted it.

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3. Skilled in Medicine

Nostradamus attended Montpellier University in 1525 to study medicine in hopes of earning a doctorate. He was quickly expelled for his work as an apothecary. A few years later, he came back to the university and successfully finished his medical doctorate in 1529.

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4. He Did Not Predict 9/11

While many people believe that there is a prediction about everything in Nostradamus’ book, some of them are actually fabrications or just straight-up fake. The most famous one is the 9/11 prediction, stating that Nostradamus wrote that two steel birds would fall from the sky on a metropolis, which many people believe to refer to the planes and the twin buildings in New York. This was never actually written by Nostradamus, as steel suitable for airplanes was not invented for nearly 200 years after his death. The quote was proven to be a fabrication published on a Canadian website as part of an essay on how easy it is to make fake prophecies sound real.

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5. Obsessed with Astrology

Nostradamus had a deep interest in astrology, merging it with his observations of human behavior and celestial patterns. He claimed to base his published predictions on judicial astrology, the art of forecasting events by calculating planetary and stellar bodies and their relationship to Earth. While some modern-day astrologers have criticized his work for assuming that horoscopy can actually predict the future, Nostradamus was obsessed and amused by celestial bodies and their mysteries.

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6. The Moon Landing

In one of his writings, Nostradamus talks about a man reaching the corners of the moon and being put in a strange place. Many have made a connection between this and the Apollo 11 landing on the moon, with Neil Armstrong being the first person to walk on its surface. While it’s still debated, many believe that Nostradamus foresaw this historic event.

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7. Mysterious Passing

Nostradamus seems to have predicted the end of his own life, among other things. He is alleged to have told his secretary, Jean de Chavigny, that she would not find him alive at sunrise. On the very next day, he was found lying on the floor next to his bed, making his prediction about the end of his own life true.

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8. JFK

The event involving the late President John F. Kennedy is one of the most infamous moments in American history. Many have made reference to one of Nostradamus’ writings directly predicting this event. Although it will never be one hundred percent certain, the prophecy does seem to predict the events as they happened and even what transpired afterward.

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9. His Books Were Never Banned

While some people suggest Nostradamus’ books were banned, there is sufficient evidence that proves otherwise. The book titled Les Prophéties received mixed reactions when it was published. Some people thought Nostradamus was insane or a fake, while many elites thought otherwise, most notably Catherine de’ Medici, wife of King Henry II of France, who was one of Nostradamus’ greatest admirers.

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10. Nuclear Development

Although Nostradamus’ writings are open to interpretation and many people argue for both sides, there are firm points suggesting that he predicted the development of the nuclear arsenal. References like a “burning fire” falling from the sky have been directly linked to the events that transpired in Hiroshima and Nagasaki.

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11. He Had a Secret Code

Nostradamus wrote his predictions in mysterious four-line verses, obscuring the meaning by writing in a mixture of four languages. Using Greek, Italian, Latin, and French, he shrouded his predictions in intrigue and made them more cryptic. This made his writing more difficult to interpret.

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12. Rise of Adolf Hitler

Many people believe that Nostradamus predicted the rise of Adolf Hitler in his writings. One of the most cited quatrains for this comes from his book, Les Prophéties. While the word “Hister” in this quatrain can refer to the Latin name of the river Danube rather than Hitler himself, the rest of the quatrain has many of Nostradamus’ supporters convinced that he foresaw the devastation of World War II.

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13. Predicted Thousands of Years Ahead

In his preface to Les Prophéties, Nostradamus stated that his prophecies extend “from now to the year 3797.” This means that he wrote predictions for 2,242 years into the future. This extraordinary date makes his works intriguing even today.

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14. The French Revolution

It is believed that Nostradamus predicted the French Revolution that began in 1789. His writing describes a time when the monarchy would fall and the oppressed masses would rise up. This prophecy aligns with the storming of the Bastille and the eventual end of Louis XVI’s reign.

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15. Advised French Royalty

While some people believed Nostradamus to be a fake or a lunatic, Queen Catherine de’ Medici, King Henry II of France’s wife, was fascinated by him. After reading some of his work, she invited Nostradamus to Paris and had him draw up horoscopes for her children. He was even made a counselor and physician to the queen's son, Charles IX.

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16. Rise of Napoleon

One of history’s most infamous figures, Napoleon Bonaparte, was also prophesied by Nostradamus in his book. As with most of his predictions, it depends on interpretation. However, Nostradamus was fond of anagrams, and when the city names from his writing are rearranged, they spell out Roy Napaulon, very similar to the French Roi Napoléon, or “King Napoleon.”

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17. His Book Is Still Selling Today

Since it was first published in 1555, Nostradamus’ book Les Prophéties has never stopped being printed or sold. Since the 16th century, the book has been translated into many languages. To this day, it continues to be one of the most famous books about prophecy.

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18. The Great Fire of London

Nostradamus wrote many predictions and prophecies, but the eerie accuracy of one specific writing shocks people to this day. He wrote about a fire in London taking place in the year ‘66. This exactly depicts the events of the Great Fire of London in 1666.

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19. Buried With a Secret

Among other prophecies that came true, Nostradamus had a very interesting one about his resting place. It is believed that he made the townsfolk swear not to disturb his grave once he passed on. However, when his body was dug up, he was found wearing a brass plaque correctly predicting the date and time his grave would be opened.

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20. Future Global Conflicts

With so many prophecies believed to have come true, and ones that had shocking evidence to suggest Nostradamus really did predict the future, there are still many that could prove to be true. Nostradamus wrote about “fire from the sky” and a “great war” in the 21st century, possibly referring to asteroid impacts or a nuclear event. While it’s impossible to know for certain, his predictions and prophecies remain a topic of intrigue and mystery to this day.

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