20 Ridiculous Prophecies That Somehow Came True
A bizarre blend of eerie foresight and cosmic coincidence, these real-life prophecies prove that sometimes the wildest predictions aren’t just fiction—they're frighteningly accurate glimpses into the future.
- Alyana Aguja
- 6 min read
From medieval seers to contemporary sitcoms, history contains outrageous prophecies that seemed to come to pass—much in the strangest of circumstances. Whether through The Simpsons’ prediction of President Trump or some 19th-century author depicting a Titanic-similar catastrophe, these predictions edge the boundary of coincidence and second sight. Here are 20 actual real-life prophecies that at one point in time were brushed off as laughable—only for reality to catch up at a later moment.
1. The Simpsons Foresee Donald Trump’s Presidency (2000)
Image from IMDb
In the episode Bart to the Future, Lisa is president and refers to receiving a budget crisis from “President Trump.” In 2000, it was a joke regarding celebrity ego and ridiculous political possibilities. Seventeen years later, Trump was voted into office, and America did have a budget deficit.
2. Jules Verne Foresees Moon Landing (1865)
Image from Wikipedia
In From the Earth to the Moon, Verne described a manned space capsule launched from Florida to touch down on the moon. The shape of the spacecraft, launchpad, and splashdown landing were all uncannily close to the Apollo missions. He even made a close calculation of the escape velocity.
3. Morgan Robertson’s Titanic Tale (1898)
Image from Wikipedia
In his novella Futility, Robertson described an “unsinkable” ship called the Titan that struck an iceberg and sank, killing most aboard due to too few lifeboats. Fourteen years later, the Titanic disaster unfolded nearly identically. The book even mentioned the same month—April—and similar passenger counts.
4. Mark Twain’s Death Coincidence (1909)
Image from Wikipedia
Twain, born in 1835, notoriously declared that he entered with Halley’s Comet and hoped to exit with it. In 1909, he indicated he would die the next time the comet appeared. True enough, Twain passed away one day after Halley’s Comet’s nearest approach in 1910.
5. Nostradamus and the Great Fire of London (1666)
Image from Wikipedia
Nostradamus penned, “The blood of the just will be demanded of London… The ancient Lady will topple from her high place.” Numerous people believe it to be prophesying the Great Fire of London when much of the city burned down in 1666. Though ambiguous, the date and location are correct, and so this is a favorite prophecy.
6. Robert Boyle Foresees the Future of Medicine (1660s)
Image from Wikipedia
Boyle, a 17th-century scientist, foresaw many modern advances in medicine, including organ transplants and curing disease through “remedies by transplantation.” Even he anticipated citrus as a treatment for scurvy, which was not part of mainstream thinking. Centuries later, almost all his “wish list” concepts turned into medical facts.
7. Arthur C. Clarke Predicts the Internet (1964)
Image from Wikipedia
Clarke predicted that by 2000, humans would be working from anywhere with the aid of small consoles linked to a global information net. He essentially delineated the internet and telecommuting decades before they became a reality. The BBC clip of this prophecy came back as prophetic in the era of COVID-19 remote work.
8. John Elfreth Watkins foresees Wireless Phones (1900)
Image from Joe Fattorini’s Substack
In an article in the Ladies’ Home Journal, Watkins foretold that individuals would carry around “a watch-sized device” enabling them to speak to anyone on earth. He referred to them as “wireless telephone and telegraph circuits.” Smartphones nowadays live up to his specifications all the way to the shape.
9. Edgar Cayce Predicts Stock Market Crash (1925)
Image from Wikipedia
Dubbed the “Sleeping Prophet,” Cayce foretold a great financial crash in 1929. He cautioned that America would endure an economic calamity if money-making ways did not change. In October 1929, the stock market collapsed, sending the nation into the Great Depression.
10. David Bowie Foresees Kanye West (1972)
Image from Wikipedia
Bowie’s The Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust album includes a track titled “Five Years” and contains a figure known as “Starman” who rescues the world. In the artwork in the album, Bowie stands in front of a sign that says “K. West.” Years later, Kanye West would achieve cultural fame as a self-proclaimed musical messiah.
11. Isaac Asimov Predicts 2014 World (1964)
Image from Wikipedia
Asimov authored an essay on forecasting life in 2014, declaring that there would be video calls, robots in the kitchen, and vehicles that “drive themselves.” He also predicted an explosion of the population in urban areas and boredom as a top social issue. Most of what he envisioned now exists in current tech and society.
12. Dean Koontz Forecasts a Wuhan Virus (1981)
Image from Goodreads
In his book The Eyes of Darkness, Koontz wrote about a virus known as “Wuhan-400” that was created in a Wuhan, China, lab. The parallels to the 2019 coronavirus pandemic set off widespread scrutiny. While there are many variations, the where and lab-based scenarios were uncannily accurate.
13. Sylvia Browne Predicts Global Pandemic (2008)
Image from Wikipedia
In her book End of Days, psychic Sylvia Browne wrote, “In about 2020, a very bad pneumonia-like disease will sweep across the world.” She said it would go away quickly but come back years later. The timing and type of the disease eerily resemble COVID-19.
14. The Onion Pokes Fun at Biden’s 2020 Campaign… in 2009
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In a 2009 satirical article, The Onion teased that Joe Biden would announce his presidential run in a 1987 Pontiac Trans Am. The article was intended as a joke about his ambition and underdog persona. In 2020, he actually started a presidential run—and won.
15. The Wachowskis Predict Simulated Reality (1999)
Image from Wikipedia
While not exactly a prophecy, The Matrix introduced the idea of humans unknowingly living in a simulated world. The concept was science fiction, yet many tech philosophers now seriously consider simulation theory as plausible. Elon Musk and physicists like Nick Bostrom argue there’s a high chance it’s true.
16. Igor Sikorsky Envisions Helicopters (1910s)
Image from Wikipedia
Before flight technology had progressed, Sikorsky drew a “rotating blade flying machine” capable of vertical takeoff. His classmates mocked it as fantasy. Within decades, he was not only involved in developing the helicopter but was one of the primary leaders in rotorcraft design.
17. Marshall McLuhan Foresees the Internet (1962)
Image from Wikipedia
McLuhan introduced the term “global village” and spoke of a world where information would instantly be available to all. He foresaw people connected by electronic media. His prophecies are now directly associated with the advent of the World Wide Web.
18. Trevor Noah Makes Jokes Regarding Trump Jail Time (2016)
Image from Wikipedia
In a Daily Show segment immediately following Trump’s election, Trevor Noah made light of the fact that “Donald Trump might end up in jail when this is all over.” It was just standard political satire at the time. Jump forward to 2023–2025, and Trump has several criminal indictments.
19. Star Trek Forecasts Technology: Tablets, Siri, and Zoom (1960s)
Image from www.startrek.com
Star Trek portrayed characters using handheld tablets, voice assistants, and video calls. Decades later, we use iPads, Siri and Alexa, and Zoom like it’s nothing. Even the “universal translator” now exists in smartphone apps.
20. Roko’s Basilisk Becomes a Real AI Worry (2010)
Image from Villains Wiki - Fandom
A strange thought experiment proposed a future AI would punish anyone who didn’t assist it into being. Although it began as a crackpot post to a philosophy discussion board, actual AI researchers have since discussed the morals and principles of such situations. The concept has appeared in popular culture and even intimidated some into silence.
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