Nostradamus+and+other+predictors

__Nostradamus__ This French astrologer and physician, born in 1503, made prophecies about the future, including the end of the world. Some claim he has predicted the French Revolution, Adolf Hitler, and September 11th, 2001. __ Background __ After practicing medicine for 18 years, Nostradamus (also known as Michel de Nostredame) began making prophecies in 1547. In 1555 he published a book called //Centuries,// which consisted of rhyming quatrains grouped in sets of 100s (called centuries). As astrology was popullar back then, ﻿he became well-known. In 1558 Nostradamus published a larger second edition, dedicated to the French King. Books called the //Almanacs//, and the //Prophecies// were also printed. After some of his prophecies appeared to be fulfilled, he became so famous Catherine de Medicis, queen consort of the king, hired him. He cast the horoscopes of her children, and was later appoints the physician-in-ordinary by Charles IX, the new king. In 1781 his books were condemned by the Roman Catholic church. Even today, his prophecies are still controversial.  h[|ttp://ancieastro.files.wordpress.com/2010/09/nostradamus.jpg] __His Predictions__ In his books of rhyming prophecies, Nostradamus made many predictions (including ones about apocalypses). Here are some of the more famous ones:
 * __﻿__ the French Revolution: "From the enslaved populace, songs,/ Chants and demands/ While princes and lords are held captive in/ prisons. / These will in the future by headless idiots/ Be received as divine prayers"(/ = new line) It's possible he could have seen peasant uprisings and just guessed what will happen, but he could have predicted the future
 * the End of the World: he wrote that his prophecies will only go as far forward as the year 3797. According to some, since Nostradamus said the world would end, and he was never wrong (or so they say), then the world will end when he said it will.
 * Sept. 11th, 2001: "Earthshaking fire from the center of the Earth/ Will cause tremors around the New City./ Two great rocks will war for a long time,/ Then Arethusa will redden a new river".Sure, the "rocks" are the Twin Towers, and the New City might be New York City, but were the towers really warring? Of course, Nostradamus might not have recognized skyscrapers or jumbo jets, but I think that this prediction could have applied to any number of events.
 * The atomic bombs: "Near the gates and within two cities/ There will be scourges the like of which was/ never seen,/ Famine within plague, people put out by steel,/Crying to the great immortal God for relief." this is an accurate description of of the bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki. However, it is rather vague, and it could apply to a number of wartime situations, atomic bomb or not.
 * The following are predictions about the future, that people have interpreted to present-day concepts:
 * "By fire he will destroy their city,/ A cold and cruel heart,/ Blood will pour,/ Mercy to none." This became before the quatrain interpreted to be about 9/11. As for "he", "he" might mean the Antichrist. You could interpret this as, say, Osama Bin Laden or another terrorist or rival political leader.
 * "The year the great seventh number is accomplished,/ Appearing at the time of the great games of slaughter:/ Not far from the age of the great millennium,/ When the dead will come out of their graves." This has puzzled scholars (what is the 7th number?). This could be 2007, or 2070, the year in which the third world war is supposed to end. Then, after years of peace it will (supposedly) be the end of the world

__ Links __ For reliable resources about Nostradamus: __[] __ [] [] [] __[] __ []

__﻿__  __[] __ __ Isaac Newton __Sir Isaac Newton, born around 1643, was an English physicist, mathematician, astronomer, natural philosopher, alchemist, and theologian. He also believed the world would begin a new era (which also could be the end of the world as we know it) in 2060. How he came up with this date:
 * he first tried to find the date for the formal institution of the (Roman Catholic) church. After coming up with several dates, he eventually mentioned that 800 A.D. was the date of the beginning of the pope's supremacy
 * he found prophetic time periods, including the 1260 days mentioned in Daniel 7:25 in the bible. He changed the days into years, and came up with 1260 years
 * he added that 1260 years to the 800 A.D., and came up with 2060 A.D. for the "fall of Babylon" (the end of the church, and thus, according to Christianity, the end of the world as we know it).