Nostradamus

Nostradamus was a French astrologer and physician who is best known for his book Les Prophéties, a collection of 942 poetic quatrains that allegedly predict future events. He was born in Saint-Rémy-de-Provence, Provence, France, on 14 December 1503, to a family of Jewish origin that had converted to Catholicism. He studied at the University of Avignon, but left after a year due to a plague outbreak. He worked as an apothecary for several years before enrolling in the University of Montpellier, where he hoped to obtain a doctorate in medicine. However, he was expelled shortly after his admission for practicing as an apothecary, which was forbidden by the university statutes. He then travelled throughout France and Italy, treating plague victims and gaining fame for his successful remedies. He married Henriette d'Encausse in 1531, but she and their two children died in 1534 during another plague epidemic. He remarried to Anne Ponsarde in 1547, with whom he had six more children. He settled in Salon-de-Provence, where he began to write almanacs and offer astrological consultations to wealthy patrons. In 1555, he published the first edition of Les Prophéties, which contained predictions in four-line verses (quatrains) for the next several centuries. The book was an instant success and attracted both admiration and criticism from various quarters. Some of his prophecies were interpreted as foretelling events such as the French Revolution, the rise of Napoleon, the World Wars, the atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, the assassination of John F. Kennedy, the 9,11 attacks, and the COVID-19 pandemic. However, many scholars and skeptics have dismissed his predictions as vague, inaccurate, or based on post-hoc interpretations. Nostradamus died on 2 July 1566 in Salon-de-Provence, reportedly from edema or congestive heart failure. He was buried in the local Collégiale Saint-Laurent church, where his tomb remains to this day.