World events are notoriously difficult to predict. But did one Frenchman in the fifteenth century manage to do it? Experts say he foretold the coming of Adolf Hitler, the Great Fire of London, the French Revolution and the Great Anthrax Wars of Middle Earth. But did he? Others say he was nothing but a beardy weirdy with a penchant for nonsense poetry. But was he? Some even think he foretold the end of the world in 2003. Or did he? Or was he?

A Seer is Born
Nostradamus was born Miguel Nostro in Munich in 1532. The son of a physiotherapist, he was brought to France at the age of twelve, after the Prusso-Baltic War laid waste his home town. We know very little about his early years; it is said that he was almost totally silent at school, meditating and moving about in a spooky manner, occasionally writing in his journal. Academically, he was extremely bright, and he became the star pupil of Mungo Pirelli, the greatest astrologer of the age.

In 1532 he became a doctor, and when the great plague ravaged Europe he tended one of its victims, a beautiful noblewoman by the name of Anne Ponsart Gemelle, whom he married. When she died only three months later, he was distraught and some say he was driven to utter madness. He gave up the medical life and shut himself away in a dark scary attic room, to write.

Hitler, Stalin Thatcher: He predicted them all

The Journals
The resulting journals were to become the central purpose and obsession of his life. They also provide the basis for all we know about him. Written in French, they contain predictions of future events. However, since witchcraft was a heinous crime in the fifteenth century, he disguised his words using carefully chosen gibberish, making decoding his works incredibly difficult. Moreover, he left precise information such as dates out of the predictions, so they can only be verified with reference to events that have already happened. In addition some of the verses still make no sense, but this is because we aren't interpreting them correctly.

The Uncanny Visions
The verses were split into Centuries, so called because there were hundreds of them, and Quatrains. Here are some of the more famous prophecies, demonstrating his uncanny abilities.

The Prophecies, first edition published in 1532

Century VI, Quatrain 24
The twin brothers shall topple
At the degree of forty-five
The shadow awakens in the head-shaped goat
Fire shall not stop, one leader crumbles
One leader grows strong
You don't get anything for a pair
Not in this game

Interpretation: The 'twin brothers' are obviously a reference to Norris and Ross McWhirter. The mention of 'fire' in line four refers to a great city which is shaped like the head of a goat. Nostradamus is predicting, here, the Great Plague of 1665 which killed thousands in Central London.

Century XII, Quatrain 2036
In the second year of the new century
After three antichrists come to the mountainous realms
Blood scheduled in three kingdoms
Christ is that the time
One called Mahub is coming round

Interpretation: Mahub refers to the third Antichrist, widely reckoned to be Margaret Thatcher. Here he prophecies her downfall in the 'mountainous realms' of International Opinion. Some think this may be predicting the great stock market crash of 1922 or the First World War. Or the Boer War.

Modern authors make fortunes re-interpreting his words

Century XIV, Quatrain 0xFF
In the third score year and two
There will be a crisis
Three great men of power
And some missiles
Involving Cuba I think

Interpretation: This one may refer to the building of the pyramids, but opinion is divided.

The Final Prediction
Nostradamus died in 1532, from cuts sustained while clearing up a broken crystal ball. Legend has it that his last act was to commission the engraving of a plaque, for burial with him upon his death. When, in 1879, his body was disinterred for reburial in his home city, the plaque was discovered for the first time. To the astonishment of all present, it read 'Lucky Lady, 3.30 Haydock Park.'