Historian Debunks 1960 "Doomsday" Prediction Set for November 13, 2026

A dire prediction from 1960 suggesting the world will end on Friday, November 13, 2026, has been debunked by a historian. The original study, titled "Doomsday: Friday, 13 November, A.D 2026," was authored by Austrian-American cybernetics expert Heinz von Foerster and two of his students. They posited that the human population would "approach infinity," leading to self-annihilation.

Professor Alan MacEachern of Western University has re-examined the study, concluding that the prediction is based on flawed and outdated data. The original paper's projection of population growth was derived from trends over the preceding 2,000 years. However, MacEachern highlights that the global birth rate has significantly decreased since 1960. "Only around 1993 did that accuracy begin to falter and the global population began falling behind the forecasts," MacEachern explained in an article for The Conversation. "Today, the global birth rate is slightly less than half the 1960 rate."

MacEachern also points to von Foerster's background as a stage magician, suggesting that elements of showmanship may have influenced the paper's presentation. "Von Foerster and his co–authors' article gained attention because it was an ordinary scientific article wrapped in an extraordinary title and conclusion," MacEachern stated. "To draw the world's attention to a serious matter by way of absurdity — that's a good trick."

Despite its sensational title and conclusion, the study was grounded in research and cited in various academic fields, including genetics, ecology, and demography. However, with the demographic trends diverging from the initial forecast, MacEachern assures that "We will probably not all wake up on Friday, November 13 'squeezed to death.'" He anticipates an ordinary day on November 13, while still acknowledging the article's effectiveness in blending rigorous science with performance art.

The 1960 study is not the only end-of-the-world prediction from that era that has come to light. Chan Thomas, a former US Air Force employee and UFO researcher, authored "The Adam and Eve Story" in 1966. This book, which was reportedly halted from publication by the CIA, claims that a global catastrophe on the scale of the Great Flood occurs every 6,500 years. Thomas asserted that the last such event happened approximately 6,500 years ago, and by this logic, the next catastrophe is imminent, involving a drastic shift in Earth's magnetic field. The book was declassified in part in 2013 but remained obscure until recently.