December 14, 1503 – Physician, philosopher and seer, Nostradamus, is born

Nostradamus

Michel de Nostredame, more commonly known as Nostradamus, was born on 14 December 1503, although some reports say he was born one week later.

He was a well-educated man, studying mathematics, philosophy, astrology and medicine.

Using his skills in astrology, Nostradamus wrote a series of books, consisting of “quatrains”, which were purported to be prophecies about the future.

Attention was attracted when some of his prophecies seemed to come true.

However, academic studies have concluded that the apparent associations made between events and Nostradamus’s quatrains are essentially the result of misinterpretations or even deliberate mistranslations of his words.

With enough manipulation, the words of his quatrains can be made to coincide tenuously with major events of the world.

Nonetheless, through the years, the writings of Nostradamus have attracted a huge following of people who believe he had supernatural foresight into the future.

Nostradamus died on 2 July 1566. Originally buried in the local Franciscan chapel, he was later re-interred in the Collégiale St-Laurent at the French Revolution, where his tomb remains to this day.