Harold Camping's 2011 End Times Prediction

Record	OBS-0880
Category	Religion/Relics and Prophecy
Status	DEBUNKED
Summary	Harold Camping, a Christian radio host, predicted the rapture and Judgment Day would occur on May 21, 2011, with the end of the world on October 21, 2011. The prediction was based on his interpretation of biblical genealogies and numerological calculations. When the date passed without incident, Camping revised his prediction, eventually admitting he was mistaken.
Origin	The prediction was made in Camping's 2005 book 'Time Has an End' and promoted heavily through his Family Radio network in the years leading up to 2011.
Claimed	The rapture and Judgment Day would occur on May 21, 2011, at 6 p.m. local time. Massive earthquakes would occur globally, starting in the Pacific and moving westward. Approximately 200 million people (3% of the world's population) would be raptured. The physical end of the world would occur on October 21, 2011. After May 21, Camping claimed the date was a 'spiritual' judgment day, with the physical end still to come.
Evidence / consensus	The prediction failed to materialize. Mainstream Christian groups rejected the date-setting, citing biblical passages stating no one knows the day or hour. Camping himself later admitted he was mistaken and that his attempt to predict the date was 'sinful.'

> OBSERVER NOTE:
Another failed apocalyptic prediction. The pattern of date-setting, failure, and revision is well-documented. Camping's eventual admission of error is a rare instance of a prophet conceding fault.

Sources

Sources are external and provided for verification. Listing does not imply the Observer endorses their claims.