18 Predictions About The Future That History Proved Way, Way Wrong

Nathan Davidson
Updated July 3, 2024 208.8K views 18 items
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Vote up the predictions that could get someone a job as a weatherman.

Nothing ages more poorly in pop culture than bad predictions. Made with the best intentions, and then memorialized in print, future prediction fails show just how foolish it is to try and predict the future. Despite how easy The Simpsons makes premonitions look, funny predictions from the past often land far from the intended mark. In fact, many of the past predictions about the future seen below sound more like jokes today than educated guesses about the trajectory of humanity. Given the number of times humans have failed to predict the end of the world, you would think people would watch what they put out into the universe.

With terrible foresight ranging from the home computer to the legacy of the world's greatest musicians, predictions that never panned out like the ones below are now great laughs to look back on. Well, most of them. Naming OJ Simpson as a presidential candidate is like saying a reality show star will make it to the White House. Oh wait...


  • 1

    Okay, Computer Genius

    Okay, Computer Genius
    1,796 votes
    Was this way off?
  • 2

    Come Fly With Me

    Come Fly With Me
    1,504 votes
    Was this way off?
  • 3

    The Times They Are A Changing

    The Times They Are A Changing
    1,489 votes
    Was this way off?
  • 4

    Off By Just A Bit

    1,338 votes
    Was this way off?
  • 5

    I Don't Like The Sound Of This...

    1,463 votes
    Was this way off?
  • 6

    Does Not Compute

    Does Not Compute
    1,330 votes
    Was this way off?