Here are six predictions that the French Apothecary Nostradamus wrote in his collection of prophecies together with the passage from those prophecies. Was Nostradamus truly a foreteller of the future, or have his writings been misinterpreted and deciphered in such a way as to make the facts fit the writing?

Death of Henry II

“The young lion will overcome the older one,
On the field of combat in a single battle;
He will pierce his eyes through a golden cage,
Two wounds made one, then he dies a cruel death.”

In the summer of 1559, King Henry II of France (older one) lined up to joust the Comte de Montgomery (young lion), six years his junior, on the fields of France (field of combat). Both had lions on their shields.

In their final pass, Montgomery’s lance tilted up and burst through the king’s visor, splintering to pieces. Two shards, one through the eye (pierce his eyes through a golden cage), and one through the temple, lodged in the king’s head (Two wounds made one). Henry suffered for 10 days (then he dies a cruel death) before dying in his bed.

The Great Fire of London

“The blood of the just will be demanded of London
Burnt by fire in the year ’66
The ancient Lady will fall from her high place
And many of the same sect will be killed.”

The small fire that started in the bakery of Thomas Farriner on Pudding Lane in London, September 2, 1666 (in the year ’66) turned into a three-day blaze that consumed the city. One of the explanations for the “blood of the just” refers to the millions of flea-carrying rats that were killed. Peasant deaths were not recorded at the time, but it has long been held that six people perished in the fire.

French Revolution

“From the enslaved populace, songs,
Chants and demands
While princes and lords are held captive in prisons.
These will in the future by headless idiots
Be received as divine prayers.”

In 1789, the French people decided they’d had enough of poor aristocratic rule and revolted. The peasants (enslaved populace) took control of Paris and forced their demands on royalty. The aristocracy (princes and lords) were taken from power, locked in the Bastille (prisons) and beheaded at the guillotine (headless idiots).

Napoleon

“PAU, NAY, LORON will be more of fire than of the blood,
To swim in praise, the great one to flee to the confluence.
He will refuse entry to the Piuses,
The depraved ones and the Durance will keep them imprisoned. “

“PAU, NAY, LORON”: Three towns in southern France: Pau, Nay and Oloron.
The capitalization hints that something is hidden within the words and to look further.

Rearranging them spells out NAPAULON ROY, or Napoleon the King in French.
“More of fire than of the blood” refers to Napoleon’s non-noble lineage and “refuse entry to the Piuses” speaks to Popes Pius VI and VII, both imprisoned by Napoleon.

Louis Pasteur

“The lost thing is discovered, hidden for many centuries.
Pasteur will be celebrated almost as a God-like figure.
This is when the moon completes her great cycle,
But by other rumors he shall be dishonored.”

Louis Pasteur is credited (Pasteur will be celebrated) with discovering microbial decay (lost thing is discovered, hidden for many centuries). In 1995, the science historian Gerald L. Geison ran a story in the New York Times illustrating that Pasteur gave a misleading account on his preparation of the anthrax vaccine (shall he be dishonored).

Hitler

“From the depths of the West of Europe,
A young child will be born of poor people,
He who by his tongue will seduce a great troop;
His fame will increase towards the realm of the East.”

On April 20, 1889, Hitler was born in Western Europe, to very poor parents. Hitler moved Germany to action in the years following WW I, in part, through his over-the-top oratory skills (who by his tongue). “His fame will increase towards the realm of the East” refers to the Axis alliance with Japan in the East.