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Famous Psychics In History – Nostradamus

History is filled with accounts of famous psychics who predicted major world events like natural and man-made disasters, political upheavals and other occurrences.  These famous psychics were also sought-after by kings and queens, presidents and prime ministers, and other notable figures.  Some psychic though also faced persecution and even death, because of their beliefs and practices.  Here's a short glimpse at the life of one of history's most intriguing psychics, Nostradamus.

The Early Years

Nostradamus, whose full name is Michel De Nostradame, was born in southern France in 1503.  He came from a Jewish family, but he converted to Catholicism during the period of religious intolerance, where Jews became targets of harassment and persecution.  He also came from a family of geniuses and successful professionals, as his grandparents and other relatives were famous scholars and physicians.  When he was aged 14, he went the town of Avignon to study in a school run by Catholic priests.  His life at school however was fraught with arguments with his teachers, as the Catholic hierarchy at that time frowned on the study of astrology and other practices that were deemed heretic, and contrary to  Catholic dogma.  Even though Nostradamus went to a catholic school, he still managed to learn the mystical aspects of Judaism like alchemy and the Kabbalah, which were taught to him by his grandparents.

The Famous Works Of Nostradamus

Between 1550 to 1565, Nostradamus wrote the first in his series of “Almanacs”.  The Almanacs contained major studies of astrology, and also contained written accounts of his visions.  As soon as he released his works, they became popular in France, where even the royal court called him a “genius”. He also created a book called “Centuries” which details his visions and predictions, which predicted what will happen in the next two thousand years. 

His Prophecies Brought Him Fame and Ridicule

While his predictions and scholarly work brought him fame, Nostradamus also had his fair share of critics and rivals. The Catholic church called him an instrument of the devil, while some medical scholars considered him an embarrassment, and other philosophers also hurled curses on him.  Many poets too marveled at his writings and proses, because they were written in a hodge podge of French, Latin, Greek and Italian.  His writings also attracted much interest from members of the French royal family.  Henry II and his wife invited him to their court, and sought him for guidance regarding their political fortunes, as well as the fortunes of their children.   

Nostradamus is famed for his predictions  on the end of days.  Although his predictions were quite vague, and provided details in a colorful, story-telling manner, he still remains a popular figure even up to this day.  And although he became a very popular figure in France, he lived a quiet and simple life. A number of modern-day interpreters even claim that Nostradamus predicted major events in the 20th century, including the rise of Adolf Hitler, and even the tragic explosion of the US space shuttle Challenger in 1896.  Nostradamus suffered fro a number of ailments, including gout, and he even predicted his own death in 1566.  After his death, his works and prophecies were translated into different languages, and they were distributed to other parts of the globe as well.