Is June 21 going to be the end of the world? Considering so many events that are happening across the globe, chances of falling for such conspiracy theories are possible. The unfolding events in 2020, from climate change to the pandemic to protests to a global economic standstill, has led many think that the end is near. But what does the prophecy in 2012 actually stated? What was Mayan’s 2012 Apocalypse prediction? As the doomsday prediction is haunting all of us, let us journey back and know the actual prediction that made scientists believe that 2012 was going to be the end of the world, and why conspiracy theorist now say that Mayan calendar reading, back then was wrong and predict June 21 to be the day when the world ends.

What Are Mayan and Julian Calendars?

Today, most of the people across the globe follow the Gregorian calendar. It was introduced in 1582. The Gregorian calendar was created to reflect the time that it takes for the Earth to orbit the Sun. But before that, different kinds of calendars were followed to keep track of the date, including the Mayan and Julian calendars.

What Did the Mayan Calendar Predict?

Doomsday prophecies have a rich history, and believers tend to overlook the scientific evidence that disproves them. The Maya actually predicted the world would most certainly not end in 2012. According to Maya, when one great cycle ends, another begins. “It’s about rebirth, not death,” Maya scholar Ricardo Agurcia was quoted saying in a National Geographic report, in 2012, when the end of the world prediction gripped nations across the world.

Now, conspiracy theorists believe that the reading went wrong. According to them, the civilization shifted to the Gregorian calendar, 11 days of the time were lost. Over time the lost days have accumulated, and theorists claimed we should actually be in 2012, and not 2020. Scientist Paolo Tagaloguin in a now-deleted tweet explained, “Following the Julian Calendar, we are technically in 2012. The number of days lost in a year due to the shift into Gregorian Calendar is 11 days. For 268 years using the Gregorian Calendar (1752-2020) times 11 days = 2,948 days. 2,948 days / 365 days (per year) = 8 years.”

NASA has dismissed these claims as just plain conspiracies and no evidence. There is no reason to panic as they are only beliefs, and there is no sign of an apocalypse to occur this week, or anytime soon.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Jun 16, 2020 05:30 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).