#WackyWednesday: Five of the strangest coincidences in history

Coincidences are random events in life that are peculiar to at the very least.

However, there are some coincidences which leave people wondering if there is in fact a glitch in the Matrix.

Here are five of the strangest coincidences in history:

1. When history repeats itself

For varied reasons, Adolf Hitler and Napolean Bonaparte are names cemented in history. Strangely enough though, the two are linked by more than just their status as a historic ruler.

Hitler was not only born 129 years after Napoleon, but also came to power and invaded Russia. He was defeated exactly 129 years after Napoleon suffered his loss at the Battle of Waterloo.

2. When books come to life

The legendary author, Edgar Allen Poe’s only novel, The Narrative of Arthur Gordon Pym of Nantucket, revolved around a disastrous Antarctic voyage. In one of the scenes, four shipwrecked survivors adrift on a raft decide to eat the cabin boy, Richard Parker, to survive.

In 1884, a ship called the Mignonette sank and only four passengers survived. They too decided to cannibalise the cabin boy to survive. The cabin boy’s name? Richard Parker. Spooky.

3. When babies fly

Joseph Figlock was walking the streets of Detroit in 1930, when a baby fell from the apartment building he was passing. The child landed on Figlock and both were fortunate to escape the incident uninjured.

A year later, Figlock was walking along the same street, and while passing the same building, the same baby fell out the window again, landing on him. Yet again, both escaped uninjured.

Strange as this might sound, this incident might be one of the reasons organisations such as Child Welfare exist.

4. Mark Twain and Halley’s Comet

American author, Mark Twain is one of the most legendary writers to exist. Even today, his works such as The Adventures of Tom Sawyer and The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn still captivate readers.

Yet, what many don’t know is that the author is coincidentally linked with Halley’s Comet.

Mark Twain was born on the day of the appearance of Halley’s Comet in 1835, and died on the day of its next appearance in 1910.

In fact, Twain claimed in 1909 that he arrived with Halley’s Comet and said he would leave with it the following year. We’ll probably never know for sure if Twain was an extraterrestrial being sent to inspire humankind.

5. Three strangers with complimentary names

In the 1920s, three Englishmen were traveling through Peru by train. When the men met, they were the only three men in the railroad car.

Their introductions were surprising, as one man’s last name was Bingham, the second man’s last name was Powell and third’s last name was Bingham-Powell. None of the men were related in any way.