Freaky Coincidences - Part III

Sometimes novelists unwittingly write fictitious stories that end up coming true or they have weird experiences that cannot be explained rationally. It seems that sometimes people's fates are inexplicably intertwined somehow. Here is another entry belonging to the Freaky Coincidences umbrella - which already includes parts #1 and #2 - but the theme here is authors and novels. Some of these may have been repeated in previous entries, some of them are prophetic in nature, and some of the are just bizarre.

Anne Parrish

While American novelist Anne Parris browsed bookstores in Paris, in the 1920s, she stumbled upon one of her childhood favorites, entitled Jack Frost and Other Stories. She showed her husband, remarking that she the book had been one of her favorites as a girl. Her husband opened the book and was astonished at the inscription inside, which read: "Anne Parrish, 209 N. Weber Street, Colorado Springs, Colorado". As it turned out, the book was her very own copy from her childhood.

Mark Twain

Samuel Langhome Clemens, better known as Mark Twain, was a popular American author of such books as the Adventures of Tom Sawyer and Huckleberry Finn. He was born on the day that Halley's Comet appeared in 1835, and died on the day of its next appearance in 1910. In fact, he himself predicted this a year before his death when he said: "I came in with Halley's Comet in 1935. It is coming again next year, and I expect to go out with it."

Edgar Allan Poe

Famous horror writer Edgar Allan Poe wrote a book entitled The Narrative of Arthur Gordon Pym of Nantucket in 1838, actually his only complete novel. The story is about four shipwreck survivors who were in an open boat for several days before they decided to kill and eat Richard Parker, the cabin boy. Forty-six years later, the Mignonett foundered, with only four survivors, who were in an open boat for many days. Eventually the three senior crew members killed and ate the cabin boy. The cabin boy's name was Richard Parker.

Morgan Robertson

In 1898, Morgan Robertson wrote a novella entitled Futility (or The Wreck of The Titan. It was about an Olympic-class ocean liner called Titan, which sinks in the North Atlantic after striking an iceberg.

• The Titan (800' long) was considered to be "indestructible", the Titanic (882' long) was described as being "unsinkable".
• Both ships had three propellers and two masts.
• The Titan was launched in April from Southampton, so was the Titanic on her maiden voyage in April 1912.
• The Titan carried 24 lifeboats, less than half required for her 3000 capacity, whereas the Titanic carried only 20 lifeboats, less than half the number needed for a passenger capacity of 3000.
• The Titan struck an iceberg in the North Atlantic, 400 miles from Terranova (Newfoundland) while traveling at 25 knots, the Titanic traveled 23 knots too fast, 400 miles away from Terranova.
• The indestructible Titan sank, with over half of her 2500 passengers drowning, the "voices raised in agonized screams", whereas the unsinkable Titanic sank with more than half 2207 passengers dying screaming for help.

Prophetic coincidence? Could be, but there are also a few differences between the Titan and the Titanic. These can be viewed on Wikipedia.

Norman Mailer

When Norman Mailer started work on his novel Barbary Shore, he had no plans on having a Russian spy as a character. However, as work continued on it, he introduced a Russian spy in the US as a minor character, who soon became the dominant character in the novel. After completion of the novel, the US Immigration Service arrested a man living one floor above Mailer in the same apartment building. His name was Colonel Rudolf Abel, allegedly a top Russian Spy working in the US at the time.

Émile Deschamps

In 1805, stranger Monsieur de Fortgibu treated French writer Émile Deschamps to some plum pudding. A decade later, in a Paris restaurant, he saw plum pudding on the menu and decided to order some, but the waiter told him that the last dish had been served to another customer, who turned out to be Fortgibu. Years later, in 1832, Deschamps was at a diner and was once again offered plum pudding. He remarked to friends that only de Fortgibu was missing for the setting to be complete - and at that same moment the now aged de Fortgibu entered the room!

Freaky Coincidences - Part II

Some peoples' lives are inexplicably intertwined, it seems, and there might be more than mere coincidence at work. As a followup to Freaky Coincidences - Part I, here are some more bizarre stories about coincidences.

Return To Childhood

1920s: While in Paris, American novelist Anne Parrish was browsing bookstores when she came across one of her childhood favorites, Jack Frost and Other Stories. She picked up the old book and showed it to her husband, telling him that she fondly remembered the book. Her husband took the book, opened it, and on the flyleaf found the inscription: "Anne Parrish, 209 N. Weber Street, Colorado Springs." It was Anne's very own childhood book!

—While Rome Burns, Alexander Wollcott

Falling Baby

1930s: Joseph Figlock was walking down the street when a Detroit mother's baby feel from a high window onto Figlock. The baby's fall was broken, and both man and baby were unharmed. Certainly lucky the first time around, but a year later, the same baby feel from the same window onto the same Joseph Figlock, who had been passing under that same window at the time. And, once again, both survived the accident.

—Mysteries of the Unexplained

Switched Hotels

1953: A TV reporter, Irv Kupcinet, was covering Elizabeth II's coronation in London. In one of the drawers in his room at the Savoy Hotel, he found items that belonged to a man named Harry Hannin. Coincidentally, the famed Harlem Globetrotter Harry Hannin and Kupcinet were good friends. But here's the twist in this story. Just two days later, and before he could tell Hannin of his discovery, Kupcinet received a letter from Hannin. The letter mentioned that, while staying at the Hotel Meurice in Paris, Hannin had found a tie in a drawer and it had Kupcinet's name on it!

—Mysteries of the Unexplained

Double Twins

1975: John and Arthur Mowforth were twins, who lived in UK but were separated by about 80 miles. On the evening of May 22, 1975, both suffered from severe chest pains. Both men's families were completely unaware of the other's illness. Both men were rushed to separate hospitals at approximately the same time. And both died of heart attacks shortly after their arrival.

—Chronogenetics: The Inheretance of Biological Time, Luigi Gedda and Gianni Brenci)

Freaky Coincidences - Part I

According to the Free Dictionary, a "coincidence" is "a sequence of events that, although accidental, seems to have been planned or arranged". And no doubt we have all had such experiences, often leaving us with a sense of wonder and mystery. But is it really coincidence? Or is something else working behind the scenes?

Here is a collection of some of the most bizarre stories about coincidence:

Rightful Winner

1858: Robert Fallon was shot dead by his fellow poker players, accused of cheating when he won the $600 pot. None of the other players were willing to claim the now-unlucky winnings, but a new player sat in Fallon's empty chair and staked with the dead man's $600. By the time the police arrived to investigate the murder, the new player had gained an additional $1,200 in winnings. The police demanded that the original $600 be passed on to Fallon's next of kin. As it turned out, the new player was Fallon's son, who had not seen his father in seven years!

—Ripley's Giant Book of Believe It or Not!

Vengeful Bullet

1883: When Henry Ziegland broke up with his girlfriend, out of distress, she committed suicide. The girl's enraged brother hunted down Ziegland and shot him. Believing that he had killed Ziegland, he then turned the gun on himself, taking his own life. However, the bullet had only grazed Ziegland's face and subsequently lodged in a tree. Some years later, Ziegland decided to cut down the large tree, which still had the bullet in it. The task proved to be more difficult than he thought it would be, so he decided to blow it up with some dynamite. The resultant explosion propelled the bullet into Ziegland's head, killing him instantly.

—Ripley's Believe It or Not!

Strangers On A Train

1920s: Three Englishmen, who had been traveling separately by train through Peru, found themselves en route in the same railroad car. They introduced themselves and were surprised to find that they had more in common than they first thought. One man's last name was Bingham, the second man's last name was Powell, and the third man announced that his last name was Bingham-Powell. Yet none were related in any way.

—Mysteries of the Unexplained

Locating George Bryson

Late 1950s: George D. Bryson, during a business trip, registered at the Brown Hotel in Louisville, Kentucky. After signing the register and being given the key to his room (Room 307), he asked the mail desk if any letters had arrived for him. The mail girl told him that there was, indeed, a letter and gave him an envelope addressed to Mr. George D. Bryson, Room 307. This is not remarkable in itself, but the letter was not actually his. It was for the just-previous room's occupant - another man named George D. Bryson!

—Incredible Coincidence, Alan Vaughan

Bermuda Taxi

1975: While riding a moped in Bermuda, a man was accidentally struck and killed by a taxi. A year later, the man's brother was also similarly killed. In fact, he was riding the very same moped and, against the odds, was hit by the same taxi driven by the same driver - even carrying the same passenger as before!

—Phenomena: A Book of Wonders, John Michell and Robert J. M. Rickard