As 2024 draws to an end, social media users have once again turned to the 'prophet of doom', Nostradamus, for their fill of 2025 predictions. Born Michel de Nostredame, Nostradamus was a French astrologer and physician who lived in the 1500s and predicted some of the modern-day epochal moments such as Adolf Hitler's rise to power, the September 11 attacks and the COVID-19 pandemic. He is best known for his book Les Prophetis (The Prophecies), published in 1555, which contains 942 poetic quatrains that are widely interpreted for global events.

Researchers analysing his work have hinted that 2025 may have some hard-hitting events in store, ranging from an asteroid collision to another plague-like outbreak in the UK. Though Nostradamus' prophecies more often than not miss the mark, they do provide a certain thrill to the people reading them.