Cambridge Coincidences Collection

As of the 23rd May 2022 this website is archived and will receive no further updates.

understandinguncertainty.org was produced by the Winton programme for the public understanding of risk based in the Statistical Laboratory in the University of Cambridge. The aim was to help improve the way that uncertainty and risk are discussed in society, and show how probability and statistics can be both useful and entertaining.

Many of the animations were produced using Flash and will no longer work.

Well I Never!

Professor David Spiegelhalter of Cambridge University wants to know about your coincidences!

Passport Data

My girlfriend and I went to what is now Slovenia on our first foreign holiday together in 1974. We compared passports. My passport gave my place of birth as London and was issued in Glasgow on her birthday. Hers gave her place of birth as Glasgow and was issued in London on my birthday. We married the following year.

A communication?

I was emptying coins out of a money box onto a table. At the same time thoughts of my Dad (who had passed away 25 years earlier) entered my head. One of the coins (a penny) dropped off the table, landed on it's side, then rolled all the way round the table & landed at my feet. My Dad used to like a bet on the horses so I looked to see if there was a horse running with a name that might mean something. There was one called "Bygone Coin". It was a complete oursider but I put a bet on it & it came in third. I didn't win much money at all but the day the coin rolled off the table was the day my Dad had his heart attack & the day of the race was the day he passed away.

Bob Hoskins

Many years ago, the year the film “Who Framed Roger Rabbit” was released, I went to a butchers one day with my dad and in front of us in the queue was the actor Bob Hoskins. This became a rather legendary meeting in our family. About 20 years later, I was in a butchers in north London and in front of me in the queue was Bob Hoskins! I nearly collapsed. I only ever saw him twice and for both of those times to be behind him in the queue of a butchers, in completely different areas of the country, seemed extraordinary. It seemed such an unlikely place.

Numbers

My National Insurance numbers (not the letters) match my bank account number in exactly the same order (apart from the lasting digit).

car parking coincidence

I was staying at the HF Holidays house in St Ives last week. The car park held 18 cars in 3 lines. Two lines were adjacent, so it was necessary to provide reception with your number plate in case your car was blocked in. Mine was, so on the free day I had ask the people blocking me in to let me out. They just happened to be sitting in their car as I made for their room. We exchanged a few words and they drove off. I set off for St Just, about 12 miles away and found the town car park. It held about 100 cars and was virtually full. I drove round until I found a space and backed into it. The car directly behind me was the same car as at the HF house, and the couple emerged from it at exactly the same moment as me. We stared at each other in total disbelief and said 'What are the chances of that happening?'

Friend-relative

I was studying at university abroad in 1980, where I met another student who was also studying away from home. We became friends, and always together. When I mentioned her to my grandmother, who I was staying with then, she told me that my friend was actually a relative, that her grandfather was my grandfather's cousin. We remain friends and in touch till now.

Roulette Win Coincidence

While I enjoy playing poker and visiting Casinos I only ever spend what I can afford to lose. However on the last 3 times visiting Casinos in the UK, before leaving I would always place a single bet on Roulette on a single number betting £25 each time. All 3 times I won on different numbers selected at random in a single bet. The strangest was the 4th time when I was visiting Las Vegas and decided to try my luck in the home of gambling. Upon arriving at my hotel with Casino I placed my 1st bet of £25 ($30), selecting another random number and luck would have it I won again... Paid for my wedding and honeymoon. Now what are the odds for that ?

Sibling birthdays

Family of 4 siblings Eldest 2 born on 18th of month (February and October). Youngest 2 born on 27th of month (November and May)

M*******

I booked a trekking holiday in Nepal. I live in Cambridge and went to school there. I had a really good school friend called M*******. She moved to Birmingham with her parents after we left school. She worked in Birmingham central library. On the trek we were talking about our backgrounds and three trekkers were from Birmingham. One had been a librarian. In Birmingham central library. And knew M****** really well!

July 9th

July 9th 1995 my brother casey was taken off life support after an accident that would have left him in a vegetative state. July 9th 2005 My uncle Bobby was found with a self inflicted gunshot thru the chin. July 9th 2021 My youngest son, Casey, who just had a baby on the 29th of may and the baby being born with a hole in his heart passed away. It all just seems too coincidental and made it more difficult to accept the death of my grandson.

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