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!

Mr John

We were friends in our teenage years, but went our separate ways and married different partners, Eighteen months ago we met at a mutual Friend's funeral and have formed a good relationship. Both of us having lost partners through death. ( WE are both in our early eighties) My friend's daughters were taught at school by my wife and I have now found that she was bridesmaid at our new Vicar's Mother's wedding with whom she has had a close friendship for many years. Seems as if it was ment to be. Coincidence or Divine planning.!!! Funerals are not designed for this sort of getting back together. !!!

Illness coincidence

My Father became ill with flu, and died in hospital, aged 53 years and five months. I was hospitalised with a pulmonary embolism aged 53 years and five months. I later found out from my Father's death certificate that the cause of death was a pulmonary embolism! I'm glad I found this out after my recovery.

MY FAMILY BIRTHDATES

MY MOTHER WAS BORN 21 JULY 1905 HER ELDER BROTHER WAS BORN 21 JULY 1901 HER YOUNGEST BROTHER WAS BORN 22 JULY 1912 MY WIFE WAS BORN 20 JULY 1939

Mother

My Mother was the 'daughter of a Scottish Regiment' (The Seaforth Highlanders - Grandfather served in the Boer War, Khyber Pass and the First World War etc). When she died we had a St. Andrew"s Flag on her Coffin and a Piper, piped her in to and out of the Church. The next day, her ashes were buried in the family grave. It was then we realised it was St. Andrew's Day

Old Friend

A few years back my mother's stepsister and her husband were on holiday in America. They got talking to an American couple who recognised their English accents. The American couple mentioned that they had lived in England about 20 years before for a few years in a small place near Pembury in Kent. My 'aunt' said she knew Pembury as they lived in Tonbridge just a short drive away. They got talking some more and the American couple said that their daughter Vicky had gone to school in England and that her best friend was XXX, to which my aunt said, that's my niece. The funny thing is I wouldn't have said that I was Vicky's best friend whilst she was at my school although we were good friends.

birthday coincidence

when our son introduced us to his future wife she was born the same day same year as our daughter his sister. One born in yorkshire one in lancashire.

death coincidence

My father died on August 23rd 1991. My husband's father died on August 23rd 2006.

Clubbing in the sixties

In the sixties I lived in London and often went to Jazz clubs and concerts. But this time I had gone to Paris and spent the night in a Jazz club there. Out in the street in the very early morning I got talking a friendly black American who had also been clubbing. We had a nice chat and then went our separate ways. A week later I was on the street again in the early morning, but this time in London, also after a night in a Jazz club. And who should I bump into but the very same friendly American!

richard p-t

playing duplicate bridge last friday bidding 7 no trumps is a very very rare event came to last round of playing and lady in opposition said" she had had very poor cards all afternoon" I said "only one chance left so she had better make a grand slam on the last round "(ie bid 7 of something) She then bid and made 7 No Trumps

coincidence or what?

About 35 years ago a teenage patient caught mumps. Not an unusual occurrence. However, his identical twin brother caught mumps at the same time. Again, not very strange. Except that the brothers had been separated when very young and one was in London and the other was in Sydney, Australia.

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