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!

Small world

I was on honeymoon with my new wife in Bangkok back in the eighties, enjoying a little lunch at a bar on the corner of Sukhumvit/Soi 15 when a voice rang across the room, "Of all the bars in all the world...." It was an acquaintance from back home in London, who, coincidentally, had brought his girlfriend out to Thailand for a holiday! (Since we're no longer in touch, I wonder what the odds would be that he might post the same story here!!!)

WW1 Mystery Solved (1 of 3)

Two weeks ago I was asked if I could shed any light on how a photographer was killed in the First World War, as the man served in the same squadron as my grandfather. Only the week before, I had received a CD of an old tape recording I had made of my grandmother remininscing in 1965 (the tape was ageing and I'd been meaning to find someone to convert the tape for years). Upon listening to the recording, I was amazed to find that my grandmother had described in detail the bombing incident in which the photographer and several other men had been killed. The men in one of the huts had decided to swap sides for the night. My grandfather refused however and stayed where he was. A bomb from a German aircraft scored a direct hit on the hut and all the men who swapped sides were killed, including the photographer. When I provided the full account, I was given a photograph of a menu card. To learn more about this coinicence, you will have to read 'WW1 Mystery Solved (2 of 3)!

Same Name

We had a small 10 bedroom hotel in Bournemouth between 1998 & 2002 and one of our guests was a Mr. Barry C. His stay was coming to an end and a man sought a room for the night, filling out his form it read Barry C. I never stoke to either of them but sat them next to each other at breakfast then introduced each of them to the other. The C surname is not a common name as I found out through my family tree and contacting the `C one name study' group secretary. Another strange coincidence at the same Hotel we had a Man from Upton, nr Andover was staying with his Wife and another couple from Whitchurch, Hampshire which is just north of Andover. On introducing the couples because of the locality it transpires the Lady from Whitchurch was born in the same house that the Upton couple were now living in.

relationship concidence

My Boyfriend's, Uncle's Wife has the same Birthday as me, Lived in the house next door to me now when she was growing up, is the same height as me, and she had the same car as me too! colour and everything! And we are obviously with men with the same surname, very humourous when we have family get togethers :)

birthdays and homes

When I was in my thirties I embarked on a significant relationship with someone I worked with in London. It turned out that not only was this person born on the same day, the same year as my best friend, who I met at school when I was 12, but his family had moved into the same house in the west country that my best friend and family had previously lived in. My partner’s father still lived there and had inherited a large china figurine that my best friend’s family had left behind.

Fairytale story

It was Friday 13th and i was driving home 5 girls who'd been the juvenile dancers in the pantomime 'Cinderella' at our local theatre for the last 6 weeks and had just been to watch their 'opposite team' in it on their night off. We were driving through a junction when we were hit by another car turning right into our path. It was a nasty end to a fabulous night but when eventually i'd completed all the paperwork the police needed, the policeman handed me the other driver's details and I just couldn't believe what her first name was - Cinderella!

birthdays and homes

When I was in my thirties in the early 80’s I embarked on a significant relationship with someone I worked with in London. It turned out that not only was this person born on the same day, the same year as my best friend, who I met at school when I was 12, but his family had moved into the same house in the west country that my best friend and family had previously lived in. My partner’s father still lived there and had inherited a large china figurine that my best friend’s family had left behind.

Same Birthday

I am one of 3 children (all boys) all born on July 8th, my Brothers Robert born 8.7.1939, Anthony 8.7.1943 and myself David 8.7.1947. I read in the Mail on Sunday that 2 people with the same birthday is 1 in 35000 so would like to know what our chance was. I have not heard of any living or dead family having 3 children all born on the same date.

'Undersleeping'!

I recently changed jobs and am still a little unused to the starting times, which are different most days. Last Thursday I unaccountably strolled in a whole hour early, to be told 'Thank GOODNESS you're here! We need you right away!' I just looked smug.

mr elliott stanley

Upon meeting my wife I discovered that her sisters husband had the same birthday as me(October 7th).As if that were not a big enough coincidence we then realised that his father shares the same birthday as my dad(July 12th).

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