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!

Elizabeth C

I have one brother. My parents died on our birthdays. My father died on 4th January 1976, my brother's 30th birthday and my mother died on my 61st birthday 14th May 2009.

A Dream Which Almost Came True

I dreamt one night that I was at work. The emergency evacuation alarm went off followed by an announcement which seemed very confusing. With other colleagues I tried to find my way out of the building, but the lights went out, and it was rather scary and in my dream we got lost. Next morning I told a colleague while we were standing at the coffee machine. That lunchtime I went out to do some shopping and to spend a short time in St James' Park. When I got back this colleague told me that I had missed an emergency evacuation. Not only that, but the Incident Officer who was the person responsible for setting off the alarm, had a heart-attack in the middle of his announcement. Scary or what!

Identical mileage readings at same location

On 8 Jan 12, I was driving my partners car (a Y Reg Rover 25) southbound on the M5 as we passed Michael Wood Services when her odometer reached 55,555 miles (five fives). This is not a route we drive often. Only two days later I was driving my own car (a 54 Reg Honda Civic) southbound on the M5 when its mileage hit 55,555 miles at the same location.

Family of five all born on Thursdays

Martin R born 03/11/1951 Elisabeth R born 30/10/1952 Gabriella R born 25/06/1981 Rebecca R born 21/03/1985 Lucy R born 19/01/1989 Lucy was a few days late , But we knew she would be born on the Thursday!

Wrong Number

When I was a teenager, a group of us went to Liskeard in Cornwall for our first holiday together without our parents. Whilst out visiting the local beauty spots, we walked beside a public telephone box and could hear the phone was ringing. First of all we just laughed and ignored it but on passing, I felt the sudden urge to go back and answer it. I picked up the phone and somebody said "Is that you Carol"? Well I was stunned but I answered yes. It was my aunt on the end of the phone who was trying to contact my father to advise him there had been a death in the family. I have puzzled over this all of my life. My family lived in Wallington, Surrey and my aunt lived in Sutton, Surrey. How did that call get through to a public phone box in Cornwall just as I was walking by?

Chance meeting in North Yorkshire

In winter 1998 my boyfriend and I were invited to a 30th birthday weekend in North Yorkshire. Around 25 people were accomodated in a secluded camping barn. On the first night we all walked up a dirt track and along an unlit road to the nearest pub. We were living in Birmingham at the time. Also in 1998 my brother began his undergraduate studies in Newcastle. Although we were close we had not been in touch with other for a couple of months. It was before we had mobile phones and we were lazy with letters. Back to the pub in North Yorkshire. We were having a great time. When it was my turn to get the drinks I stood at the bar awaiting my turn and happened to look through the back of the bar to the lounge at the other side of the pub. I saw my brother standing there waiting to buy a drink. I did a quadruple take! He had joined the university walking club and was staying in a youth hostel nearby. Neither my brother or I had a clue that we would both be in North Yorkshire that weekend, let alone stumbling up a remote lane to the same pub. The only pub for miles around.

birthday coincidence

My son, Jacob, had a sister born on his birthday, 27th September, he married a lady whose sister was born on the same date, one year later, 16th January, and they subsequently had two sons with the same birthday, 7th September. I would love to know what are the chances of this happening!

House buying

When buying my first house, I looked around dozens of homes for sale in Bristol - somewhere I'd lived for a couple of years (I grew up in East Anglia). After weeks of searching I was shown one home and got the immediate feeling that this was the one to buy. Not unusual I know, but six months later, after buying the house and moving in, my aunt was doing some family research and discovered that my great great great uncle used to live in the very same house. I had no previous knowledge that any of my distant relatives lived in Bristol.

Late for Work Excuse

I regularly used to be late for work, my supervisor became increasingly annoyed and gave me a good telling off. The next day I overslept so I made up a story about my cat bringing a blackbird into the kitchen and having to wait for my neighbour who liked animals to return from dropping someone at the station so that I could ask her to come in and remove the bird. Since everyone in the office knew I couldn't bear birds the story was accepted and nothing more was said. The next morning, the entire situation happened exactly as I had lied about it the day before. The bird was even a blackbird! Needless to say I couldn't go into work and say it had happened twice so I got into trouble again. I was so spooked by the coincidental occurrence I have never made up any story again.

Mrs Sylvia W

My father, John Edward B, was born in 1913 and was the eighth child in the family born on the eighth day of the eighth month (August)

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