Millions of people genuinely believed the world was going to end in 1910 when Earth passed through the tail of Halley's Comet because astronomers discovered it contained poisonous cyanogen gas.

A closer look

Millions of people genuinely believed the world was going to end in 1910 when Earth passed through the tail of Halley's Comet because astronomers discovered it contained poisonous cyanogen gas. Unscrupulous grifters immediately capitalized on the global panic by selling expensive anti-comet pills, specialized gas masks, and protective umbrellas meant to block the deadly cosmic vapors. People held wild doomsday parties, confessed their deepest sins, and sealed their windows with rags to avoid being suffocated by space poison. The comet ultimately passed by without causing a single casualty or dropping a noticeable amount of gas, proving that humanity's absolute favorite hobby has always been eagerly anticipating our own dramatic extinction while throwing a massive party