Mayan Calendar - 2012 The Maya of South America was the most sophisticated and highly developed civilisation in pre-Columbian Americas, reaching its peak around the 6th century AD. They not only developed a written language but were gifted astrologers and mathematicians, developing a complex and incredibly accurate calendar system.

The Mesoamerican Long Count calendar used by the Mayans was due to run out on 21st December 2012 after a 5,126-year-long cycle. The end of this ‘Great Cycle’ was interpreted by many as a doomsday prediction. The topic became a popular subject for the media as the date grew closer, leading to heightened fear across the world.

However, experts refuted the theory as pseudoscience and many historians pointed out that not even the Maya suggested the calendar ending was a sign of armageddon. The date merely represented the end of that cycle and the beginning of a new one. The whole thing was just a misunderstanding.