Countdown to Apocalypse Episode Rating Graph

December 21, 2012: a prophetic date delivered in stone by the ancient Maya. Revered by scientists for their extremely accurate calendars, the Maya are also known for their mysterious ability to predict unsettling events so many are taking the December date seriously. On this date a rare galactic alignment will take place and coincidentally, as the alignment happens, our sun will be entering its most violent solar storm cycle. And, all of this comes at a time when scientists believe Earth's magnetic defense shield, which protects us from dangerous solar radiation, may be compromised. Our planet may become paralyzed. People are heeding the warning and getting prepared, including a group of everyday Americans learning how to fend for themselves and live off the grid.

The Book of Revelation: the New Testament's blueprint of doom foretells the coming of the Four Horsemen of the apocalypse, heralding the end of days. These horsemen will usher in four divine judgments that promise to devastate humanity. While skeptics dismiss it as a mere allegory, every Sunday around the Christian world, church pews reverberate with its dark prophecies. With the potential for global pandemic hiding in every unchecked sneeze, worldwide hunger at an all-time high and the specter of World War III hanging over the Middle East, Revelation's followers believe its dark imagery is coming to light in modern times. Believer and prepper Ray Gano sees current events as a confirmation of the Book of Revelation's predictions and is preparing to face the divine fury of God.

Centuries ago the prophet Nostradamus had visions of the end of our modern world. Now, scholars decipher his mysterious predictions and learn of terrible tragedies and catastrophic events that threaten to annihilate global populations. Nostradamus has successfully predicted the rise of Hitler, the assassination of John F. Kennedy, the detonation of the atomic bomb, and countless other events. Many fear that the remaining unfulfilled prophecies of Nostradamus will manifest before our very eyes. At Radius Engineering in Texas, Walton McCarthy shows state of the art underground shelters to a concerned family and in South Florida, Billy Carson of Fort Terra Nova meets with a prospective client interested in joining an underground shelter community large enough to house over 350 people.

The Hopi people have warned us that the world is headed for extinction. Based in the Arizona Desert, the Native American tribe of the Hopi has been prophesying about the fate of society for centuries. They have accurately predicted the coming of the settlers to their land, the birth of telecommunication, and the worldwide spread of the internet. The Hopi believe that our actions have caused the earth to become out of balance which will lead to a cataclysmic great purification of the planet that few will survive. To herald these end times, the Hopi believe that a blue star will arise in the heavens, followed by a great shaking of the earth. These prophecies have been passed down from generation to generation and warn of massive earthquakes, tsunamis and super-volcanos that threaten the lives of millions. The Foster family of Illinois is prepping in their own way to be ready for the end.

Nostradamus, regarded as the most well-known prophet in the history, wasn t alone. Edgar Cayce, America s most famous psychic, predicted the 1929 stock market crash and the coming of World War II. Joseph Smith, the founder of the Mormon religion, claimed to receive messages directly from God foretelling terrors of a corrupted government and an impending bloody civil war. St. Malachy predicted that the next pope would signal a time of great tribulation and ultimately, the end of the world. Isaac Newton determined when the horrors depicted in the Book of Revelations would come to pass. Web Bot, a computer program, predicted global catastrophes such as September 11. Web Bot s data is warning of the end of world around December 2012. Hugh Vail is prepping his family for apocalyptic scenarios and helping others through the American Preppers Network.

Nightmarish terrors long relegated to the pages of science fiction are threatening to become a reality in the 21st Century. As science continues to evolve, the boundaries of fantasy and reality have blurred as we uncover new truths about our world and beyond. This countdown to future Apocalypse has lead everyday people to prepare for survival in the face of the looming Doomsday. Utah housewife Peggy Layton has stored years worth of food in an underground shelter and zombie researcher Matt Mogk has developed his own survival plan including a stockpile of weapons specifically chosen to fend off a zombie attack.