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Favourite stories of coincidences

68 replies

StuntAcorn · 26/02/2026 13:37

Historical or personal.

I was listening to the radio this morning and they had people calling in with stories of coincidences. Unfortunately didn't get to hear it all as a call came in so would love to hear if you have any.
I have read about the famous ones between Presidents Lincoln and Kennedy

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lincoln%E2%80%93Kennedy_coincidences_urban_legend

Lincoln–Kennedy coincidences urban legend - Wikipedia

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lincoln%E2%80%93Kennedy_coincidences_urban_legend

OP posts:
Ikeatears · 26/02/2026 15:29

I was studying for my OU maths degree this morning with the TV on in the background (an interview with some politician I think - I wasn’t really watching) and as I read the word ‘endpoint’ in my text book, the interviewee said ‘endpoint’ at the exact same time!

FancyFlugelhorn · 26/02/2026 16:29

My best friend and I were on holiday in Australia, on a small minibus of tourists of all nationalities, talking to each other about our home town in England, which we both left around 30 years ago. The person in front of us turned round and said she couldn't help but hear that we were from the place where she lived. After chatting for a bit it turned out she went to school with my auntie! Small world!

StuntAcorn · 26/02/2026 17:40

That's weird @Ikeatears !

@FancyFlugelhorn your one reminded me of one of mine where we were having dinner out with my husband's family (overseas, 6000 miles from our home town) and DH's uncle's friends stopped by to say hello.
As introductions were made, the friends were talking about their DCs who had just returned home for the holidays from their boarding school, in a small market town in SE England, which turned out to be our home town...

OP posts:
thenewaveragebear1983 · 26/02/2026 17:44

My parents met on the day my dh was born and our grandads were born on the same day as each other

Nevermind17 · 26/02/2026 17:45

My DH has a rare medical condition. I’ve recently been diagnosed with the same condition. The odds of us both having this are one in 100,000,000.

Pancakesbythedozen · 26/02/2026 17:57

My dc's birthdays
17/6/89
6/3/92
3/11/94
31/1 96

Pancakesbythedozen · 26/02/2026 17:57

My best mate's dc are 22/2 and 08/08.

Silverbirchleaf · 26/02/2026 18:03

I was travelling back from Wales to the South East. Stopped off at IKEA, around Bristol, for a break. As I was walking back to the car, heard my name being called. It was a friend I’d met at university and hadn’t seen for years.

Marmite27 · 26/02/2026 18:14

I’m in the background of one of DH’s family holiday photos on a beach in Cornwall in 1993. We didn’t meet until 2000 in an internet chat room. The OMG that’s me moment when we were looking at old photos nearly finished me off!

I bought my first car used, it came from the other end of the country to the main dealer near my house. There were two cars, same make and model, same year registration. One had 25 miles more on the clock. I was adamant I wanted the one with more miles and my dad was going loopy trying to convince me to buy the other one. I bought the one I wanted and got it home, the name of the first owner was exactly the same as my grandmother.

My mum stopped at the scene of a car accident in one county (she’s a nurse) to help. When I spoke to her that evening in a different county she asked if we were still going out to dinner with SIL and her new girlfriend. I said no, the new girlfriend had been in a car crash and wasn’t feeling up to it so we were going to get takeaway instead. Same person she stopped for!

Vintageblueribbon · 26/02/2026 18:27

Im from up north and my dp is from down south

We live together in the midlands

One day,I was at work and got chatting to a couple who where telling me they used to live down south but moved here for cheaper house prices

I asked where they lived and they told me the name of a small village

It's only the same village that my in-laws lived in

Turns out my builder fil had done loads of work for them over the years,they knew my mil well and knew dp and his sister too! (They'd been at her funeral years before but had lost touch a few years later when they moved)

I did have to tell them that very sadly fil had passed away a few months before but none of us could believe it-i shouldn't have been at work that day-id only come in to cover someone who was ill

I put them in touch with mil and they ring each other weekly (which is lovely)

TwoLeftSocksWithHoles · 26/02/2026 19:22

Well, strike me pink!
I was just about to create a thread with the exact same topic. 😲

Sidebeforeself · 26/02/2026 19:26

Ooh here’s mine but Ive posted about it on MN before. Many years ago I lived at 10 Brown Street ( not really but you get the gist). I got a piece of post addressed to Mavis Smith 10 Brown Grove. I popped it into my bag intending to take it round on the way to the shops but I forgot.

I went into a card shop and was browsing when I heard two women next to me talking. One said.. “Have you seen anything of Mavis since she moved into Brown Grove?” Yes they were her neighbours and were gobsmacked when I said “Here’s her post!”

EverythingGolden · 26/02/2026 19:31

I picked up a book in a second hand book shop that had written on the inside ‘to (my brother’s name) love dad’’ in my dad’s handwriting. Family lived on the other side of the country where book had been sold a couple of years before at a car boot sale.

FiveMetresUp · 26/02/2026 19:32

I don’t know if this counts but a few years ago whilst living overseas we ordered a delivery pizza. I said to DH, “wouldn’t it be terrible if your pizza moped delivery guy had an accident and died on the way to deliver your pizza. You would forever feel responsible.”

Anyway, the pizza was late so DH called the pizza company to be told that sorry, the delivery driver had had a bike accident so they would need to make another one.

I immediately went into worst case scenario mode based on what I’d said earlier, I assumed he’d died and was planning raising some money for his family, etc.

Then the new pizza arrived. DH asked the new driver about the guy who had an accident and he’s like, “he’s fine, fixing his bike now and he’ll be back on the road later.”

StuntAcorn · 27/02/2026 17:52

TwoLeftSocksWithHoles · 26/02/2026 19:22

Well, strike me pink!
I was just about to create a thread with the exact same topic. 😲

😄

Did you listen to the same radio show?

OP posts:
SunsetCocktails · 27/02/2026 18:14

My husband’s dad used to date my dads ex stepdaughter

DemonsandMosquitoes · 27/02/2026 18:29

A work colleague’s mum had bought and still lived in my deceased nan’s house years before we worked together.
My GM, GD and their son were all born on the same date of the same month.
The day my dad died suddenly my GP had been visiting a cathedral whilst on holiday abroad, the cathedral of St Michael. My dad’s name was Michael.

Rhubarbandcustardd · 27/02/2026 18:31

Pancakesbythedozen · 26/02/2026 17:57

My dc's birthdays
17/6/89
6/3/92
3/11/94
31/1 96

Help me with this one 🤔

Cravey · 27/02/2026 18:34

Our first child was born on his dad’s bday. Second one was on his dad’s sisters bday. Both early too.

Unforgettablefire · 27/02/2026 19:04

My DP married Jan 15th. Had me ten months to the day later on the 15th. Had my DD Jan 15th on dp wedding anniversary. Twin nephews born June 15th, making them Gemini.

UniversityofWarwick · 27/02/2026 19:05

Spent a summer working Saturdays in a small tourist shop in a small town about 500 miles from where I grew up. I met:

A couple who lived a mile from my mum. Thought this was coincidence enough until:

The brother of my first high school form tutor came in. He was in a large group so am not sure how I figured that out. He wanted me to meet up with him that evening (I didn’t) and we kept in for a while.

Then neighbours but one of good friends of mine came in. They didn’t think they knew my friends but I was convinced they did so kept th rowing out random facts about them until they realised who I meant.

HappilyFreeNow · 27/02/2026 19:23

Rhubarbandcustardd · 27/02/2026 18:31

Help me with this one 🤔

Mornington Crescent, innit 😂

Rhubarbandcustardd · 27/02/2026 19:29

HappilyFreeNow · 27/02/2026 19:23

Mornington Crescent, innit 😂

Still not getting it

LentilBurt · 27/02/2026 23:07

Not coincident as such, but I wasn’t meant to be at the party where I met DH when we were teens. I had zero intention of going, and didn’t have an outfit (it was fancy dress) but at the last minute I decided to go. The rest is history

CookingFatCat · 27/02/2026 23:12

@LentilBurtserendipity!

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