The 28 year curse. Why we might be cooked.

As of January 2026, the Doomsday Clock is set at 85 seconds to midnight, the closest it has ever been to symbolizing global catastrophe.

Doomsday Clock showing that we are very close to world wide catastrophe

If you didn’t know, every 28 years the days of the calendar year are perfectly aligned as it was 28 years ago (example: this year lines up with 1998). But what is so special about this 28 year cycle you may ask? Well in the past four 28-year-increments we have either had the start of a war or a major turning point in a war:

• 1914: Start of WW1

• 1942: Defining Year of WW2

• 1970: Incursion into Cambodia

• 1998: Kosovo Conflict

• 2026: Do I even need to explain 2026?

1914: The Start of WW1

The main cause for the start of WW1 was the assassination of Franz Ferdinand. Following this, Austria-Hungary issued an ultimatum on Serbia which was rejected which led Austria-Hungary to declare war against Serbia with German support. Russia then came to Serbia's defense initiating the start of the first World War.

WW1 was known as the war to end all wars but it didn’t end all wars. Not even close . . .

1942: Defining Year of WW2

Not only was it marked by pivotal shifts in military momentum but also in daily life, culture, politics and royal affairs. The Allies began to gain ground in the Pacific and North Africa. The Holocaust also escalated in 1942. Princess Elizabeth also took on her first royal duties in Britain. While in the USA industrial mobilism was reshaping the economy.

During 1942 there were also major battles in WW2. But all wars have to come to an end with more on the way . . .

1970: Incursion into Cambodia

When Richard Nixon took office in 1969, he vowed to find a way to end US involvement in Vietnam. The US launched thirteen major military operations on Vietnamese bases in Cambodia. On April 28, 1970, Nixon authorized troops to fight alongside South Vietnamese units, against North Vietnamese sanctuaries. This incursion was possible because of the change in Cambodian government.

Geez did we have to invade Cambodia to stop a war that doesn’t involve Cambodia?

1998: The Kosovo Conflict

“Kosovo conflict, (1998–99) conflict in which ethnic Albanians opposed ethnic Serbs and the government of Yugoslavia (the rump of the former federal state, comprising the republics of Serbia and Montenegro) in Kosovo. The conflict gained widespread international attention and was resolved with the intervention of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO).” In 1998 the actions of the KLC were qualified as a substantial armed uprising. Serbian special police attempted to reassert control over the region. Atrocities committed by the police forced refugees to flee the area eventually reaching an international level. The contact group demanded a cease fire. The president agreed to most of the demands but failed to implement them. The KLA regrouped and rearmed during the cease fire.

While this wasn’t classified as a war, it was still a major point in history.

With all these conflicts happening, what is currently happening now, we should’ve seen it coming from a mile away