Failed history

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The term failed history covers events that have been predicted and had items created in the expectation of them occurring, but which then in fact did not occur. Events in this category are to be distinguished from Nostradamus and Old Moore's Almanac - which are speculation, and only ambiguously resolved after the event to which they supposedly refer.

Examples would include:

The coronation of Edward VIII
The Thomas E. Dewey beats Harry Truman newspaper headline
The world ending in 1975, as predicted by some Jehovah's Witnesses
The computer meltdown and "end of the world" predictions at Y2K.
During the Cold War there were a number of books claiming that a Third World War was being fought - and, often, that the West was losing.
There are also a number of occasions when a candidate for election dies before the poll can be taken and it is too late to remove their name from the ballot list.
Each year The Economist produces a yearbook in October, giving its views for the year ahead. The one for 1990 had a section on Eastern Europe and its prospects for reform: the possibilities were mostly middling to "minus 10" for Romania. Between the time the volume had been set up and the year to which it referred to was reached most of the countries referred to in this section had changed significantly.
The marriage of Prince Charles and Princess Diana was initially scheduled to take place in Westminster Abbey but took place in St Paul's Cathedral instead. Numerous posters, mugs, T-shirts and other souvenirs that show the couple alongside the Abbey are now collectors' items. Prince Charles's second marriage, to Camilla Parker Bowles, was scheduled for Friday 8 April, 2005, and a certain number of souvenirs were produced. However, with the funeral of Pope John Paul II occurring on that day, the wedding was delayed to Saturday 9 April, again resulting in unexpected collectors' items.

Many End of civilization scenarios can be seen as examples of failed history.

Technology and Failed history

There are also some examples of technology which did not take off - often because there was not enough need, or insufficiently precise components for them to be developed

In the ancient world there was the Antikythera mechanism and the early steam engine developed by Hero of Alexandria.
The principles of the fax machine were known decades before they came into general use.
Charles Babbage succeeding in constructing his Difference Engine, a predecessor of the computer, in the 19th century.

History and failed science fiction

Science fiction that is based on "contemporary scientific information" that is subsequently proved to be incorrect - for example that the planet Venus was habitable. To be distinguished from bad science (and implausible science) - which would probably include terraforming Venus within the usual timescale of science fiction, and speculative fiction.

The Arts and Failed History

TV programs and live performances are regularly changed at short notice from that advertised - and the changes are not always mentioned in the media. One episode of Inspector Morse revolved around such a change.

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