We’ve all experienced some of life’s little coincidences—when something lines up so perfectly that it almost seems unreal. But have you ever experienced a coincidence so wild that it should have been impossible? Sometimes, the events of the universe are so synced-up that it seems like there’s no way for them to logically occur. Still, these coincidences aren’t fiction.
If you don’t think we live in a simulation, the following stories might make you change your mind. While these scenarios might sound humanly impossible, these people seemed to have wandered straight into the Twilight Zone. These freaked-out individuals took to the internet to share the strangest coincidence they’ve ever experienced!
Don't forget to check the comment section below the article for more interesting stories!
#1 Well, This Is A Terrible Surprise
When I was a kid, around 13, I played a video game called Diablo 2. I started a clan with a few people I’d met on the Internet and we played every day. At some point, we were helping some random person and he asked to join the clan. We thought he was nice enough so we let him in. As part of the clan, we had a shared account we used to store game items for each other.
After about a month of playing, the new guy went in and changed the password, stole the account and defriended everyone. He completely disappeared off the map with all of our stuff. Fast forward a year later when my family moved to Texas. It was my first day at school and I was sitting in algebra class talking to the person in the seat next to me.
He mentioned that he played Diablo. I said I did too and that I ran a clan and everything. I asked him what his username was and when he told me, I realized it was the guy who swindled us. When I told him mine, his face went into total shock and he didn’t know how to respond. It was awkward for sure. I ended up telling him I didn’t care, but let’s just say we didn’t end up becoming friends.
#2 Can I Have My I.D. Back?
My sister, Emily, was on a ski lift in New Mexico when some younger girl across from her asked if her name was Emily. Apparently, the stranger, who kind of looked similar but underage, had found her lost ID the year prior and had been using it for a year to buy adult beverages. If that isn't the craziest coincidence, I don't know what is.
#3 Someone Was Looking Out For This Guy
I used to take two buses to get home from work. I got off the first one but left my phone and keys on the front seat of the bus without realizing. I got on the second bus, went to my favored front seat and the possessions that I didn’t know were missing were waiting for me. The bus had changed driver and route. I was freaked out.
#4 I Would Have Been Bawling On The Floor
In Grade 10 English class, the teacher didn't have anything planned for us to do. I guess because it was close to the end of the year. She went to the big cupboard in the corner and pulled out a stack of copies. They were examples of successful essays written during final exams so we could learn what a good one looked like. The topic of one of them was: What was the most pivotal moment of your life?
There were three examples, ranging in proficiency. We read through the first two, and I volunteered to read the last one aloud. I started reading... and then I stopped. The essay was about me. My big sister had gotten a really good mark six years earlier on her final exam essay which she wrote about the day I was born. I got pretty emotional about that one.
#5 I Sure Hope Nightmares Aren't Genetic
I don't know if this counts as a coincidence because it might be influenced by the commonalities between us, but I was reading through one of my dad's old journals and found out that he and I share the same reoccurring nightmare. The details are basically identical, even down to the frequency of it happening. It's very trippy.
#6 Did You Hijack My Life?
When I was young, we moved to a city 500 km away from where I was born. Fifteen years later, my father decided to put me in a boarding school where he attended as a kid. I got randomly put in a room with two other guys, one of who ended up becoming my best friend. When I first visited him at his home, I discovered that he not only lived in the same city as we once, did but in our OLD HOUSE as well!
#7 Huh, You're Just As Tall In Person
I saw Paul McCartney on TV in 2001 and noticed he was tall. The next day, I was walking down a very quiet street and a really tall guy started approaching me. It was Paul McCartney. He must've seen my expression so he veered my way, stuck his hand out and said, "Hi mate." I was shocked. 18 years later and I'm still shocked.
#8 It's A Small, Small World
I have an uncommon last name and a not-so-common first name. I was in the hospital for surgery and the person in the next room was there for the same surgery. I came to find out that we were second cousins. Neither of us ever knew that the other existed. He had the exact same name as me and his wife had the same name as mine.
#9 Are You Guys Following Us?
Nobody believes me when I tell this story, but one day my husband and I ran into the same couple at three different places, in two different states. We had an errand to run out of state. We left early and stopped to get breakfast. The couple was sitting across from us. The lady had on a funky shirt, which is why she stuck out in my mind.
After breakfast, we drove to the next state over and while waiting in the lobby of the building we had arrived at, the couple from the breakfast joint walked in! Weird! We then spent the day finishing up our errands before driving back home. I didn't feel like cooking, so we stopped to get some dinner at a pub. We sat down at the table and guess who was already eating at the table behind us? The same couple!
Sign Up For Our Newsletter
Stories that matter — delivered straight to your inbox.
#10 It's A Good Thing She Called!
Back in the mid-'90s, the phone system changed so that you no longer needed to dial the area code for a long distance, in-state call (we lived in a small state with only one area code). One morning, I woke up to the phone ringing and when I picked up, I recognized the voice on the other end. It was my old boss from a few years ago. She had an unmistakable voice.
We had a nice conversation for a bit before she realized she had dialed the wrong number. I lived in a different town in a different part of the state, but my number must have been off by only one digit from the one she tried to call. To add to the coincidence, I had overslept and would have been late for work if she hadn't called me.
#11 Okay, You Definitely Wished Those Into Existence
My coincidences occurred during separate canoe trips. The first was during a Labor Day weekend trip up and down the St. Croix River, which runs between Wisconsin and Minnesota and eventually joins the Mississippi River. Despite it being a holiday weekend, there was virtually no traffic on the river. We saw only one other boat that day.
On the second day out, the weather was quite warm. At one point I said, ”Boy, a watermelon sure would be good right about now!” My three companions told me to shut up and not even mention it, because we didn’t have one and weren’t going to find one in the wilderness. A little while later, we spotted a green object floating toward us that turned out to be… a watermelon.
Years later, I was on a river outing with several other people on the Whitewater River in Indiana. I was paddling my kayak and had just told the watermelon story to the people in the canoe next to me. It was a hot summer day, and someone said something to the effect of “Watermelons are fine, but I could really go for a cold soda right now.” A few minutes later, we paddled around a bend and saw a cooler sitting on a sandbar. We stopped on the sandbar, opened the cooler, and found that it contained just enough cold sodas for each of us to have one.
#12 Wow, I Didn't Know My Wife Was A Legend
When I was 18, I dated a girl who went to a private school. She told me they were having a dance so I thought okay great, it'll be a nice night. She told me that only boys from the nearby private school were allowed to come because of a prior incident that happened when they let everyone in. Some girl got really sloshed and threw up on the headmaster's shoes, so they limited it to one boys' school after that.
Fast forward 12 years later and I'm with my fiancé (a different girl) at a wedding shower. I overheard my wife say, "I was so embarrassed when I puked on the headmaster's shoes." I yelled, "THAT WAS YOU?... That's awesome. I love you even more now that you're famous." Who would have thought I would end up with the sloshed girl?
#13 The Whole Gang Is Back Together
Last summer, I went to New York with my family for a week. A friend of mine that I hadn't seen since she graduated from college was living and working in New York at the time, so we decided to meet up for drinks. As we were walking through Times Square at 11 p.m. on a Saturday, we saw another friend of ours from college on the other side of the street.
I knew he had been living in New Jersey, but he was in New York for a Grindr date. The three of us went to a bar and talked about life and how none of our friends lived in Ireland anymore. It was a bittersweet and crazy coincidence that three friends from a small university in Dublin would serendipitously meet in New York City.
#14 I Wonder What Coincidence Is Next
I went to college and met a cute girl.
"Where'd you go to high school?" she asked. "You've never heard of it," I replied. I grew up in a town of 1,200 people and graduated in a class of about 90.
"Try me," she said.
And that was the beginning of finding out that not only had she heard of it, but she had also almost attended it because her family had lived in one of the neighboring towns very briefly when she was growing up. We shared dozens of mutual friends and had apparently spent our young lives narrowly missing each other.
Later, after we started dating, we learned that one of our mutual friends had been trying to set us up with each other for YEARS. She was overwhelmed with laughter when she saw that we were finally together, completely without her involvement. I asked her to marry me and she said yes. We went out to dinner with our parents so they could finally meet. Her folks arrived at the restaurant and saw mine. Apparently, they had been co-workers years ago. Of course.
#15 Oh Man, Karma Is Rough
A classmate of mine sent a fake email that looked totally legit to select members of my class. It said that we had failed a really important exam which would effectively carry bad consequences for our careers. After we freaked out, he let us know it was just a joke, and when the results came out a week later, there was only one person who failed: the classmate who sent the fake email.
#16 Aw Man
I went on a three-week trip through Costa Rica, four years ago. I needed to buy a new pair of shorts since I didn't bring enough. We couldn't find any regular clothing stores, so we ended up in a place where second-hand clothes were sold. They got their clothes from all over the world. We call it "humanitas" over here in the Netherlands. There are collection bins all over the country.
I bought an ugly pair of cargo shorts. In one of the pockets, I found a three-year-old festival token. The festival just so happened to take places 12.5 miles away from my home. I'm sure it wasn't mine because I never went to that festival. So these pants came all the way from my home town to Costa Rica, only to be flown back there by me.
#17 Wait, You Went There Too?
I was best friends with this girl in pre-school. After that, we didn't go to the same schools, so we lost touch. Flash forward to my junior year in high school and I meet this girl. I'm walking her home one day and we pass by my pre-school. We both realized we went there and figured out that we were friends back then. We've now been together for 15 years and will finally be getting married in October for our 16th anniversary.
#18 It's Time To Shut Up, Kid
When I was a kid, I went hiking with my dad. I was babbling and said: "The teacher told us if you speak too much, a fly will go in your mouth." In that exact moment, a fly flew into my mouth.
#19 That's What You Get For Complaining
When I was a kid, someone in my family broke a glass vase on the wood floor. My mom cleaned it up as best she could, but she wanted us to wear shoes in the kitchen for a few days just in case she’d missed some. She continued sweeping to try and get the last little bits. I was loudly complaining about the injustice of having to wear shoes in my own house when I stepped on that final piece of glass.
#20 You've Got A Strong Reputation To Uphold, Buddy
I told my friend that I could read minds. He said, "Prove it!" So I asked him to think of a number between zero and 100. He thought for a while and then told me that he was ready. I then said, "57," which was correct. He still does not know how I did it. Luckily, he didn't ask me to do it again because I think I just got extremely lucky at that moment.
#21 You've Got To Get Yourselves That License Plate
My wife and I had been trying to get pregnant for a couple of months. One amazing day, I came home to find out her pregnancy test was positive. We scheduled an appointment with the doctor's office to confirm. On the way to that first doctor's appointment, I ended up behind a white Lexus SUV. The license plate read "TWNBOYS." I thought, isn't that just the weirdest license plate.
I turned to my wife and conveyed my thoughts. She laughed and we joked about it. We got to our appointment, and the doctor said, "Oh, goodness. Do you see what I see?" My wife started crying in joy and I had no idea what's going on. There were two sacs. We were going to have twins. Fast forward months later, and we did a gender reveal.
\I'm a hockey player, so what better way to do it than to chalk hockey pucks. I shot the first puck and it exploded into blue powder. I took a moment, shot the second... also blue powder. We're now six months along with our healthy twin baby boys.
#22 Takes Rain Man To Notice This One
A few years back while I was working in a little pub, two couples next to one another were finishing up at the same time. I got them both their checks and both parties decided to split their bill. Upon trying to close them out, I realized that not only were the amounts split identically down to the cent, but each table had matching sets of cards.
Table One had a charge of $28.79 on card ending in 1000 and another for $28.78 on card ending in 5008. Table Two's charges were identical, down to the cent and last four digits on both cards. I've never gotten over how unrealistically improbable it all was.
#23 This Puts All "College Day"s Stories To Shame
I was in the process of moving to France for school and needed to get a visa from a consultant in Chicago, which was six hours from my hometown. I went there and my dad dropped me off at the building. However, during the appointment, I realized that I had forgotten a piece of paperwork in the car. Now, the woman working said that if I left to go get it, I’d have to reschedule the entire appointment.
I tried to call my dad to ask him to get it for me, but at that moment my phone completely stopped working. I sheepishly asked a girl about my age sitting in the lobby if I could use hers. She said yes and to my surprise, her case had the logo for my university printed on it. It turned out, we went to the same school and she was getting a visa for another city in France. I thanked her, talked to her about some professors, and then my dad showed up.
But here’s where it gets insane: One year later, I was moving back home from France. I had bought a business class seat. I noticed a girl looking very puzzled at me two rows behind me. She looked very familiar. When everyone got off the plane, she came up to me and asked if remembered her. Then, it hit me. It was the same girl from the consulate. She had extended her stay in France. We both have a good laugh about the odds of that happening.
#24 Hey, I Know That Face...
When I was starting college after being in the army, I was getting my college ID pic taken. They were doing a story on the new college IDs. Two days later, my ID picture was on the bottom of the front page for their story. I got a random phone call that day from a childhood friend of mine who I hadn't seen in years. Apparently, she was attending the same college and recognized me in the school paper.
#25 Thanks For The Water, Universe
One summer when it was blazing hot, I was leaving Home Depot and there was a guy panhandling at the exit. I gave him a water bottle out of my lunch cooler and went on to my job. When I got there, the homeowner was like, it sure is hot today, would you like a water? He brought me out the exact same kind of bottled water I just gave away. It's stupid, but with all the brands of bottled water there is out there, it was like the universe just gave me my water right back.
#26 Your Friendship Is On A Whole Nother Level
When my best friend and I were around 16 years old, we both had a bunch of coins that we were going to take to the Coinstar at Kroger. We had the EXACT same total in coins. To. The. Penny.
#27 Funny Running Into You, Pal
Two years ago, I was in Tokyo on holiday. I looked on Instagram and saw an old friend post a story showing he was also in Tokyo. We hadn’t spoken in a few years, but I sent him a message letting him know we were in the same city. Not even five minutes later, I walked into a bar and he was standing there, by himself.
This past November, I was in Toronto on business. After dinner, we went to a pub downtown. The first person I saw when I walked in was the same friend from Tokyo. We both live in Winnipeg.
#28 Well, I Guess That The Secret's Out
One night, I had a dream where a close friend of mine and his wife had a baby. The next day, I decided to text him and ask if they were expecting, mostly as a joke. Turns out his brother's wife, who is also a friend of mine, was, but nobody knew about it yet. He had actually just found out about it himself that day, which makes it even crazier of a coincidence.
#29 You're Probably Psychic, Kiddo
I was about three or four years old when my grandpa took me for a walk. Suddenly, I had this very intense feeling of synchronicity. Without thinking, I raised my palm in front of me and in that instant, a bird did a #2 right onto it. The strangest part was... I knew that this is going to happen. Can't really describe it, but it was strangely the most perfect moment of my life.
#30 Yikes, That Must've Been Awkward
I knew a girl in high school that was just the worst type of person. She tried to drive a wedge between my bestie and me. She moved away after high school and my friend and I would bring her up occasionally to talk about some of her worst qualities. We'd always say how glad we were that we never had to see her again.
One time, as we were gossiping about her as usual in a restaurant, she suddenly appeared right next to our table. She had come back to visit someone and just happened to be right where we were, at the exact moment when we were discussing her. It was so awkward. After five minutes of silence, she just stood up and left.
#31 Guys, I Think We Found The Dude
An officer from a different department was showing me a picture of a guy they wanted to arrest in a different part of town. As I looked up from the computer, I saw that same guy riding by on a bike. Literally five feet away from the squad car.
#32 I Guess We Gotta Be Friends Now, Too
I've had several "small world" experiences, but the biggest one was when I was talking to a girl after my first university class. We discovered, over the course of a two-hour-long conversation, that our grandmothers had been each other's maid of honor and that my aunt and her mom were best friends since childhood.
#34 Awesome Bonding Seesh Before Murdering My Teeth
I was at the dentist getting a crown extension.
Dentist: Hey, you were born on July 13th, so was I.
Assistant: Me too.
We all shared a look of surprise. Then they drilled HARD on my tooth.
#34 You Really Ruined The Fun, Dude
I drove six hours from Southern California to Northern California for a car camping weekend with my wife. We chose an obscure campground which was nearly deserted. We were bummed after setting camp because another couple decided to select a site right next to us. Turned out, it was my coworker and her husband. I had just spoken with her earlier that day.
#35 See, It's The New Trend
I wanted my husband to accompany me down to the parking garage in our building to grab something from our car. He was already in his pajama pants and didn't want to come. I convinced him no one would see us and he reluctantly agreed. We got on the elevator and rode down one floor before it stopped to let someone on. The largest, buffest man stepped into the elevator wearing his own pajama pants. He said nothing but gave my husband the dude head nod before getting off on the main floor and disappearing forever.
#36 Dang, That's A Wild Reconnection
One year, I got a roommate through Craigslist. The guy was weird for sure, but he was good-natured and paid rent. Anyway, after about two months of living with him, my cousin came over to hang. I introduced the two and my cousin, in the most chill voice ever, said, “Nah man, we know each other.” It turned out, they were college roommates five years earlier in another state.
#37 Please Stop Copying Me, Lady
The person who sits next to me at work copies everything I do, except she has no way of knowing. I wear a blue sweater, she wears a blue sweater. I bring leftover spaghetti, she brings leftover spaghetti. It is so weird I almost hate her. It's almost as if we share the same mind. Or maybe she's secretly a mind-reader. I don't know.
#38 I Hope He Was Saying Nice Things...
I was sitting in a restaurant about 200 miles from where I live, telling my mother (who was visiting from a different country) about a trip I was going to take to another country (about 6,000 miles away) with a work colleague. Then, the lady at the table next to us leaned over and said, "I think you're talking about my son." It turned out, I was sitting next to my colleague's parents while showing my mom pictures of our trip.
#39 Yep, I Think You Guys Are Soulmates
I was at a convention. There were only a few people in the room. My friend and I wanted an autograph from a voice actor. He started singing in his character voice. There were two random guys next to me and one pulled out a video camera to record it. Years later, my husband and I were talking with friends, and the convention came up as a topic. The guy with the video camera ended up being my husband. I also took a picture later that day of the crowds, and he was in that picture. I stood next to my husband years before I met him.
#40 At Least He Got To Say Goodbye...
My dad passed away last summer. While I was making calls to let the rest of the family know the bad news, I ran across the number of one of my dad's childhood friends whom he kept in contact with throughout the years. The number must have been old and disconnected because I couldn’t get in touch with him. I was severely disappointed that my dad's best friend wouldn’t be able to make it to the funeral.
I attempted to reach out to him through anyone who might have known how to contact him. No luck. Days went by and my dad’s funeral day arrived. After the service on the way from the funeral home to the cemetery, I got a call through my dad's phone. It was his friend calling to say that he was coming into the state for a visit and he just wanted to make sure that my father would be available.
It absolutely shook my world. I told him that he passed away a couple of days prior and that he had just missed the funeral. He met my mother and I a couple of hours later and said his final goodbyes to my father. I’ll never get over how he happened to be on his way down for a visit on the day of my dad's funeral. I’m glad he was able to make it though.
#41 Sometimes, The Universe's Signs Pay Off
My old company ran a Secret Santa exchange the week before Christmas. There was a $10 limit and I didn't know the person I was buying for very well. I left my shopping to the last minute because I just didn't know what to get her. I was in town and walking past some shops when, lo and behold, I saw an old copy of Oliver Twist in the window of a second-hand bookstore.
It just called to me, so I went in and picked it up. I checked the first page for the cost and guess what? It was $10. On the day of the Secret Santa exchange, we were all opening our gifts. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw some people crowding around a woman who was crying. I kept listening and people were calling out for the person who was her Santa.
I went over and revealed that it was me. The lady I had bought for was crying and hugged me. She said ten years ago, her house burned down along with all her of possessions. The book that I bought her was her favorite and also the exact same edition that she grew up with. She said it was if I'd grabbed the book off her shelf before the fire and delivered it to her ten years later.
#42 Hey, Everything Worked Out For The Best
When I was 18, I lived in a town a very long ways away from where I ended up moving. I struck up a friendship with this guy from work in that town. We played Halo, watched movies, etc. I ended up moving suddenly due to a family emergency, and never got his contact information. I didn't even remember his name a decade later, but I thought of him often as he was an awesome guy through all the years.
Eleven years later, I was working at my job, carpooling with someone from my training class. One night, he asked if his roommate could come with us. When he introduced us, his roommate turned out to be the same guy from my childhood. We reconnected immediately and now live together. He's my best friend, for sure, and the godfather to my children.
#43 Okay, Honey, This Used To Be My House
I started dating this girl a few weeks ago. We got to talking about where we lived, etc. She lived in not only the same building but also the exact same apartment I lived in two years ago. It was so bizarre walking into the old apartment that I never thought I would see again. What are the odds of that? It brought back so many good memories.
#44 Sounds Like They Had A Great Surgeon!
I met a Canadian guy while on holiday in South America and we ended up going sightseeing together. At the end of the day, a person behind us tapped him on the shoulder and asked if the scar behind his ear was from cancer surgery. They got to talking. It turned out, they were from the same small town in Canada and had the same type of brain cancer and had been operated on by the same surgeon.
#45 There's Nothing Like Running Into Old Pals... Across The World
In freshman physics, I became friends with the Japanese kid next to me. He was helping me with my Japanese homework, but after that class, we kind of drifted apart. Fast forward two years later when I became an exchange student in Japan over the summer. I was doing some sightseeing in Kyoto after the program and while crossing the street in Kyoto, I heard my name being called out. I looked around and there he was! We got some drinks and good food together. It was a blast.
#46 Thanks Big Sis
In grade 10 English class, the teacher didn’t have anything planned for us to do, and it was close to the end of the year, so she goes to the big cupboard in the corner and pulls out a stack of copies. They’re examples of successful essays written during a final exam, so we can learn what a good one looks like and how to build a narrative, etc.
The topic was “What was the most pivotal moment of your life?” There were three examples, ranging in proficiency. We read through the first two, and I volunteer to read the last one aloud. I start reading…and I stop. The essay was about…me. My big sister had gotten a really good mark six years earlier on her final exam essay which she wrote about the day I was born.
I got pretty emotional about that one.
#47 Daddy Doesn’t Know
When I was in high school, my best friend had just moved to town with her family, including her older sister who had a baby when she was 17. I spent a lot of time at her place and babysat the baby occasionally. She moved away a couple of years later and we eventually fell out of touch. Cut to 2015, I meet a guy online, we hit it off and became friends with benefits and hang out quite a bit.
In 2017, he gets a Facebook message from a young man claiming to be his son. The time frames and people involved all add up and yes, it is indeed his son. He is telling me the story—he mentions the kid’s mother’s name and holy crap, it’s the name of my best friend’s older sister. Turns out I was babysitting his kid he didn’t know he had back in 1995. I had pictures of me with the baby and everything.
