Harold Egbert Camping (born July 19, 1921) is an American Christian radio broadcaster.[2] He is president of Family Radio, a California-based radio station that spans more than 150 markets in the United States.
Camping's trademarks include his deep, sonorous voice coupled with a slow cadence. He is notable for twice having used Bible-based numerology to predict dates for the rapture.[3][4] In his most recent prediction, he calculated that the Rapture would occur on May 21, 2011, and that God would subsequently completely destroy the Earth and the universe five months later on October 21.[5][6] He had previously predicted that the Rapture would occur in September 1994.[7]
Camping gained notoriety owing to his prediction that the Rapture would take place on May 21, 2011,[31][32][33] and that the end of the world would subsequently take place five months later on October 21, 2011.[34] Followers of Camping claimed that around 200 million people (approximately 3% of the world's population) would be raptured.[35]
Reuters reported on May 21 that the curtains were drawn in Camping's house in Alameda, California and that nobody was answering the door.[36] Camping emerged from his home on May 22, saying that he was "flabbergasted" that the Rapture did not occur, that he was "looking for answers," and would say more when he returned to work on May 23.[37]
On May 23, 2011, Harold Camping issued a statement that his prophecy had been off by five months. He revised his prediction, stating that he now believes Judgment Day will come October 21, 2011 (the date he had earlier predicted for the destruction of the world).[38]
