"On Aug. 16, 1987, thousands of new age adherents following the lead of Arguelles." (Image by Luke Hancock.)

On August 18, 1987, people gathered in Central Park (and other locales all over the world) for an odd event called Harmonic Convergence, blowing conch shells and dancing, which would supposedly delay Earth’s doom. It was a bit of ridiculousness birthed (with sincerity) by a Minnesota art historian named Jose Arguelles, who just passed away. Here’s an excerpt from his obituary:

“Jose Arguelles, an art historian whose teachings about the Mayan calendar inspired the harmonic convergence event of 1987, has died at age 72.

His publisher and a statement from his foundation said he died March 23, in Australia. A spokeswoman for the publisher said Monday the cause was peritonitis.

On Aug. 16, 1987, thousands of new age adherents following the lead of Arguelles gathered at places such as the red rocks of Sedona, Ariz., Serpent Mound in Ohio and the Arthurian town of Glastonbury in England.

Arguelles was living in Boulder, Colo., and had written The Mayan Factor: Path Beyond Technology, which argued for replacing the Gregorian calendar, said Earth was in the last phases of a galactic beam of light it entered in 3113 B.C., and called for meditation to give humanity a chance to enter a new age in 2012.

At a mountain campsite, he blew a conch shell, and around the world others chanted, formed circles, held hands at dawn and danced in what one participant said was an attempt to change the worldwide consciousness. Debunkers ranged from academics to the Doonesbury comic strip.”