Final answer:
Throughout history, Europeans have experienced periods where they believed the world was ending, often linked to environmental hardships, calendar milestones, and religious beliefs. Charts illustrating these factors can help explain this recurring theme in European thought.
Step-by-step explanation:
The notion that the world was ending was prevalent among many Europeans during various historical periods. A chart illustrating this sentiment could contextualize the multiple factors that influenced this belief. For instance, as the thirteenth century concluded, Europe faced resource limitations and a climate that had begun to cool, exacerbating food shortages and leading to widespread famine. This made agricultural conditions highly challenging and could have fostered a sense of impending doom. Moreover, historical events such as the Y2K, the belief in the Rapture, and speculations around the year 2012 highlight a recurrent theme where significant calendar milestones stirred end-of-the-world predictions.
Further, around the year 1000, there was widespread belief in the imminent Second Coming of Christ and the impending apocalypse, contributing to expectations of the world's end. Furthermore, in the face of challenges such as famine, war, and the bubonic plague in the fourteenth century, Europe experienced demographic and economic shifts, intensifying religious and political instability. These series of crises could explain Europeans' eschatological concerns and their connection to environmental, social, and cultural changes that were occurring during such tumultuous times.