When you zoom out and take a look at the larger picture, you can start to feel like the luckiest person on planet Earth. Well, alongside everyone else. Depending on whom you ask, the odds of you existing as, well, you are something to the tune of 1 in 400 quadrillion… or even less. But the seemingly-magical run of coincidences doesn’t necessarily end there.

The news and the internet are full to the brim with stories of amazing streaks of luck, and tales about people surviving seemingly impossible odds, and they can make almost anyone start believing that Fate and guardian angels might not sound so silly after all. The probabilities are so small that it makes the events that much more impressive to behold. (Though, at the same time, we’ve got to be aware that extremely unlikely events happen all the time.)

Scroll down for some of the most extraordinary, super rare occurrences, as shared by internet users on the popular r/nevertellmetheodds, aka the ‘Nearly Impossible Odds,’ online group. Upvote your fave pics, and tell us all about the (un)luckiest things that ever happened to you in the comments, dear Pandas. And when you’ve enjoyed this list to the max, you should definitely consider checking out Bored Panda’s previous article about r/nevertellmetheodds right here. Happy scrolling!

Bored Panda got in touch with the moderator team behind the awesome r/nevertellmetheodds project, and they were kind enough to answer our questions. Check out what they had to say below. Meanwhile, also read on for Bored Panda’s chat about aiming for success, the importance of resilience, and forming good habits with fitness expert Dan Bacon, the founder of ModernX and The Modern Man. After all, you can’t rely on luck your entire life to get to where you want to be.

#1 96 Year Old Man Saves 87 Year Old Woman From Choking To Death Using The Heimlich Maneuver. That Man Is None Other Than Dr Henry Heimlich, The Inventor Of The Technique. What A Badass

Image credits: neilnelly

Redditor u/solateor, one of the moderators, told Bored Panda that the person who “keeps the place running” is u/Hats_Hats_Hats. There’s obviously a lot of respect between the members of the r/nevertellmetheodds mod team, and that’s awesome news for the members.

u/solateor shared with us how the online community formed. According to them, the sub started right in this thread (and here’s an archived version showing all the comments, too). “The sub started when I submitted this gif to the r/combinedgifs subreddit. In the thread, a bunch of users started commenting about the chances of something like that happening, which lead to the creation of the subreddit. A few of us from the comments joined on as moderators, and it was up and running after that,” they told Bored Panda that the sub was a hit right away.

The moderators are clearly fun-loving people. For instance, when r/nevertellmetheodds was nearing 100k subscribers, u/solateor made this gif right here, based on the famous Han Solo quote, from Star Wars. “The ‘banned’ graphic is a reference to the fact that we ban users who mention the odds,” they explained why C-3PO got banned in the gif.

#2 She Found Her Cat 16 Days After A Tornado

Image credits: VEooFASA

#3 The Good You Do Always Finds Its Way Back

Image credits: Mysterious_Front_718

The mod shared their thoughts about probability and rare events being seen seemingly ‘everywhere.’ “If you look at probability though the lens of a bell curve (and it could be argued a bell curve isn’t representational here, but if we were) then improbable events are the statistical outliers you see on either end of the curve with very low chances of occurring but get ‘air time’ and visibility because they are in fact rare.,” they told Bored Panda.

According to them, even if rare events appear to be seen ‘everywhere,’ they’re really just a fraction of the total events that take place “but make it in front of users to be ‘consumed’ because they are, in fact, rare.”

Meanwhile, another moderator, u/Hats_Hats_Hats, added that one’s perspective matters a lot when thinking about probabilities and rareness.

“If you shuffle a deck of 52 playing cards, the arrangement you get is one in about 80,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000. So it’s super improbable if you look at it that way. But it’s also kind of trivial, which is why we would remove a post that’s just ‘I shuffled this deck of cards and the result I got will never, ever happen again.,’ they said.

#4 Cat Sitting The Exact Place

Image credits: 99emreyalcin

#5 Filipino Fisherman Got Stuck On A Rock And He Decided To Bring It Home As A Good Luck Charm

And then he kept it under his bed for 10 years until one day his house burned down. then he found out this “rock” was actually the biggest pearl ever found and is valued at $100.000.000.

Image credits: mansedrengen

#6 An Accidental Reunion

Image credits: rainbowarriorhere

“That’s obviously a trivial example, but think of things like, ‘Yesterday I ate one egg for breakfast, found two pennies on the floor, passed three ambulances on my way to work, got four phone calls before lunch, and got five texts during lunch. 1, 2, 3, 4, 5!’ It sounds like numerology magic but really that person just ignored the nine socks in their drawer and the eleven emails they got in the afternoon because those didn’t contribute to the ‘miracle,'” they explained how people tend to pick and choose what information they feel is relevant or should be ignored.

“Wild coincidences are one thing. Genuinely interesting ones that aren’t trivial like the deck of cards or reverse-engineered like the 1-2-3-4-5 day at work are different and special and that’s why I love this subreddit,” u/Hats_Hats_Hat said.

Over the past year and a half, the r/nevertellmetheodds subreddit has grown from 1.7 million members to a whopping 2.1 million loyal fans. The online group is home to folks who document “nearly impossible feats of achievement” and celebrate the incredible odds of doing something that requires either massive luck or huge perseverance. 

Naturally, everyone on the sub is expected to be nice and polite to one another, and bullying or harassment of any kind is not tolerated. However, something else that new members should keep in mind relates directly to the type of content shared on the subreddit. Submissions have to be about nearly impossible feats, and posts that are about deliberate tricks and stunts (i.e. requiring skill and persistence), aren’t allowed. What’s more, you shouldn’t mention the odds of something happening neither in the title of the post, nor in the comments.

#7 One Lucky Dude

Image credits: rkadeYT

#8 What A Cute Couple

Image credits: krishh19

#9 A Fish Jumps Right In Front Of The Camera And Creates Funny Picture

Image credits: Doctor_Omega

Dan, the founder of ModernX, stressed to Bored Panda that success isn’t a straight line. “You will experience detours and encounter obstacles, including failed attempts, on the way to true success,” he said.

“You just have to keep going and not give up. Winners don’t give up. When you win, you reach a new level that is beyond where the majority of people will ever get to. It’s an enjoyable feeling to be a winner,” he was candid that victory really does feel sweet. It’s even better when it’s the reward for your own effort and perseverance, not just due to random chance.

According to Dan, resilience is “essential,” however, it isn’t enough by itself alone. “You also need to have the right knowledge to succeed. If you keep failing, it may be because you’re unaware of certain things that are needed to succeed in that particular area,” he shared.

“So, you may need to go back to the basics and relearn them, or learn new, advanced techniques that will allow you to succeed the next time you try. To be a true winner, you should always aim to learn more about your craft,” he told Bored Panda.

#10 Actor Sean Astin Photo Bombing Me In ‘93 At D.c. Inaugural Ball And Again 26 Yrs Later At Disneyland

Image credits: Awkward_Coat5543

#11 Captured Shark Helps Solve Murder

Image credits: reddit.com

#12 They Were Talking About My Local Animal Shelter On National TV, And They Focused On Alys, The Cat We Adopted 7 Months Ago! We Got To See Where She Came From! We Were In Awe

Image credits: mvppaulo

In Dan’s opinion, the old adage that knowledge is power isn’t completely true. He thinks there’s a twist to it, in real-life. “Knowledge isn’t power on its own. Knowledge is power when used. Get the knowledge you need to succeed, use it and you will then enjoy the power that comes with it,” he said.

The fitness expert also shared how long it takes for someone to form a positive habit, on average.

“It takes about a month as long as a person is consistent and doesn’t try to change too much at once. Focus on changing one or two small things at a time, rather than trying to change too much at once, becoming overwhelmed by the pressure, and then stopping,” he noted that the slow-but-steady approach is better when building habits at first.

#13 The Same Injured Whale Photographed 35 Years Apart At The Coast Of Mexico

Image credits: reddit.com

#14 Man Narrowly Avoids Being Crushed By A Tree Struck By Lightning: “I Felt Like Buster Keaton”

Image credits: rndmus

#15 The Cat Had A Secret Life

Image credits: killjoy2408

Previously, Bored Panda spoke to financial expert Sam Dogen, the author of ‘Buy This, Not That’ and the founder of Financial Samurai, about what to do if you happen to win the lottery. One major issue is that some of your relatives and friends might start fighting over your winnings because of greed or money problems.

“If the winner doesn’t magnanimously share their winnings with family members and friends, they will be seen as selfish and greedy,” the expert warned what might happen.

#16 Unexpected Reunion

Image credits: one_loop

#17 Perfect Angle

Image credits: IncomingBOOM

#18 Mind Blowing

Meet the Jim twins. Two identical twins separated and adopted to different families at birth. Both were named James, married and divorced women named Linda, remarried women named Betty, and each had a dog named Toy. They even both named their sons James Allan. They reunited at age 39.

Image credits: Dr_Chortles

“I’m all about Stealth Wealth. If you win the lottery, do your best to keep it a secret. Furthermore, if you win the lottery at work or in your investments, never brag about how much you make either. Instead, try to blend in as much as possible. You can always then be more generous with your money if you wish, without expectations,” he said that keeping things on the down-low is a very good strategy that’s far better than blabbing about your amazing winnings to everyone.

“The first thing to do is sit on your winnings for at least three months and live your life as usual. During this time, read as much financial literature online from sources who have no interest in your money. Once you get educated and have formulated a good idea of what you want to do, you can then seek professional advice from a fee-based financial advisor. Or, you can implement your capital allocation yourself. Take your time! There is no rush. You just won the lottery!” he said.

#19 Snorkeller Finds Lost Wedding Ring Wrapped Around A Mullet Fish Off Of Norfolk Island

Image credits: jjophh

#20 Dude Meets Keanu Reeves 3 Years Apart, But Keanu Wears The Same Shirt

Image credits: MRyeti18

#21 Getting Photobombed By A Bee

Image credits: FearmyBeard21

But why is it that so many people seem to rely on luck? Recently, Bored Panda spoke about the psychology behind believing in Fate, as well as good and bad luck with Suzanne Degges-White, a Licensed Counselor, Professor, and Chair at the Department of Counseling and Higher Education at Northern Illinois University.

“As long as there have been humans, there has been a desire to imagine that somewhere some thing or some being or some force is helping direct us along our paths to a positive destination. Many people want to believe in luck because that gives us hope that one day maybe it will be ‘our turn’ to win the lottery, find true love, be at the right place at the right moment,” she told us.

#22 This Apartment Building In Shanghai Fell Over, And Remained Mostly Intact

Image credits: doyouhavetono

#23 Rainbow From Window Lines Up Perfect On Stove

Image credits: Ltiki

#24 3 Generation Of Twins

Image credits: ThePuzzleax

According to Suzanne, what we believe tends to come true: “Life has a funny way of confirming our self-biases.”

“If we believe we’re going to fail at something, we’ve already set ourselves up for failure. Believing that we carry bad luck around like a cloud gives us a reason not to do our best, not to try our hardest, and to make it ‘okay’ to fail. While we’d think that a strong belief in good luck would work totally in our favor, there are drawbacks to this belief, too,” she explained to Bored Panda.

“When we don’t take ownership of our good choices, our effective actions, or our hard work, we are selling ourselves short. It’s true that sometimes circumstances can ‘work in our favor,’ or we can meet the right person at the right time, but we still need to recognize our own part in taking advantage of positive circumstances or setting things up so that we can succeed.”

#25 Carpenter Got The Ride Of A Lifetime When His Electric Wheelchair Became Lodged In The Grille Of A Semi-Trailer And Was Accidentally Pushed Down A Highway For Several Kilometers At About 80 Km/H And Survived Uninjured

Image credits: reddit.com

#26 Bubble Got Stuck On One Small Strand Of A Spiderweb

Image credits: BioLizard_Venom

#27 A Couple Found Each Other In The Same Childhood Photo Taken Years Before They Got Married

They lived 300 miles apart and were only on the beach at the same time because the boy’s family was vacationing there. they only interacted later in life when they found each other again.

Image credits: reddit.com

Rather than seeing ourselves as ‘victims’ of life or luck, it’s much more preferable to see that we have some control over our own lives.

“If we have an internal locus of control, we see ourselves as agentic in our world—we know that we can make things happen and we take ownership of both our good decisions and our poor decisions. But this lets us learn from our decisions—how to continue to do things that work out for us and how to avoid things that do not. An external locus of control sets us up to be ‘victims’ of life or luck,” Suzanne told us.

#28 It’s The Only Logical Explanation

Image credits: reddit.com

#29 Two Brothers Won The Lottery On The Same Day

Image credits: NyQuilODvictum

#30 The Man Who Angered Thor

Image credits: Responsible_Ad_3180

“Research suggests that the people who have ‘good luck’ are just being more aware of their surroundings, making smart decisions based on current conditions, and actually ‘believe’ that good things will happen for them. That’s a positive bias in our favor—we look for the good, so we’re more likely to see it.”

#31 Perfectly Placed Web

Image credits: AgentChris101

#32 Redditor Was Involved In A Hit And Run, But The Idiot Left Their Plate In Their Wheel

Image credits: Nico_Geo1

#33 Wasps Made A Nest On My Anti-Wasps Spray Bottle

Image credits: reddit.com

#34 This Fish Just Fell Out Of The Sky At The Dog Park – Dropped At My Feet By A Bald Eagle

Image credits: reddit.com

#35 In 1943, Ball Turret Gunner Alan Magee’s B-17 Bomber Was Hit By Flak And Began To Spin Out Of Control. He Fell Over Four Miles Without A Parachute Before Crashing Through The Glass Roof Of A Railroad Station. He Survived The Fall And Lived To Age 84

Image credits: DiosMioMan63

#36 I Unintentionally Smudged KFC Grease On A Reciept, Revealing A Redback Spider From An Ad On The Other Side. Heart Missed A Beat When I Took It From My Wallet

Image credits: reddit.com

#37 I Got A Pic Of My BF Falling Off A Floaty And Just Realized There Was A Guy Falling Off A Boat At The Same Time

Image credits: UniquesComparison

#38 Truck Goes Over Bridge, Is Saved By Safety Chains Hooked Up To RV

Image credits: ranman35

#39 One Of Our Chickens Just Laid A Jumbo Egg With Another Egg Inside

Image credits: reddit.com

#40 Evergreen Truck Getting Stuck In A Highway In China In The Same Way As It Happened For The Ship In The Suez Canal

Image credits: l_ur_ker