Don't be twisted by what other people interpret as 'the end of the Mayan Calendar". The Mayans were vast and sophisticated yes, and they understood 17 different calendars, they were great trackers of time. On December 21st 2012. It will mark the end of the "Long Count", which is a cycle that goes every 1,872,000 days. The Mayan Calender is NOT linear, there is no beginnings or ends, it will only revert and a new cycle of the long count will commence.

The last time the long count was 13 or 11 Aug 3114 BC (Gregorian) according to:
http://webexhibits.org/calendars/calendar-...000000000000000
I don't think the world ended then. The calender just started over.

Also this date will mark an alignment of the winter solstice sun to the milky way's equator. This is a rare alignment that comes every 26,000 years. This shows the Mayan's adeptness as stargazing.

If the "Mayan Prophecies" are true, why wouldn't the Mayans use this great knowledge in preventing their own destruction over a thousand years ago? If they could predict the end of the world so accurately..

There are several dozen 'end of the world' theories. Those of them who have passed have one thing in common, they didn't come true.

http://www.answers.com/topic/end-of-the-world