In the late 1810s, after a lengthy study of the Bible, New York farmer William Miller came to believe the Second Coming would occur in 1843 . In 1831, he began preaching at camp meetings and in print to prepare for the day when humanity’s souls would be judged. Nearly 1 million people heard his message, and Miller’s most devoted adherents, who were known as Millerites, numbered between 50,000 and 100,000.But 1843 passed without incident, and Miller’s colleagues announced a new date, Oct. 22, 1844, as the official time for the Second Coming, called the Advent or the Great Anticipation.As October 1844 approached, many Millerites were reported to have sold all of their worldly goods ; some may even have climbed mountains to be closer to heaven. When October came and went, the day became known as the Great Disappointment.Attempts by Miller to recalculate a third date for the Second Coming were met with skepticism by his followers, who had by this time mostly turned away from Miller and joined the Adventist Church, a church co-founded by Miller that believed in an inevitable Second Coming without giving a specific date for the event to occur. The last meeting of Miller’s church occurred in April 1845.