Based upon what I have read, it seems very clear that much of his alleged abilities to predict the future are more down to selective interpretation of his original commentary.
I think it was Methyl who suggested that quatrain 1-87 "predicted" the twin towers attack on 9/11.
But the actual english translation of quatrain 1-87 reads as follows;
Volcanic fire from the center of the earth
will cause trembling around the new city:
Two great rocks will make war for a long time.
Then Arethusa will redden a new river.
So what some "interpreters" have done, in order to further their own slant and in a desire to show how accurate nostradamus is, have to chosen rather imaginative translations of the original.So, this is how the above verse is selectively "translated" to represent the "nostradamus was amazingly accurate!" agenda;
Enormous-promontories on fire in the center of the mainland,
Will cause trembling in the towers of the City of New York
Two great rock-monoliths continuously shall be attacked,
This is when air-vessels will turn-around to a new course.
And then of course, my own personal favourite, that Nostradamus had predicted the coming of Louis Pasteur;
This is the straightforward french- english translation for quatrain 1-25;
Lost, found, hidden for so long a time,
the pastor will be honored as a demigod:
Before the Moon finishes its full period
he will be dishonored by other winds.
And this is the translation the "nostradamus was amazingly accurate"! crowd peddle;
The unseen is discovered, hidden for such a long time,
He will, Pasteur, as a demi-God be honored;
This is when the moon completes her great cycle (1880's)
But through other's slanders, he will be dishonored.
Of course, they conveniently forget to tell you that the french word for "Pastor" is "Pasteur" ; They also forget to mention that, apart perhaps for the notion that the word "Hister" means "Hitler", Nostradamus did not mention names.
Below is a link to a site offering a more objective french - english translation, as well as links to the original french.
http://listverse.com/...nostradamus-debunked/