Tuesday, February 16, 2010

Strange Presidential Coincidences

Because it's President's Week, I thought I'd offer up some of the interesting coincidences between the assassinations of Presidents Lincoln and Kennedy.

Lincoln

Kennedy

Lincoln was elected to Congress in 1846

Kennedy was elected to Congress in 1946

He was elected President in 1860

He was elected President in 1960

His wife lost a child while living in the White House

His wife lost a child while living in the White House

He was directly concerned with Civil Rights

He was directly concerned with Civil Rights

Lincoln had a secretary named Kennedy who told him not to go to the theater *1

Kennedy had a secretary named Lincoln who told him not to go to Dallas *2

Lincoln was shot in the back of the head in the presence of his wife

Kennedy was shot in the back of the head in the presence of his wife

Lincoln shot in the Ford Theatre

Kennedy shot in a Lincoln, made by Ford

He was shot on a Friday

He was shot on a Friday

The assassin, John Wilkes Booth, was known by three names, comprised of fifteen letters

The assassin, Lee Harvey Oswald, was known by three names, comprised of fifteen letters

Booth shot Lincoln in a theater and fled to a warehouse *3

Oswald shot Kennedy from a warehouse and fled to a theater

Booth was killed before being brought to trial

Oswald was killed before being brought to trial

There were theories that Booth was part of a greater conspiracy

There were theories that Oswald was part of a greater conspiracy

Lincoln's successor was Andrew Johnson, born in 1808

Kennedy's successor was Lyndon Johnson, born in 1908



*1 Note: It is an urban myth that Lincoln had a secretary named Kennedy. There is no record of that.

*2 Note: There is no record whether or not Kennedy's secretary warned him.

*3 Note: Booth actually fled to a farm and was killed in a tobacco barn. It might be a stretch to call it a warehouse. But two years after his death, Booth's body was temporarily moved to a warehouse. Also, after the assassination, the government closed the Ford Theatre and turned it into a warehouse.

What do you think? Is there more to it than just mere coincidence?

11 comments:

  1. Anonymous10:09 AM

    That's just freaky.

    ReplyDelete
  2. I am with Cyndi - freaky biz. I saw on the history channel yesterday that Franklin and Adams - both presidents who signed the constitution, both died on the same July 4th - 50 years to the day that they signed it. Trippy!

    ReplyDelete
  3. I'd heard some of this before. It's interesting, but I don't think it's much more than coincidence.

    ReplyDelete
  4. I LOVE stuffy like that! I'm passing this on to my family :)

    ReplyDelete
  5. No such thing as coincidences, but then... they don't necessarily have to mean anything huge. It's interesting, though.

    The universe likes repetition.

    Did anyone see the A&E ghost episode where they tracked John Wilkes Booth in two locations? I forget the name of the series, a Ghost Hunters rip-off. It was interesting, anyhow. I was only marginally aware of the whole "he survived and lived under a different name" thing.

    ReplyDelete
  6. Oooh, also...

    I visited the Ford Theater years ago and didn't feel much of anything more than an echo.

    HOWEVER...

    I visited the house across the street where Lincoln died. If you get a chance, go see the room. If you feel nothing you are officially, absolutely, and completely UN-psychic.

    ReplyDelete
  7. I knew all this because I did a huge conspiracy paper in eigth grade. Fascinating stuff! It gives me chills. LOL

    ReplyDelete
  8. Did I spell eighth wrong? Seriously? LOL

    ReplyDelete
  9. Amanda Brice7:31 PM

    Have you heard of the 20-year curse? Supposedly presidents elected in a year ending in zero tend not to make it out of office alive, either by natural causes or assassination. Or sometimes they do make it out, but there's an assassination attempt.

    But hopefully the curse is broken now, b/c GWB was fine.

    ReplyDelete