The Strange Parallels Between the Lives of Two U.S. Presidents
Despite living nearly 100 years apart, U.S. Presidents John F. Kennedy (1917-1963) and Abraham Lincoln (1809-1865) share some eerie commonalities.
Besides both serving as president and meeting shocking, untimely deaths while in office, Lincoln and Kennedy had other inexplicable similarities.
Both Lincoln and Kennedy served in Congress before entering the White House, although this is not shocking for one holding the highest office.
They were both elected to Congress in '46 - Lincoln in 1846 and Kennedy in 1946. They were elected president in '60 Lincoln in 1860 and Kennedy in 1960, each with less than 50% of the popular vote, defeating Stephen A. Douglas (b. 1813) and Richard Nixon (b. 1913) respectively.
Lincoln and Kennedy married in their 30s to women in their 20s, and lost a child while president - Willie Lincoln died of typhoid at age 11 (1862) and Kennedy’s premature infant son died at two days old in 1963. Both presidents also had sons named Robert and Edward.
One of the strangest similarities between the two presidents is the manner of their deaths. Both were shot in the head - Lincoln at close range while attending Our American Cousin, Kennedy from afar while riding in a motorcade through Dallas. Lincoln was seated in box number seven of Ford’s Theatre when he perished; Kennedy rode in a Ford Lincoln, the seventh car in his procession.
Both presidents were assassinated on a Friday by men with three names - Lee Harvey Oswald and John Wilkes Booth.
Although both assassins initially escaped the scene, Lincoln’s and Kennedy’s killers were themselves killed before they could be brought to trial, born a century apart - in 1839 and 1939 - similar to the parallel milestones in Lincoln’s and Kennedy’s early careers.
Per tradition, both Lincoln and Kennedy were succeeded by their vice presidents. However, both successors shared a surname - Andrew Johnson and Lyndon B. Johnson. The two replacements were born a century apart in 1808 and 1908, elder than either slain president.
While no single coincidence seems overtly compelling, together they form a curious overlapping of two presidents’ lives a century removed. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- If you would like to hear more podcast episodes about Abraham Lincoln, please comment to let the Every Night Podcast team know!
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The Strange Parallels Between the Lives of Two U.S. Presidents
Despite living nearly 100 years apart, U.S. Presidents John F. Kennedy (1917-1963) and Abraham Lincoln (1809-1865) share some eerie commonalities.
Besides both serving as president and meeting shocking, untimely deaths while in office, Lincoln and Kennedy had other inexplicable similarities.
Both Lincoln and Kennedy served in Congress before entering the White House, although this is not shocking for one holding the highest office.
They were both elected to Congress in '46 - Lincoln in 1846 and Kennedy in 1946. They were elected president in '60 Lincoln in 1860 and Kennedy in 1960, each with less than 50% of the popular vote, defeating Stephen A. Douglas (b. 1813) and Richard Nixon (b. 1913) respectively.
Lincoln and Kennedy married in their 30s to women in their 20s, and lost a child while president - Willie Lincoln died of typhoid at age 11 (1862) and Kennedy’s premature infant son died at two days old in 1963. Both presidents also had sons named Robert and Edward.
One of the strangest similarities between the two presidents is the manner of their deaths. Both were shot in the head - Lincoln at close range while attending Our American Cousin, Kennedy from afar while riding in a motorcade through Dallas. Lincoln was seated in box number seven of Ford’s Theatre when he perished; Kennedy rode in a Ford Lincoln, the seventh car in his procession.
Both presidents were assassinated on a Friday by men with three names - Lee Harvey Oswald and John Wilkes Booth.
Although both assassins initially escaped the scene, Lincoln’s and Kennedy’s killers were themselves killed before they could be brought to trial, born a century apart - in 1839 and 1939 - similar to the parallel milestones in Lincoln’s and Kennedy’s early careers.
Per tradition, both Lincoln and Kennedy were succeeded by their vice presidents. However, both successors shared a surname - Andrew Johnson and Lyndon B. Johnson. The two replacements were born a century apart in 1808 and 1908, elder than either slain president.
While no single coincidence seems overtly compelling, together they form a curious overlapping of two presidents’ lives a century removed.
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If you would like to hear more podcast episodes about Abraham Lincoln, please comment to let the Every Night Podcast team know!
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