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Lincoln–Kennedy coincidences urban legend

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Abraham Lincoln
John F. Kennedy

There are many coincidences with the assassinations of U.S. Presidents Abraham Lincoln and John F. Kennedy, and these have become a piece of American folklore. The list of coincidences appeared in the mainstream American press in 1964, a year after the assassination of John F. Kennedy, having appeared prior to that in the GOP Congressional Committee Newsletter.[1][2] In the 1970s, Martin Gardner examined the list in an article in Scientific American (later reprinted in his 1985 book, The Magic Numbers of Dr. Matrix), pointing out that several of the claimed coincidences were based on misinformation.[3][4] Gardner's version of the list contained 16 items; many subsequent versions have circulated much longer lists.

A 1999 examination by Snopes found that the listed "coincidences are easily explained as the simple product of mere chance."[5] In 1992, the Skeptical Inquirer ran a "Spooky Presidential Coincidences Contest." One winner found a series of sixteen similar coincidences between Kennedy and former Mexican President Álvaro Obregón. Another winner came up with similar lists for twenty-one pairs of U.S. presidents.[6] For example, there were 13 similarities found between Thomas Jefferson and Andrew Jackson[7]

List

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The following are the list of "coincidences" that are commonly associated with the conspiracy, some of which are not true statements:

  • "Lincoln" and "Kennedy" each have seven letters.[5]
  • Both presidents were elected to Congress in '46 and later to the presidency in '60.[5]
  • Both assassins, John Wilkes Booth and Lee Harvey Oswald, were born in '39 and were known by their three names, composed of fifteen letters.[5]
  • Booth ran from a theater and was caught in a warehouse; Oswald ran from a warehouse and was caught in a theater.[5]
  • The assassins were both Southerners.[5]
  • Both of the presidents' successors were Democrats named Johnson with six-letter first names and born in '08.[5]
  • Both Lincoln and Kennedy were particularly concerned with civil rights[5] and made their views strongly known.
  • Both presidents were shot in the head on a Friday and in the presence of their wives.[5]
  • Lincoln had a secretary named Kennedy who told him not to go to Ford's Theatre. Kennedy had a secretary named Evelyn Lincoln and she warned him not to go to Dallas.[5]
  • Both Oswald and Booth were killed before they could be put on trial.[5]
  • Both Johnsons were succeeded as President in '69 by Republicans (Ulysses S. Grant, Richard M. Nixon) whose mothers were both named Hannah.[8][9]

Accuracy

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True statements

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  • Both were elected to congress in '46: Lincoln was elected in 1846 from Illinois,[10][11] and Kennedy was elected in 1946 from Massachusetts.[12][13]
  • Both were elected to the presidency in '60: Lincoln was elected in 1860,[14][15] and Kennedy was elected in 1960.[16][17]
  • Both have seven letters in their last names ("Lincoln" and "Kennedy").
  • Both were concerned with civil rights:
  • Both married in their 30s to women who were in their 20s:
    • Lincoln was married on November 4, 1842.[21][22] Lincoln was born on February 12, 1809,[18][11] making him 33 years old at the time of his wedding. Lincoln's bride, Mary Anne Todd, was born on December 13, 1818,[23][24] making her 23 years old at the time of the wedding.
    • Kennedy was married on September 12, 1953.[25][26] Kennedy was born on May 29, 1917,[25][13] making him 36 years old at the time of his wedding. Kennedy's bride, Jacqueline Bouvier, was born on July 28, 1929,[27][28] making her 24 years old at the time of the wedding.
  • Both were shot on a Friday: Lincoln was shot on Good Friday, April 14, 1865,[18][29] and Kennedy was shot on Friday, November 22, 1963.[30][31]
  • Both were shot in the head. (Lincoln[32][33] and Kennedy[30][34]).
  • Both of the presidents' successors were named Johnson: Lincoln was succeeded by Andrew Johnson,[35][36] and Kennedy was succeeded by Lyndon B. Johnson.[34][30]
  • Both had security agents named William who each died within 48 hours of attaining the age of 75 years, 5 months: Lincoln's bodyguard, William H. Crook, was born October 15, 1839, and died March 13, 1915. Kennedy's secret service agent, William Greer, was born September 22, 1909, and died February 23, 1985.
  • Both were succeeded by Southerners: Andrew Johnson was from Tennessee,[36] and Lyndon B. Johnson was from Texas.[37][38]
  • Both successors were born in '08: Andrew Johnson was born December 29, 1808,[39][36] and Lyndon B. Johnson was born August 27, 1908.[37][38]
  • Both successors had six-letter first names (Andrew and Lyndon)
  • Both assassins, John Wilkes Booth and Lee Harvey Oswald, are known by their three names, although this is common for many notorious assassins who are covered by the press. This is routinely done by the press to avoid tarnishing the reputations of people with similar names (i.e., there are many John Booths and Lee Oswalds).[40]
  • Each assassin's full name is composed of fifteen letters.
  • Each assassin committed his crime while in the place where he was regularly employed. Booth worked as an actor at Ford's Theater; Oswald was employed at the Texas School Book Depository.
  • The mother of Ulysses S. Grant, who succeeded Andrew Johnson as President in 1869, was named Hannah Simpson Grant.[8] The mother of Richard M. Nixon, who succeeded Lyndon Johnson as President in 1969, was named Hannah Milhous Nixon.[41]

Uncertain assumptions

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  • Booth and Oswald were killed before their trials and within the same month as the assassination.
    • On April 26, 1865, after refusing to surrender, John Wilkes Booth was shot by Sergeant Boston Corbett.[42][43]
    • On November 24, 1963, on his way to the county jail, Lee Harvey Oswald was shot by night club owner Jack Ruby.[44][45]
  • Although both Ulysses S. Grant and Richard M. Nixon were Republican President who succeeded the Presidents Johnson in '69 and who both had mothers named Hannah, it would likely be considered inaccurate to add that both bore their mother's maiden names as middle names. Richard Nixon's middle initial did stand for his mother's maiden name of Milhous, but Thomas L. Hamer, the U.S. Representative from Ohio who nominated Ulysses S. Grant for a position in the United States Military Academy (West Point) class of 1843, nominated him as "Ulysses S. Grant" rather than by his actual name, Hiram Ulysses Grant, because Hamer mistakenly believed that Ulysses was Grant's first name and - just as mistakenly - assumed that his middle name was Simpson because it had been Grant's mother's maiden name. (One source states that Hamer thought the "S" stood for Simpson, Grant's mother's maiden name.[46] According to Grant, the "S." did not stand for anything. Upon graduation from the academy he adopted the name "Ulysses S. Grant".)[8]

False assumptions

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  • Although President Kennedy had a secretary named Lincoln,[47] President Lincoln did not have a secretary named Kennedy. Lincoln's secretaries were John G. Nicolay and John M. Hay.[5]
  • Booth ran from the theater and was caught in a warehouse, and Oswald ran from a warehouse and was caught in a theater:
  • Both assassins were born in '39:
    • Oswald was born in 1939, but Booth was born in 1838.[50]
  • Both presidents were assassinated by Southerners:
    • Oswald was born in New Orleans, but Booth, a Confederate/Southern sympathizer, was born in Maryland, a Union state.[51]

Analysis

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Some urban folklorists have postulated that the list provided a way for people to make sense of two tragic events in American history by seeking out patterns.[5][52] Gardner and others have said that it is relatively easy to find seemingly meaningful patterns relating any two people or events. The psychological phenomenon of apophenia – defined as "the tendency to perceive order in random configurations" – has been proposed as a possible reason for the lists' enduring popularity.[4]

Most of the items listed above are true, such as the year in which Lincoln and Kennedy were each elected president, but this is not so unusual given that presidential elections are held only every four years. A few of the items are simply untrue: for example, Lincoln never had a secretary named Kennedy; Lincoln's secretaries were John Hay and John G. Nicolay.[5] However, Lincoln's footman, William H. Crook, did advise Lincoln not to go that night to Ford's Theatre.[53][54] David Mikkelson of Snopes points out many ways in which Lincoln and Kennedy do not match, to show the superficial nature of the alleged coincidences: For example, Lincoln was born in 1809 but Kennedy in 1917. Lincoln and Kennedy were both elected in '60, but Lincoln was already in his second term; Kennedy was not. Also, neither the years, months, nor dates of their assassinations match. Although both were shot on Fridays, Lincoln didn't die from his injuries until Saturday.[5]

Musical remembrance

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Buddy Starcher wrote a song, "History Repeats Itself," recounting many of these coincidences and parallels between the two presidents' careers and deaths. The song became a U.S. Top 40 hit during the spring of 1966,[55] and reached number two on the Country chart. Cab Calloway also scored a minor chart hit with the song that same year.

See also

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References

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  1. ^ "Historical Notes: A Compendium of Curious Coincidences". Time. August 21, 1964. ISSN 0040-781X. Retrieved June 14, 2022.
  2. ^ Newsweek, August 10, 1964
  3. ^ The Magic Numbers of Dr. Matrix By Martin Gardner. 1985. Prometheus Books. Library of Congress Catalog Card No. 84-43183, ISBN 0-87975-281-5 (cloth), 0-87975-282-3 (paper) (This was previously titled The Numerology of Dr. Matrix. It contains all of The Incredible Dr. Matrix plus four more chapters.)
  4. ^ a b Seemayer, Zach (November 4, 2019). "Why Does The Lincoln-Kennedy Urban Legend Persist Decades After It Was Disproved?". Ranker. Retrieved June 13, 2022.
  5. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o Mikkelson, Barbara & David P. "Linkin' Kennedy" at Snopes.com: Urban Legends Reference Pages. June 11, 1999. Accessed June 3, 2022.
  6. ^ Martin, Bruce (September–October 1998). "Coincidences: Remarkable or Random?" (PDF). Skeptical Inquirer. 22 (5). Archived from the original (PDF) on April 17, 2020.
  7. ^ https://centerforinquiry.s3.amazonaws.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/29/1993/01/22165152/p102.pdf
  8. ^ a b c McFeely, William S. (1981). Grant: A Biography. W. W. Norton & Company. ISBN 978-0-393-01372-6.
  9. ^ "The Nixon Family". Archived from the original on October 21, 2013.
  10. ^ "History - Abraham Lincoln Papers - Collection Connections | Teacher Resources - Library of Congress". www.loc.gov. Retrieved May 17, 2020.
  11. ^ a b "Abraham Lincoln". HISTORY. Retrieved May 17, 2020.
  12. ^ "JFK in Congress". whitehouse.gov. March 24, 2017. Retrieved May 17, 2020 – via National Archives.
  13. ^ a b "John F. Kennedy". HISTORY. Retrieved May 17, 2020.
  14. ^ "Abraham Lincoln elected president". HISTORY. Retrieved May 17, 2020.
  15. ^ "On This Day, Abraham Lincoln is elected President". National Constitution Center. Retrieved May 17, 2020.
  16. ^ "John F. Kennedy elected president". HISTORY. Retrieved May 17, 2020.
  17. ^ "Campaign of 1960 | JFK Library". www.jfklibrary.org. Retrieved May 17, 2020.
  18. ^ a b c "Abraham Lincoln". The White House. Retrieved May 17, 2020.
  19. ^ "Civil Rights Act of 1964". HISTORY. Retrieved May 17, 2020.
  20. ^ "Civil Rights Movement | JFK Library". www.jfklibrary.org. Retrieved May 17, 2020.
  21. ^ "Abraham Lincoln marries Mary Todd". HISTORY. Retrieved May 17, 2020.
  22. ^ "Marriage to Mary Todd – Abraham Lincoln Historical Society". www.abraham-lincoln-history.org. Retrieved May 17, 2020.
  23. ^ "Mary Todd Lincoln". Biography. Retrieved May 17, 2020.
  24. ^ "Mary Lincoln Biography :: National First Ladies' Library". www.firstladies.org. Archived from the original on May 9, 2012. Retrieved May 17, 2020.
  25. ^ a b "John F. Kennedy". The White House. Retrieved May 17, 2020.
  26. ^ "Wedding of Jacqueline Bouvier and John F. Kennedy, Newport, Rhode Island, September 12, 1953 | JFK Library". www.jfklibrary.org. Retrieved May 17, 2020.
  27. ^ "Life of Jacqueline B. Kennedy | JFK Library". www.jfklibrary.org. Retrieved May 17, 2020.
  28. ^ "Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis | Biography & Facts". Encyclopedia Britannica. Retrieved May 17, 2020.
  29. ^ "What Happened on April 14, 1865". OnThisDay.com. April 14, 1865. Retrieved May 17, 2020.
  30. ^ a b c "November 22, 1963: Death of the President | JFK Library". www.jfklibrary.org. Retrieved May 17, 2020.
  31. ^ "What Happened on November 22, 1963". OnThisDay.com. November 22, 1963. Retrieved May 17, 2020.
  32. ^ "Abraham Lincoln's Assassination". HISTORY. Retrieved May 17, 2020.
  33. ^ "The Assassination of Abraham Lincoln". www.ushistory.org. Retrieved May 17, 2020.
  34. ^ a b c "Assassination of John F. Kennedy". HISTORY. Retrieved May 17, 2020.
  35. ^ "Andrew Johnson". The White House. Retrieved May 17, 2020.
  36. ^ a b c "Andrew Johnson". Biography. Retrieved May 17, 2020.
  37. ^ a b "Lyndon B. Johnson". The White House. Retrieved May 17, 2020.
  38. ^ a b "Lyndon B. Johnson". Biography. Retrieved May 17, 2020.
  39. ^ "Andrew Johnson". The White House. Retrieved May 17, 2020.
  40. ^ Palmer, Brian (January 9, 2011). "Why Do So Many Assassins Have Three Names?". Slate.
  41. ^ [1] Archived April 16, 2009, at the Wayback Machine
  42. ^ "The Insane Story of the Guy Who Killed the Guy Who Killed Lincoln | Washingtonian (DC)". Washingtonian. April 12, 2015. Retrieved May 17, 2020.
  43. ^ "Boston Corbett – The Mad Hatter who Killed John Wilkes Booth". New England Historical Society. September 2, 2016. Retrieved May 17, 2020.
  44. ^ "Lee Harvey Oswald". Biography. Retrieved May 17, 2020.
  45. ^ a b "Lee Harvey Oswald | Biography, Facts, & Death". Encyclopedia Britannica. Retrieved May 17, 2020.
  46. ^ Simon 1967, pp. 3–4.
  47. ^ "2005 Press Releases". National Archives. Retrieved April 7, 2022.
  48. ^ "Lincoln assassin John Wilkes Booth dies". HISTORY. Retrieved May 17, 2020.
  49. ^ "assassination of Abraham Lincoln | Summary, Conspirators, & Trial". Encyclopedia Britannica. Retrieved May 17, 2020.
  50. ^ Link, Devon (June 6, 2020). "Fact check: A 1964 conspiracy theory misrepresents Lincoln and Kennedy's similarities". USA Today. Retrieved December 3, 2022.
  51. ^ "Fact check: A 1964 conspiracy theory misrepresents Lincoln and Kennedy's similarities". USA Today. Retrieved December 3, 2022.
  52. ^ All Those Weird Lincoln Kennedy Coincidences, April 9, 2021, archived from the original on December 12, 2021, retrieved April 10, 2021
  53. ^ "William Crook". PBS. Retrieved October 9, 2013.
  54. ^ Lewis, Lloyd (1994). The Assassination of Lincoln: History and Myth. University of Nebraska Press. p. 297. ISBN 9780803279490.
  55. ^ Joel Whitburn's Top Pop Singles 1955-1990 - ISBN 0-89820-089-X
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