General Question

deepseas72's avatar

Can anyone please help to explain these coincidences?

Asked by deepseas72 (1076points) January 5th, 2008

Abraham Lincoln was elected to Congress in 1846.
John F. Kennedy was elected to Congress in 1946.
Abraham Lincoln was elected President in 1860.
John F. Kennedy was elected President in 1960.
The names Lincoln and Kennedy each contain seven letters.
Both were particularly concerned with civil rights.
Both their wives lost their children while living in the White House.
Both Presidents were shot on a Friday.
Both were shot in the head.
Both were shot in the presence of their wives.
The Secretary of each President warned them not to go to the theater and to Dallas, respectively.
Lincoln's Secretary was named Kennedy.
Kennedy's Secretary was named Lincoln.
Both were assassinated by Southerners.
Both were succeeded by Southerners.
Both successors were named Johnson.
Andrew Johnson, who succeeded Lincoln, was born in 1808.
Lyndon Johnson, who succeeded Kennedy, was born in 1908.
John Wilkes Booth, who assassinated Lincoln, was born in 1839.
Lee Harvey Oswald, who assassinated Kennedy, was born in 1939.
Both assassins were known by their three names.
Both have names with 15 letters.
Booth ran from the theater and was captured in a warehouse.
Oswald ran from the warehouse and was captured in a theater.
Booth and Oswald were assassinated before their trials.

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6 Answers

srmorgan's avatar

It’s basically meanngless coincidence. One could enumerate many differences between the two Presidents and their respective assasinations.
Richard Belzer had a great take on this in a book he wrote several years ago: “Before his assassination, Abraham Lincoln was in Monroe Maryland and during his Presidency, John Kennedy was in Marilyn Monroe”

steve

jonno's avatar

Snopes has analysed this, read their article for more information. (Their version had a few more, different “coincidences”)

srmorgan's avatar

I correct the quote.
In 1862, Lincoln spent time in Monroe Maryland, in 1962 Kennedy spent time in Marilyn Monroe.
srm

DryaUnda's avatar

Take two historical figures that few criticize nowadays and pick out what they have in common. Personally, I’d like to see one of the two above paired off with a less-admired president like Harding.

sferik's avatar

Here’s a list of some more amazing coincidences.

Even such long shots as these are statistically likely to occur, given enough time. It would be much stranger if there were never any coincidences.

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