July 4, 1826

[Guy Berger]

I've always thought it was amazing that Thomas Jefferson and John Adams both died on the same day (within a few hours of each other). It was the 50th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence, which was drafted by a committee that included both.

Guy

[Dan Gould]

Not to mention the fact that they became such pen pals after both had left the public stage, and this after being at each other's throats when they were.

Looking forward to my annual screening of 1776 in a few hours.

Edited July 4, 2007 by Dan Gould

[PHILLYQ]

Here's an interesting tidbit:

Jefferson served two terms as President after defeating the incumbent Adams, then retired to his home in Monticello. Meanwhile from his retirement farm in Quincy, Massachusetts Adams began to write long and elaborate letters to his old adversary. A grudging admiration for each other may have developed in their later years. Nonetheless, Adams always proclaimed that, though Jefferson was 7 years younger than himself...

"I will out live Jefferson."

On his death bed on Independence Day, 1826 John Adams uttered his last words. They were "Thomas Jefferson survives."

It is rumored that upon Adam's death the messenger dispatched to carry the news to Jefferson's Virginia home actually passed a messenger dispatched from THAT site to Adam's home, also bearing sad tidings.

http://www.homeofheroes.com/profiles/profiles_jeffadams.html

Monroe died exactly five years later.

[Guy Berger]

On his death bed on Independence Day, 1826 John Adams uttered his last words. They were "Thomas Jefferson survives."

Apparently, this is not quite true.

Guy

Edited July 5, 2007 by Guy

[Chalupa]

This thread about the deaths of Jefferson and Adams reminds me of some strange coincidences between two other presidents - Lincoln and JFK.

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.

Both were particularly concerned with civil rights.

Both wives lost their children while living in the White House.

Both Presidents were shot on a Friday.

Both Presidents were shot in the head.

Now it gets really weird.

Lincoln's secretary was named Kennedy.

Kennedy's Secretary was named Lincoln.

Both were assassinated by Southerners.

Both were succeeded by Southerners 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 names are composed of fifteen letters.

Now hang on to your seat.

Lincoln was shot at the theater named 'Ford.'

Kennedy was shot in a car called 'Lincoln' made by 'Ford.'

Lincoln was shot in a theater and his assassin ran and

hid in a warehouse.

Kennedy was shot from a warehouse and his assassin ran

and hid in a theater.

Booth and Oswald were assassinated before their trials.

And here's the kicker...

A week before Lincoln was shot, he was in Monroe, Maryland

A week before Kennedy was shot, he was with Marilyn Monroe.

[BruceH]

I've always thought it was amazing that Thomas Jefferson and John Adams both died on the same day (within a few hours of each other). It was the 50th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence, which was drafted by a committee that included both.

Guy

An example of life imitating sentimental and unbelievable art.

They both treated Hamilton badly, BTW, which kind of bugs me.

[Kalo]

Shakespeare and Cervantes died on the same day (by different calendars, however).

[Guy Berger]

They both treated Hamilton badly, BTW, which kind of bugs me.

My understanding is that Hamilton gave as good as he got. Didn't he undermine Adams's Presidency via the Hamilton-loyalist cabinet members?

edit: I chuckled at this little bit from wikipedia:

In spring 1779, Hamilton asked his friend John Laurens to find him a wife in South Carolina: [Mitchell vol 1 p 199]:

"She must be young—handsome (I lay most stress upon a good shape) Sensible (a little learning will do)—well bred. . . chaste and tender (I am an enthusiast in my notions of fidelity and fondness); of some good nature—a great deal of generosity (she must neither love money nor scolding, for I dislike equally a termagant and an economist)—In politics, I am indifferent what side she may be of—I think I have arguments that will safely convert her to mine—As to religion a moderate stock will satisfy me—She must believe in God and hate a saint. But as to fortune, the larger stock of that the better."

Guy

Edited July 10, 2007 by Guy

[BruceH]

They both treated Hamilton badly, BTW, which kind of bugs me.

My understanding is that Hamilton gave as good as he got. Didn't he undermine Adams's Presidency via the Hamilton-loyalist cabinet members?

edit: I chuckled at this little bit from wikipedia:

In spring 1779, Hamilton asked his friend John Laurens to find him a wife in South Carolina: [Mitchell vol 1 p 199]:

"She must be young—handsome (I lay most stress upon a good shape) Sensible (a little learning will do)—well bred. . . chaste and tender (I am an enthusiast in my notions of fidelity and fondness); of some good nature—a great deal of generosity (she must neither love money nor scolding, for I dislike equally a termagant and an economist)—In politics, I am indifferent what side she may be of—I think I have arguments that will safely convert her to mine—As to religion a moderate stock will satisfy me—She must believe in God and hate a saint. But as to fortune, the larger stock of that the better."

Guy

Hamilton was an expert at giving as good as he got. As to his requirements in a wife, taken separately most of these sound reasonable (or at least, understandable) but put them all together and he comes off as a tad demanding, doesn't he?

[RDK]

When I asked that of my then-girlfriend and current wife... she punched me in the face.

[Adam]

I've always thought it was amazing that Thomas Jefferson and John Adams both died on the same day (within a few hours of each other). It was the 50th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence, which was drafted by a committee that included both.

Guy

An example of life imitating sentimental and unbelievable art.

They both treated Hamilton badly, BTW, which kind of bugs me.

Yes, don't cry for Hamilton. Besides, the country we live in today is closer to his vision than it is to that of Adams or Jefferson. The three of them - can you imagine having a triumvorate of people that smart in politics today? Can you imagine having one person as smart as them in politics today?

Hamilton also had the first political sex scandal of America while in office.

[Chuck Nessa]

W missed a big chance for the history books.

[connoisseur series500]

Shakespeare and Cervantes died on the same day (by different calendars, however).

Historians are not convinced that Shakespeare was Shakespeare.

[Chuck Nessa]

Shakespeare and Cervantes died on the same day (by different calendars, however).

Historians are not convinced that Shakespeare was Shakespeare.

I'm not sure Conn is Conn.

[Kevin Bresnahan]

A week before Lincoln was shot, he was in Monroe, Maryland

A week before Kennedy was shot, he was with Marilyn Monroe.

What, has political correctness affected even old dirty jokes? The lines are:

A week before Lincoln was shot, he was in Monroe, Maryland

A week before Kennedy was shot, he was *in* Marilyn Monroe.

Badda-boom!!

[Guy Berger]

This thread about the deaths of Jefferson and Adams reminds me of some strange coincidences between two other presidents - Lincoln and JFK.

FWIW, after erstwhile-Chalupa posted this I went to Snopes.com -- while most of these ARE coincidences, some of them are actually not true.

Apologies on the party-poopin'!

Guy