Are the uncanny similarities between Abraham Lincoln and John F. Kennedy truly remarkable coincidences, or just a collection of cherry-picked facts that sound more impressive than they actually are? For decades, a list highlighting these supposed parallels has circulated, captivating those fascinated by historical anomalies. Let’s read aloud and critically examine these much-touted “coincidences” to separate fact from fiction and understand why these comparisons, while intriguing, ultimately fall apart under scrutiny.
The claim suggests a series of amazing coincidences link the assassinations of Abraham Lincoln and John F. Kennedy. But is this claim valid?
Rating: False
The Origin of the List
Shortly after President John F. Kennedy’s tragic assassination in 1963, a list began to surface, drawing attention to a string of eerie similarities between his life and that of Abraham Lincoln. This list, presented as a series of astonishing coincidences, has been widely shared and reprinted ever since. It typically includes points like these:
- 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 wives lost children while living in the White House.
- Both Presidents were shot on a Friday.
- Both were shot in the head.
- Lincoln’s secretary, Kennedy, warned him not to go to the theatre. Kennedy’s secretary, Lincoln, warned him not to go to Dallas.
- 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 was born in 1839. Lee Harvey Oswald was born in 1939.
- Both assassins were known by their three names. Both names are comprised of fifteen letters.
- Booth ran from a theater and was caught in a warehouse. Oswald ran from a warehouse and was caught in a theater.
- Booth and Oswald were assassinated before their trials.
At first glance, this list appears compelling. However, a closer look reveals that many of these points are either misleading, factually inaccurate, or simply superficial similarities. The underlying differences between these events and men are far more significant than these manufactured coincidences. Let’s examine each point in detail.
Debunking the “Coincidences”: A Point-by-Point Analysis
1. Congressional Elections: 1846 and 1946
Abraham Lincoln was elected to Congress in 1846. John F. Kennedy was elected to Congress in 1946.
While literally true, framing this as an “amazing coincidence” is misleading. The 100-year gap is only noteworthy because we are drawn to round numbers. There’s nothing inherently more significant about 100 years than, say, 92 or 105 years.
Furthermore, their congressional careers were vastly different. Lincoln served a single, undistinguished term in the House of Representatives and faced numerous failures in subsequent bids for national office before his presidential victory. Kennedy, in contrast, enjoyed a meteoric rise in national politics, winning multiple terms in both the House and Senate before reaching the presidency.
2. Presidential Elections: 1860 and 1960
Abraham Lincoln was elected President in 1860. John F. Kennedy was elected President in 1960.
This “coincidence” is even less surprising than the first. Presidential elections occur every four years. Given that both men achieved national political prominence within a century of each other, it’s statistically probable they would be elected president a century apart. Presidential elections are quadrennial events; they simply couldn’t have been elected in the intervening years.
Moreover, focusing on this 100-year gap ignores more telling differences. Lincoln was born in 1809, Kennedy in 1917. Lincoln died in 1865, Kennedy in 1963. Lincoln was 56 at death; Kennedy was 46. Lincoln was assassinated in April; Kennedy in November. Lincoln was shot on the 14th of the month; Kennedy on the 22nd. Lincoln was re-elected; Kennedy was assassinated during his first term. These are substantial differences, not neat coincidences.
3. Seven-Letter Names: Lincoln and Kennedy
The names Lincoln and Kennedy each contain seven letters.
This is arguably the most trivial point. Presidential surnames average around 6.64 letters in length. The fact that both “Lincoln” and “Kennedy” have seven letters is statistically unremarkable. The list conveniently ignores that their first names have different lengths, and Kennedy had a middle name while Lincoln did not.
4. Concern for Civil Rights
Both were particularly concerned with civil rights.
While both presidents addressed civil rights issues, framing it as a unique shared concern is misleading. Civil rights were pressing issues during both their presidencies due to ongoing societal struggles. It’s more accurate to say they were forced to confront these issues by the historical context, rather than it being a pre-eminent personal passion from the outset of their careers. Just as one might say presidents during wartime are “concerned with war,” or during economic downturns are “concerned with economics.”
5. Loss of Children in the White House
Both wives lost their children while living in the White House.
This statement, while technically true, obscures significant differences. The Lincolns lost two children, not one, although only one (Willie) died during Lincoln’s presidency. Edward Lincoln died before they entered the White House. Willie died from illness. In contrast, Jacqueline Kennedy gave birth prematurely to a child (Patrick) who died two days after birth. The circumstances and nature of these losses are profoundly different. Furthermore, the Lincolns had four children, while the Kennedys had three, with different survival rates into adulthood.
6. Assassination on a Friday
Both Presidents were shot on a Friday.
This is statistically unsurprising. There is a one-in-seven chance that any given day will be a Friday. It’s a basic probability, not a remarkable coincidence.
7. Shot in the Head
Both were shot in the head.
This “coincidence” is also weak. Head shots and chest shots are the most effective ways to ensure death by firearm. Given that both assassins shot from behind and their targets were seated, the head was a logical target. Moreover, the details differ drastically: Lincoln was shot indoors at point-blank range with a handgun; Kennedy was shot outdoors from a distance with a rifle.
8. Secretaries Named Kennedy and Lincoln
Lincoln’s secretary, Kennedy, warned him not to go to the theatre. Kennedy’s secretary, Lincoln, warned him not to go to Dallas.
This is demonstrably false. Lincoln did not have a secretary named Kennedy. His secretaries were John G. Nicolay and John Hay. Kennedy did have a secretary named Evelyn Lincoln, but the claim that her warning is a unique coincidence is overstated. Presidents constantly receive warnings and threats. Only when tragedy strikes do specific warnings gain prominence. Lincoln received numerous threats, as did Kennedy. It’s selective memory to highlight only the warnings that preceded an actual assassination.
9. Assassinated by Southerners
Both were assassinated by Southerners.
The term “Southerner” is used loosely here. John Wilkes Booth was a Southern sympathizer born in Maryland, a border state that remained in the Union. He spent considerable time in the North and considered himself a Northerner who understood the South. Lee Harvey Oswald was born in New Orleans and lived in the South, but his motivations were not rooted in Southern regionalism like Booth’s. Oswald’s “Southerness” is geographically superficial, unlike Booth’s ideological Southern sympathies.
10. Succeeded by Southerners
Both were succeeded by Southerners.
This is true but reflects the political realities of their times. Lincoln, a Northern Republican during the Civil War, chose Andrew Johnson of Tennessee, a Southern Democrat, as his running mate to balance the ticket. Kennedy, a New Englander, selected Lyndon B. Johnson of Texas to appeal to Southern and Western voters. Having a Southerner as Vice President was a strategic political calculation in both cases, not a coincidence. Furthermore, Andrew Johnson’s “Southerness” is complicated as he was the only Southern senator to remain loyal to the Union.
11. Successors Named Johnson
Both successors were named Johnson.
“Johnson” is a common surname, meaning “son of John.” Its recurrence is statistically probable and unremarkable given its frequency in both eras.
12. Andrew Johnson Born in 1808, Lyndon Johnson in 1908
Andrew Johnson, who succeeded Lincoln, was born in 1808. Lyndon Johnson, who succeeded Kennedy, was born in 1908.
Another 100-year gap, again, not inherently significant. Politicians typically reach high office within a certain age range. The Johnsons, contemporaries of Lincoln and Kennedy respectively, falling within this age bracket is expected. Focusing on the number 100 is arbitrary. Many other numerical relationships could be found if one were to sift through biographical data, but they wouldn’t seem significant simply because they don’t involve round numbers. Moreover, the two Johnsons were vastly different men with contrasting political ideologies and presidencies.
13. Booth Born in 1839, Oswald in 1939
John Wilkes Booth was born in 1839. Lee Harvey Oswald was born in 1939.
This is factually incorrect. John Wilkes Booth was born in 1838, not 1839. The list fudges Booth’s birth year to fit the predetermined pattern of 100-year gaps.
14. Assassins with Three Names, Fifteen Letters
Both assassins were known by their three names. Both names are comprised of fifteen letters.
This is another stretch. John Wilkes Booth was often referred to as J. Wilkes Booth or John Wilkes, partly to distinguish him from his famous acting family. Lee Harvey Oswald was generally known as “Lee” before the assassination. His full name became common after the event, partly due to initial confusion about his identity. The fifteen-letter count is also arbitrary. Why should the total letter count of assassin’s names be significant when the same isn’t true for the presidents or vice presidents? Furthermore, Booth and Oswald were vastly different individuals in terms of background, personality, and social standing.
15. Theater and Warehouse Connections
Booth ran from the theater and was caught in a warehouse. Oswald ran from a warehouse and was caught in a theater.
This is inaccurate and superficial. Booth shot Lincoln in a theater and was eventually cornered in a tobacco barn, not a warehouse, after fleeing across state lines. Oswald shot Kennedy from a textbook depository (a type of warehouse) and was caught in a movie theater shortly after the assassination in the same city. The locations are vaguely similar in type but the details are quite different, and the actions are reversed in the supposed parallel.
16. Assassinated Before Trial
Booth and Oswald were assassinated before their trials.
While both died before trial, the circumstances are very different, and the word “assassinated” is arguably misapplied to Booth. Booth was killed by a soldier after a manhunt while resisting capture in a barn. Oswald was murdered by Jack Ruby while in police custody two days after his arrest. The nature of their deaths and the contexts are significantly dissimilar. Booth was killed in a quasi-military action; Oswald was murdered in a criminal act.
17. Monroe/Marilyn Monroe “Coincidence”
A month before Lincoln was assassinated he was in Monroe, Maryland. A month before Kennedy was assassinated he was in Marilyn Monroe.
This is a late addition to the list and is a joke, not a coincidence. Marilyn Monroe died over a year before Kennedy’s assassination, making this “parallel” nonsensical.
The Real Explanation: Chance and Pattern-Seeking
What are we to make of this long list of strained and often inaccurate “coincidences”? The answer lies in understanding human psychology and the nature of chance. It is easy to find superficial patterns between any two sets of data, especially when motivated to do so. Similar “coincidence” lists have been created for other presidential pairs.
Our brains are wired to seek patterns to make sense of the world and impose order on chaos. The assassinations of Lincoln and Kennedy were traumatic and senseless events for many. Finding patterns, even superficial ones, can offer a comforting illusion of meaning or a cosmic design, suggesting a reason for these tragedies, however tenuous. In reality, these “coincidences” are simply products of chance, selective reporting, and the human desire to find connections where none truly exist. Reading aloud these supposed connections might sound compelling, but critical thinking reveals them for what they are: interesting trivia, not meaningful historical parallels.
Sources:
- Donald, David Herbert. Lincoln. New York: Simon and Schuster, 1995. ISBN 0-684-80846-3.
- Posner, Gerald. Case Closed. New York: Random House, 1993. ISBN 0-679-41825-3.
- Walker, Dale L. Legends and Lies: Great Mysteries of the American West. New York: Tom Doherty Associates, 1997. ISBN 0-312-86848-0.
By David Mikkelson
Article Tags:
John F. Kennedy, Abraham Lincoln, American History
