Popular myth relates a number of [[coincidence|coincidences]] having to do with [[United States of America|US]] [[Presidents of the United States of America|Presidents]] [[Abraham Lincoln]] and [[John F Kennedy]]. Some are true but inconsequential; others are fabrications or simply wrong.
While finding obscure correlations between famous people as well as their 'debunking' is an entertaining pastime for some, often the practice is taken too seriously.
== Family ==
* Both were the second born child in their families.
* British [[ambassador]]
** Lincoln's son [[Robert Lincoln|Robert]] was [[U. S. Ambassador]] to the [[United Kingdom]] from [[1889]] to [[1893]]
** Kennedy's father [[Joseph Kennedy|Joseph]] was U. S. Ambassador to the United Kingdom from [[1938]] to [[1940]]
* Both had at least four children.
** Lincoln: [[Robert Todd Lincoln|Robert]], Edward, William "Willie", and Thomas "Tad"
** Kennedy: Arabella, [[Caroline Bouvier Kennedy|Caroline]], [[John Fitzgerald Kennedy Jr.|John Jr.]], [[Patrick Bouvier Kennedy|Patrick]]
=== Marriage ===
* Both Lincoln and Kennedy did not marry until they were well over thirty years old. They each married a woman about 24 years old from a wealthy family who spoke French.
** At age 33 Lincoln married [[Mary Todd]] in [[1842]]. She was actually 23 years 326 days old.
** At age 36 Kennedy married [[Jacqueline Bouvier]] in [[1953]]. She was actually 24 years 46 days old.
=== Family Tragedy ===
* Both had a sister to whom they were very close and who died young.
** Lincoln's sister, [[Sarah Grigsby|Sarah]], died while giving birth in [[1828]] (age 20).
** Kennedy's sister, [[Kathleen Kennedy|Kathleen]], died in a plane crash in [[1948]] (age 28).
* Both Lincoln and Kennedy lost a child when they were President.
** Lincoln's 12 year old son Willie died in [[1862]].
** Kennedy's son [[Patrick Bouvier Kennedy|Patrick]] died 2 days after his birth in [[1963]]
* Of their children, only one survived past age 40.
** [[Robert Todd Lincoln]]
** [[Caroline Bouvier Kennedy]]
== Career ==
* Both studied [[law]].
* Both served their country as war [[veteran]]s.
** Lincoln in [[The Black Hawk War]]
** Kennedy in [[World War II]] on the [[PT-109]]
* Elected to [[Congress]] a century apart
** Lincoln in [[1846]]
** Kennedy in [[1946]]
* Elected [[President]] a century apart
** Lincoln in [[1860]]
** Kennedy in [[1960]]
* Before becoming President, both Kennedy and Lincoln gained fame in a series of [[debate]]s with better-known opponents.
** Lincoln debated [[Stephen Douglas]]
** Kennedy debated [[Richard Nixon]]
* Each President also had a monumental event in [[civil rights]] that took place a century apart.
** In [[1863]], Lincoln signed the [[Emancipation Proclamation]]
** In [[1963]] there was the great march on Washington during President Kennedy's term
* Both presidents were succeeded by men surnamed Johnson and born a century apart.
** Andrew, [[1808]]
** Lyndon, [[1908]]
* Both wanted to switch running mates in their '64 re-election. Lincoln replaced [[Hannibal Hamlin]] with [[Andrew Johnson]] on the 1864 presidential ticket. Kennedy was rumored to have wanted to replace [[Lyndon Johnson]] with another running mate in the 1964 election.
* Both Johnsons either signed or [[veto]]ed a [[civil rights bill]].
* Lincoln had a secretary called [[David Kennedy (Lincoln secretary)|David Kennedy]] -- Kennedy had a secretary by the name of [[Evelyn Lincoln]].
* Both were Northern politicians who were assassinated by Southern sympathizers and succeeded by Southerner politicians.
== Assassination ==
* Both were assassinated with a gunshot to the head.
* Both were sitting next to their wives when they were shot.
* In each assassination, they were with another couple and the man of that couple was also wounded.
** [[Major]] [[Henry Rathbone]], who was in the box with Lincoln, was slashed by Booth's knife
** [[Governor]] [[John Connolly]] was also shot
* Booth shot Lincoln in a [[theatre]] was himself shot and captured in a tobacco [[shed]], and died later -- Oswald shot Kennedy from a [[warehouse]], was captured in the [[Texas Theater]], and was himself shot later.
* Kennedy was travelling in a [[Ford Lincoln]] -- Lincoln was shot in [[Ford's Theatre]].
* Both were assassinated on a [[Friday]] preceding a holiday.
** Lincoln was shot on [[Good Friday]], two days before [[Easter]]
** Kennedy was shot on the Friday before [[Thanksgiving]]
* Both men made [[prophesy|prophetic statements]] on the days of their [[assassination]]s which were both 16 words long:
** Lincoln said: ''"If somebody wants to take my life, there is nothing I can do to prevent it."''
** Kennedy said: ''"If somebody wants to shoot me from a window with a rifle, nobody can stop it."''
=== Assassin ===
* The assassins were born a century apart.
** Booth, May 10, [[1838]]
** Oswald, October 18, [[1939]]
* Each assassin came from a troubled family that lacked a father figure.
* Each assassin had an older brother whom they tried to emulate.
** Booth had a brother named Edwin who was a much more acclaimed [[actor]]
** Oswald had a brother named Robert whom he envied.
* The assassins were both shot before they could stand trial.
* Booth earlier attempt at kidnapping President Lincoln failed - Oswald earlier assassination attempt of [[General Edwin Walker]] failed
== Names & Numbers ==
* Both [[Vice President]] have 6 letters in their first names and 7 in their last.
** [[Andrew Johnson]]
** [[Lyndon Johnson]]
* Both assassins, known by three names, have 15 letters in their names.
** [[John Wilkes Booth]]
** [[Lee Harvey Oswald]]
== Skeptical ==
As noted, most of the items mentioned are purely ''coincidental''. for example:
* With only seven days in the week, so the odds of the second assassination falling on the same day as the first one are rather high
Some items are inaccurate/misleading. for example:
* There is no record of a Lincoln secretary named Kennedy.
* Neither President, coincidentally, was particularly concerned with [[civil rights]].
In [[1992]], the ''[[Skeptical Inquirer]]'' ran a "Spooky Presidential Coincidences Contest". One winner found a series of sixteen similar coincidences between Kennedy and former [[Mexico|Mexican]] President [[Álvaro Obregón]], while the other came up with similar lists for twenty-one pairs of US Presidents. [http://www.csicop.org/si/9809/coincidence.html]
* Booth was part of a conspiracy while Oswald was found to have acted alone
== External link ==
* [http://www.snopes.com/history/american/linckenn.htm Snopes article about this subject]
[[Category:Abraham Lincoln]]
[[de:Lincoln-Kennedy Phänomen]]
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