6 Wildest Coincidences in United States History
Coincidences happen every day, but when they become part of the historical record, they take on a whole new meaning. From the intersection of the deaths of John Adams and Thomas Jefferson to a novelist writing the story of the Titanic two decades before it sank, American history is full of coincidences so unlikely that some have even given rise to conspiracy theories. Here are six of the wildest coincidences in United States history.1. Thomas Jefferson and John Adams Died on the Same Independence DayLeaders of the Continental CongressJohn Adams, Morris, Hamilton, Jefferson, by A. Tholey, 1894. Source: Library of CongressJuly 4 is known to Americans as Independence Day, but it was also this day, in 1826, that both Thomas Jefferson and John Adams died within hours of each other.Jefferson and Adams first met and became friends in 1775 when the Continental Congress convened. Their teamwork in drafting the Declaration of Independence brought them closer, but that relationship soured when Jefferson beat Adams to become president in 1801. Jefferson identified as a Democratic-Republican, and Adams as aFederalist. They remained estranged for nearly a decade.In 1812, Jefferson and Adams rekindled their friendship. This was after Jefferson retired from the presidency in 1809, the intervention of a mutual friend, Dr. Benjamin Rush, and an admission by Adams. A neighbor of Jeffersons visited Adams and heard him say, I always loved Jefferson, and still love him. The neighbor reported back to Jefferson, who asked Dr. Rush to urge Adams to renew their exchange of letters. Finally, Jefferson and Adams began to write to each other again about both political and personal issues.The formation of the Continental Army under the command of General George Washington, proposed by John Adams at the Second Continental Congress in Philadelphia on June 10, 1775. Source: Wikimedia CommonsIn 1826, Jefferson was 83, and Adams was 90, so each had lived a long life. On the 50th anniversary of the birth of the nation, Jefferson died at his home in Monticello just after lunchtime. Adams passed away in Massachusetts just hours later. Though it is common knowledge today that Jefferson and Adams both died on July 4, 1826, at the time, breaking news traveled much more slowly. Neither man knew of the others death, nor did the nation, until some time later.The electoral campaign for 1800 was brutal. Adams camp claimed that Jefferson was an atheist who would bring French Revolution-style chaos to America. Jeffersons camp claimed that Adams was a hideous hermaphroditical character bent on restoring a monarchy.2. The Civil War Started and Ended on the Property of Wilmer McLeanUndated photograph of Appomattox Courthouse, Appomattox County, VA. Source: Library of CongressHow many Americans can say that their property bookended the deadliest war fought on American soil? The answer is exactly one: Wilmer McLean.The Civil War began on July 18, 1861, when a cannonball exploded through a house owned by McLean. McLean was not the target of the attack; it was Confederate General Pierre Gustave Toutant-Beauregard, who had commandeered McLeans home. This sudden attack began the Battle of Bull Run. Despite the battle taking place so close to home, McLean was still happy to host Beauregard because McLean himself was a retired militia officer and felt a sense of duty to the General. By August 1862, the Second Battle of Bull Run began on the same property, and McLean finally moved his family to southern Virginia.A print showing those present at the Confederate surrender in Appomattox. Source: Historical Society of the New York CourtsFrom 1862 to 1865, the McLean family knew peace. But in April 1865, Robert E. Lees aide, Charles Marshall, approached McLean for a location for two generals to meet, and yet again, McLean offered his home. Thus, on April 9, 1865, Robert E. Lee met General Ulysses S. Grant to surrender the Confederate Army. Thus, the Civil War ended in McLeans Appomattox Court House home, just under four years after it had begun in his previous Manassas home.McLean famously summed up this twist of fate by remarking: The war began in my front yard and ended in my front parlor.3. Edwin Booth Rescued Abraham Lincolns Son Months Before the AssassinationEdwin Booth as Hamlet in 1875. Source: Smithsonian National Portrait GalleryIn late 1864 or early 1865, Robert Todd Lincoln, the son of President Abraham Lincoln, was standing on a train platform in Jersey City when he suddenly stumbled and fell into the gap between the train and the platform, toward a moving train. Fortunately for him, a man was standing close by and grabbed the young man by his collar, pulling him back to safety. After the rescue, the young Lincoln recognized him as the famous Shakespearean actor Edwin Booth.This now seems an ironic coincidence as just months later, on April 14, 1865, Edwins brother, John Wilkes Booth, assassinated Abraham Lincoln at Fords Theater. Also an actor and a staunch Confederate, John Wilkes Booth believed that killing Lincoln, as well as the Vice President and Secretary of State, would throw the Union into chaos and reignite the Civil War, which was effectively over.Artist depiction of the assassination of Abraham Lincoln, 1900. Source: Wikimedia CommonsEdwin, a Unionist, was horrified by his brothers actions. Shamed, he announced his immediate retirement from acting and went into hiding in New York. However, his disgust for his brothers actions won him support, and he returned to the stage just nine months later as Hamlet, earning a standing ovation.John Wilkes Booth considered himself a modern-day Brutus, dealing with a tyrant. He was criticized by both Unionists and Confederates for the brutal act.4. Mark Twain Came In and Went Out With Halleys CometMark Twain, three-quarter length portrait, seated, facing slightly right, with cigar in hand, by A.F. Bradley, 1907. Source: Library of CongressMark Twain was born Samuel Langhorne Clemens on November 30, 1835. Twain is best known for his novels The Adventures of Tom Sawyer and The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, but his travel literature was also quite popular with American audiences.Twains birth came just two weeks after Halleys Comet passed by Earth in 1835, a once-in-a-lifetime astronomical event. Halleys Comet passes Earth every 75 years, which means most people only have one opportunity to view the comet in their lifetime.Halleys Comet photographed by William Liller from Easter Island on 8 March 1986. Source: Wikimedia CommonsLonger lifespans mean that people are more likely to see the comet twice, and Twain was one of them. In 1909, Twain commented on Halleys Comet, saying, [We] came in together, [we] must go out together. One year later, Twain died on April 21, 1910, just one day after Halleys Comet passed Earth on April 20. Twain indeed both came in and went out with Halleys Comet.Halleys Comet was the first comet that scientists realized could pass by the Earth more than once. Scientists can trace observations of the comet back over 2,000 years.5. The Tale of Two Jims Separated at Birth and the Parallel LivesTwins separated at birth, Jim Springer and Jim Lewis. Source: RipleysHave you ever wondered what it might be like to be reunited with a long-lost twin? Some anticipate seeing the matching physical characteristics, such as hair and eye color. Others go further and wonder whether their estranged twin would have the same medical conditions, also wear glasses, or share traits like being left-handed. What happens when that daydream actually comes true, and you realize you and your long-lost twin have lived nearly identical lives?A pair of twins born in 1940 spent just four weeks together before being adopted by two different Ohio families. However, when twins James Arthur Springer and James Edward Lewis (their matching names just a hint at their similarities) were reunited in 1979, the overlap between their lives was shocking.Jim Springer and Jim LewisThe Jims shared surprising similarities, including marrying and divorcing a woman named Linda, taking a second wife named Betty, naming their childhood dog Toy, growing up with an adopted brother named Larry, vacationing at the same beach in Florida, and working as part-time deputy sheriffs in Ohio. Continuing the unlikely trend, Springer named his son James Allan, while Lewis named his son James Alan. It seems that the Jim twins could not have led more identical lifestyles, even if they had grown up together.Jim Lewis adoptive mother told him he was a twin, but thought his brother had died in infancy. At age 37, Lewis looked up his adoption records and discovered that his twin was still alive. He gave Springer a call, and the rest is history.6. Morgan Robertson Predicted the Titanic SinkingThe Titanic ready to be launched, 1911. Source: Library of CongressIn 1898, American author Morgan Robertson published a novel called Futility, or The Wreck of the Titan. Robertson spun the tale of a ship called the Titan that had three fantastic qualities: it was the worlds longest, fastest, and only unsinkable ship. Unfortunately, the ship collides with an iceberg on its maiden voyage, splits in two, and sinks in the middle of the ocean. Over 2,000 passengers lost their lives because there were not enough lifeboats.Sound eerily familiar? Indeed, nearly two decades before the unsinkable Titanic sank in 1912, Robertson published the grim tale of the worlds most impressive ship sinking after a collision with an iceberg. There were many eerie similarities between the two ships. Both were about 800 feet long, each weighed roughly 70,000 tons and used triple-screw propellers to move, both had a capacity of 3,000 passengers, and both sank in April.Cover of Robert Morgansons novel Futility. Source: Royal Museums GreenwichSave for the conspiracy theory that Robertson was a time traveler who witnessed the sinking of the Titanic, there is no explanation for the similarities between the fictional and real tragedies. One of the most likely explanations behind Robertsons harrowing tale would have been an interest in sailing and maritime technological developments, therefore predicting the development of the Titanic and its fatal flaws.Robertson was also an inventor. Around 1905, he designed a system of lenses and prisms intended as an early periscope for submarines. Unfortunately, patent issues meant he received neither credit nor payment for the idea.
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