Its origin officially unknown, The Lincoln-Kennedy list of coincidences is a piece of American folklore that simply will not go away. According to Wikipedia this list appeared in the mainstream American press in 1964, in the wake of the 1963 Kennedy Assassination. Mathematician and Puzzle master Martin Gardner debunked this list in an article in Scientific American magazine, and later reprinted in his book, “The Magic Numbers of Dr. Matrix”. Despite this and other rebukes the list after more than 40 years lives on in infamy and the circulation of it has only accelerated thanks to the world wide web.
Without further ado, here is the list:
Both presidents were elected to the presidency in ’60.
Both presidents were elected to the United States House of Representatives in ’46.
Both were runners-up for the party’s nomination for vice-president in ’56.
Both were assassinated
Both of their assassins were born in ’39.
Both had Vice Presidents who were Southern Democrats named Johnson, both were born in ’08.
Both presidents were concerned with the problems of American blacks and made their view strongly known in ’63.
Lincoln signed the Emancipation Proclamation in 1862, which became law in 1863.
In 1963, Kennedy presented his reports to Congress on Civil Rights, and the same year was the famous March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom.
Both presidents were shot in the head.
Both presidents were shot on a Friday.
Lincoln was shot in a theater called “Ford’s”. Kennedy was shot in a car made by Lincoln which happens to be owned by Ford.
Lincoln had a secretary named Kennedy who told him not to go to the theatre.
Kennedy had a secretary named Evelyn Lincoln (whose husband Harold’s nickname was Abe), and she warned him not to go to Dallas.
Both Oswald and Booth were assassinated before they could be put on trial.
Lincoln and Kennedy each have 7 letters.
John Wilkes Booth and Lee Harvey Oswald each have 15 letters.
There are 6 letters in each Johnson’s first name.
Booth shot Lincoln in a theater and hid in a warehouse, while Oswald shot Kennedy in a warehouse and hid in a theater.
Lincoln had sons named Robert and Edward; Kennedy had brothers named Robert and Edward.
Lincoln ordered the Treasury to print its own money.
Kennedy ordered the Treasury to print its own money.
Abraham (Zapruder) was the first name of the man who filmed Kennedy’s assasination in Dealy Plaza.
Lincoln’s funeral train travelled from Washington-DC to New York.
Kennedy’s brother’s funeral (RFK) train travelled from New York to Washington-DC
Finally:
Robert Lincoln the eldest son of Abraham Lincoln, was saved from a nasty accident by the brother of J. Wilkes Booth!