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History has had enough strange timing to make a fiction writer jealous. Two people who would change the 19th century were born on exactly the same day, two former presidents died hours apart on a particularly meaningful anniversary, and one family somehow ended up connected to Abraham Lincoln in two completely opposite ways. Then there are coincidences that only become apparent when separate timelines are placed next to each other. Some famous examples floating around online have been exaggerated over the years, but the real ones don’t need much help. These 15 historical coincidences are documented, even if a few sound suspiciously like somebody added them to the story later.
John Adams and Thomas Jefferson Died on the Same Historic Day
Former presidents John Adams and Thomas Jefferson both died on July 4, 1826. That alone would be remarkable, but the date was also exactly the 50th anniversary of the adoption of the Declaration of Independence.
The Civil War Followed Wilmer McLean Home
Wilmer McLean owned property near the First Battle of Bull Run and later moved to Appomattox. Four years after the war began near his former home, Robert E. Lee surrendered to Ulysses S. Grant in McLean’s new parlor.
A Booth Saved a Lincoln Before Another Booth Killed One
Shortly before Abraham Lincoln’s assassination, his son Robert fell into the gap beside a moving train. Actor Edwin Booth pulled him to safety. Edwin’s younger brother, John Wilkes Booth, would later assassinate Robert’s father.
A Novel Invented the Titan Before the Titanic
Morgan Robertson’s 1898 novella featured a huge ocean liner called the Titan that struck an iceberg in the North Atlantic and lacked enough lifeboats. Fourteen years later, the Titanic disaster produced some eerily similar details.
Abraham Lincoln and Charles Darwin Shared a Birthday
Abraham Lincoln and Charles Darwin came into the world on the exact same day: February 12, 1809. They were born on opposite sides of the Atlantic and went on to become two of the most consequential figures of their century.
Mark Twain’s Life Was Bookended by Halley’s Comet
Mark Twain was born in 1835, shortly after Halley’s Comet passed the sun. Knowing it would return in 1910, Twain predicted that he would “go out” with it. He died on April 21, 1910, during its next appearance.
James Monroe Made July 4 Even Stranger
Apparently two presidential deaths on Independence Day weren’t enough. Five years after Adams and Jefferson both died on July 4, former President James Monroe died on July 4, 1831, becoming the third U.S. president to die on that date.
Stephen Hawking Was Born 300 Years After Galileo Died
Stephen Hawking was born on January 8, 1942. Galileo Galilei had died on January 8, 1642, exactly 300 years earlier. For a physicist who would spend his career studying the universe, it was a strangely appropriate date to arrive.
One Man Survived Hiroshima and Then Nagasaki
Tsutomu Yamaguchi survived the atomic bombing of Hiroshima while there on a business trip. He returned home to Nagasaki, only to experience the second bombing three days later. Japan eventually officially recognized him as a survivor of both.
Violet Jessop Was on All Three Unlucky Sister Ships
Violet Jessop was aboard the Olympic when it collided with another ship in 1911. She then survived the Titanic sinking in 1912 and the sinking of its other sister ship, Britannic, in 1916. Somehow, she continued working at sea.
Charlie Chaplin and Adolf Hitler Were Born Four Days Apart
Charlie Chaplin was born on April 16, 1889, while Adolf Hitler arrived four days later on April 20. Decades later, their physical resemblance helped inspire Chaplin’s The Great Dictator, which directly satirized Hitler.
Oxford Was Teaching Students Before the Aztec Empire Existed
Teaching was taking place at Oxford by the late 11th century, centuries before the Aztec Empire rose in Mesoamerica. Our mental timelines tend to place the Aztecs much further in the past, making the overlap feel completely backward.
Hawking’s Death Had Another Scientific Coincidence
Hawking’s birth already lined up remarkably with Galileo’s death, but his own death added another oddity. He died on March 14, 2018, a date celebrated as Pi Day and also the birthday of Albert Einstein.
The Eiffel Tower and Nintendo Are the Same Age
The Eiffel Tower was completed in 1889 for that year’s Paris exposition. That same year, Nintendo was founded in Kyoto as a company producing traditional playing cards. Somehow, Nintendo and one of Europe’s most famous landmarks belong to the same historical moment.
Lincoln’s Son Was Connected to Three Presidential Assassinations
Robert Todd Lincoln’s strange presidential connections didn’t end with his father’s assassination. He was present when President James Garfield was shot in 1881 and arrived in Buffalo shortly after President William McKinley was shot in 1901. After three such connections, Lincoln himself reportedly noticed the pattern.
The post 15 Real Historical Coincidences That Sound Completely Made Up appeared first on Den of Geek.
