Abraham Lincoln and John F. Kennedy were undoubtedly two of the most famous former presidents of the United States of America. But apart from the fact that they were both presidents, there are many unnerving similarities between them.
Not that too many US presidents ever passed without a mention, but Abraham Lincoln and John F. Kennedy were still the most famous, particularly due to their personalities, their policies, and their assassinations.
The similarities too are unnerving with some people suggesting that perhaps Kennedy was the reincarnation of Abraham Lincoln! This claim may be quite far-fetched, but there is no denying the fact that there were some rather strange similarities between the lives of both these men.
In Life
Both Lincoln and Kennedy were born second children and named after their grandfathers.
Both presidents had seven letters in their last name.
Both presidents were over six feet tall.
Both studied law and were associated with the civil rights movements during their respective presidencies.
Both the presidents served in the military before entering politics.
Mr. Lincoln was elected to the House of Representatives in 1846, while Mr. Kennedy was elected to the House of Representatives in 1946.
Lincoln was elected president in 1860, while Kennedy was elected in 1960.
Neither liked having bodyguards.
Both lost a son while serving as presidents.
Each of them had 4 children, but two died before reaching their teens.
It is said that Abraham Lincoln had a secretary named Kennedy while John F. Kennedy had a secretary named Lincoln, but this is widely debated.
In Death
Lincoln and Kennedy were both shot.
Both the presidents were shot in the head on a Friday.
Lincoln was shot at the Ford's Theater in Box 7, while Kennedy was shot in his Ford Lincoln Limousine, which was the 7th car in the Dallas Motorcade.
Both were warned not to go to the place where they would eventually be shot, by their secretaries.
The assassins of both the presidents used three names: John Wilkes Booth shot Abraham Lincoln while Lee Harvey Oswald shot John F. Kennedy.
Both the assassins had 15 letters in their names.
Both the assassins were Southerners and were born just over a hundred years apart. Booth was born in 1838 while Oswald was born in 1939.
Both assassins served as in the military.
Booth shot Lincoln at the theater and was cornered in a warehouse, 30 days later. While Lee Harvey Oswald shot John F. Kennedy from a warehouse and was cornered at a theater.
The assassins of both the presidents were detained by an officer with the surname Baker: Booth was trapped by Lt. Luther B. Baker while officer Marion L. Baker detained Lee Harvey Oswald.
Both the killers were eventually assassinated before their trials.
Post-Assassination
Coincidentally, both the presidents were succeeded by Southerners.
Both Lincoln and Kennedy were succeeded by men with the surname Johnson: Andrew Johnson succeeded Abraham Lincoln while Lyndon Johnson succeeded John F. Kennedy.
Andrew Johnson was born in 1808 while Lyndon Johnson was born in 1908.
Both the Johnsons had 6 letters in their names and chose not to run for presidency at the end of their respective terms.
Thus we can see that the lives of both these distinguished individuals are full of similarities and even in death, coincidences continued to follow them!