A Coincidence In History
by Amy Wilder
Links by Amy Wilder
4th through 6th grade
This story is based on a story from a book my sister used to read to me when I was little. I can't find the book, but I believe all of the facts are true.
It was very sunny outside and just an all around nice day. But that Friday, the shots rang out for all the world to hear. It was an event in history that would not be forgotten. It affected everyone from children to grandparents. A man who is held up with the most respect and admiration in the whole country is killed. How could it not affect everyone in some way. The day the president was shot began as a normal day and ended with great sorrow and many tears. The President was sitting next to his wife when the assassin pulled the trigger and shot him in the head. His assassin was a Southerner and never made it to trial because he was killed beforehand. The president seemed to have a premonition about his death. He told one of his advisor's that anyone determined enough could easily take the life of the president of the United States. So who is this story about? What event is this describing?
This description could be true for two Presidential assassinations. Two of our most dearly loved presidents: Abraham Lincoln and John F. Kennedy were both assassinated. Abraham Lincoln was elected president in 1860, exactly 14 years after he was first elected to Congress. Kennedy was elected 100 years later in 1960, 14 years after his first election to congress. Each man's name had 15 letters in it. Each president had a vice-president who was a Southerner, whose last name was Johnson, and who had 13 letters in his name. Lincoln's vice president, Samuel Johnson, was born in 1808. Lyndon Johnson was born in 1908. The last name of Lincoln's personal secretary was Kennedy. President Kennedy's personal secretary was named Evelyn Lincoln. All of these facts could just be mere coincidences, but there could be more to the story that isn't so obvious.
It is hard to distinguish between the two assassinations because there are so many coincidences involved that it is almost eerie. Both men were shot and killed on a Friday. Both of them died of head wounds and they died with their wives sitting at their sides. In each case the assassin was a Southerner and each assassin, John Wilkes Booth and Lee Harvey Oswald had 15 letters in his name. Neither man ever made it to trial but was killed beforehand. Finally, one minor coincidence: Lincoln was assassinated in Ford's theater, while Kennedy was killed while riding in a lincoln car which is made by the Ford Motor Company. Some of these facts may cause a person to shake his head in disbelief, while creating in others a desire to learn more about the events.
A few days before his death, Lincoln had a disturbing dream in which he heard weeping and sobbing in the White House. He went to see what it was all about and eventually found a room with a coffin in it. Soldiers were guarding it and the room was filled with mourners. When he asked who was lying in the coffin, he was told, "The president. He was killed by an assassin."
Lincoln described this dream to a close friend who was so impressed he wrote it down shortly after he heard it. A few days later, on the day he was to die, Lincoln told his personal guard he was certain there were people who were determined to kill him and added, "If it is to be done, it is impossible to prevent it." Lincoln went to the theater just as he had planned; he didn't stay in his house and hide out. Kennedy said that anyone determined enough could take his life, but he proceded with his scheduled event where he was shot. Both men were unfortunately right.
Once the presidents were buried there was still another strange coincidence. After his father's funeral, Lincoln's son moved to a house in Georgetown, a section of Washington, D.C. The address was 3014 N. Street. John Kennedy's son also moved to a Georgetown house after his father's funeral. The address was also 3014 N. Street. Why did he move to the exact same house? This coincidence may be one of the only planned occurrences because it would not be impossible to find out where president Lincoln's son moved to after his death. This last occurrence may cause some doubt to all of the mystery at hand.
Abraham Lincoln and John F. Kennedy were both admired as great men and did a lot for our country. Even though they both died horrible deaths, we should always remember what they did for our country and how their lives were ended.
Comprehension Questions
1. Who is the story about?
2. What is the name of the theater where Lincoln was killed?
3. Name the two men who shot the presidents.
4. On what day of the week did the presidents get shot?
5. Do you think there is a logical reason for the similarities or is it all coincidences?
Answers
1. The story is about the assassinations of Lincoln and Kennedy.
2. The name of the theater is Ford's Theater.
3. John Wilkes Booth and Lee Harvey Oswald.
4. Both of them were shot on a Friday.
5. The only explanation is they are all mere coincidences.
Outline
I. Introduction
II. Description of Assassinations
III. Guess who it is about
IV. Discuss specific similarities
V. List reasons for so many coincidences
VI. Conclusion