It’s less than a month away to the 210th anniversary of the birth of Abraham Lincoln. Here’s an article I did about the conspiracy theory linking the assassination of Abraham Lincoln and John F. Kennedy. Click below to see a PDF of the article as it appeared in the magazine, keep scrolling to see a text only version.
Welcome to a new feature examining popular conspiracy theories and urban folklore. The coincidences between Abraham Lincoln and John F. Kennedy are a piece of American folklore of unknown origin. A popular conspiracy theory first appeared in the mainstream American press in 1964, just a year after the assassination of John F. Kennedy.
Illustrated here, is a list of the coincidences referred to when conspiracy theorists attempt to add weight to their argument. Some say that much of the list has been debunked and a few entries are outright falsehoods, suggesting that the list merely provides a way for people to make sense of two tragic events in American history – by seeking out patterns. It is relatively easy to find seemingly meaningful patterns relating to any two people or events, but such patterns often do not stand up to rigorous scrutiny, as coincidences are easily explained as the simple product of mere chance.
To help you make up your own mind, consider the following.
THE LIST
Both were elected to House Of Representatives in ‘46
Both were losing candidates for their party’s Vice-Presidential nomination in ‘56.
Both were elected President in ‘60.
Both their respective predecessors were the final Presidents to be born in their centuries.
Both their predecessors left office in their seventies and retired to Pennsylvania. They both died before the end of the decade.
Both their successors were Southern Democrats.
Both their successors were named Johnson, who were born in ‘08.
Both Presidents were concerned with the problems of African Americans and expressed their views strongly.
Both Presidents were known for their wit and eloquence. Both frequently quoted from Shakespeare and the Bible.
Both had been captains of ships.
Each President suffered from a genetic disease (Lincoln had Marfa’s syndrome, Kennedy had Addison’s disease).
Both Presidents were shot in the head seated beside their wives. Both Fridays proceeded a major holiday observed within the week. Both Presidents and their wives were accompanied by another couple. The male companion in the other couple was wounded by the assassin.
Both Presidents fathered four children and had a son die during their Presidency.
Both Presidents had only one child survive into the next century. That child served another President by political appointment.
Both Presidents wives’ died in their sixties after an untimely decline in health.
Lincoln was shot by John Wilkes Booth at Ford’s theatre; Kennedy was shot by Lee Harvey Oswald in a Lincoln automobile made by Ford.
Both Presidents’ last names have 7 letters.
Both assassins’ full names have 15 letters.
Each assassin committed his crime in the building where he was employed.
Both Presidents were reportedly smiling immediately before the assassination.
After shooting Lincoln, Booth ran from a theatre to a warehouse; after shooting Kennedy, Oswald ran from a warehouse to a theatre.
Both assassins died in the same month as their victims.
Both assassins were white males, born in the late ‘30s, and were in their mid-20s.
Both assassins were sympathetic to a government that opposed the United States.
Both assassins were killed before being tried.
Both assassins suffered injuries during their escape.
Both assassins fled using modes of transport they did not own. (John Wilkes Booth rented a horse, while Lee Harvey Oswald rode a bus.)
Both Presidents had bodyguards named William. William H. Crook told Lincoln not to go to the assassination point. William Greer drove JFK to the assassination point.
Both bodyguards died within 48 hours of reaching aged 75 years and 5 months.
Lincoln sat in box number 7 at Ford’s Theatre; Kennedy sat in car number 7 in the motorcade.
The doctors who primarily attended to each President were both named Charles. Dr. Charles Leale treated Lincoln. Dr. Charles Crenshaw treated Kennedy.
Each President died in a place with the initials “P.H.” Lincoln died at the Petersen House and Kennedy died at Parkland Hospital.
Most of the above items are true, such as the year in which Lincoln and Kennedy were each elected President, but this is not so unusual given that Presidential elections are held only every 4 years. Does this point to an example of people seeing a pattern or connection in whichever two events they decide to. Further investigation has shown that a few of the items are simply untrue.
There is a long running rumour that Lincoln had a secretary named Kennedy, however there is no evidence to confirm this. (Lincoln’s secretaries were John Hay and John G. Nicolay.)
What is undeniable, is the staggering amount of real coincidences linking these 2 tragic historical events, but it is up to the reader to form their own opinion as to whether there are unknown forces or agents at work here
