Part Two:
Yesterday's post was fun, wasn't it? Well, not let's blow it up. Here's my suggestion for a lesson. Start with yesterday's information, discuss, and then add today's. Your students might be surprised.
Lincoln: elected to Congress in 1846
Kennedy: elected to Congress in 1946
True, but their climbs to Congress could not have been more different. Lincoln struggled at every election. Kennedy rose quite easily.
Lincoln: shot on a Friday
Kennedy: shot on a Friday
1 in 7 chance. I wouldn't bet on those odds, but it still seems pretty circumstantial.
Lincoln: successor was Andrew Johnson born in 1808
Kennedy: successor was Lyndon Johnson born in 1908
Coincidence but not that startling. Most politicians reach their prime in the 50-70 age range. Johnson is also a very common last name.
Lincoln: John Wilkes Booth- 3 names, 15 letters
Kennedy: Lee Harvey Oswald- 3 names, 15 letters
Oswald was generally known as "Lee Oswald" before the murder.
Coincidences I left out because they are flat wrong:
Both were assassinated by Southerners.- Booth was a Southern sympathizer but was not actually born in a Southern state.
Both were succeeded by Southerners- You want to be President? You better have a VP that represents a section of the country that you do not.
Lincoln's Kennedy secretary, Kennedy's Lincoln secretary- Kennedy's secretary's name was indeed Lincoln. There is no proof that Lincoln had a secretary named Kennedy.
Both losing children- Much different circumstances. Lincoln's son died of TB at four years old. Kennedy's son was premature and died at two days old.
Booth was born in 1839, Oswald in 1939- Wrong. Booth was born in 1838.
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