Maybe you've heard John Adams and Thomas Jefferson died the same day -- July 4, 1826 -- 50 years after the Declaration of Independence! Maybe you've heard all the similarities between Lincoln and Kennedy (both elected to congress in '46, both to the presidency in '60 and both assassins born in '08. Lincoln had a secretary named Kennedy and Kennedy had one named Lincoln). But here are some you've NEVER heard of:

  • Robert Todd Lincoln saw his own father assassinated, but was also present when President James A. Garfield was shot in 1881 and when William McKinley was shot in 1901!
  • Wilmer McClean owned the farm the First Battle of Bull Run was fought on, and then moved to Appomatax Courthouse and owned the house where Gen. Lee surrendered. The first battle was in his backyard and the surrender in his front parlor!
  • Not once, but TWICE the Mongols' invasion of Japan was thwarted by a typhoon.
  • Sacagawea was once negotiating a partnership with a tribe hostile to Lewis & Clark when it became clear the chief was her long lost brother!
  • A Russian spy once lost his secret message. Authorities could not uncode it so it was kept for years until it could be shown to a defected spy who broke the code and announced it was originally meant for him!
  • Mark Twain was born when Haley's Comet was in the sky. He predicted he would die the next time it passed. He did, on April 21, 1910.
  • In 1950 a church in Nebraska exploded five minutes after choir practice was supposed to start. But no one was injured because all 15 people who were supposed to be in the church for the 7:20 p.m. practice were more than 5 minutes late -- all for different reasons!
  • According to legend, King Umberto I of Italy ate at a restaurant in Monza owned by a man who looked like him, was born the same day and year as him in the same town, had ALSO married a woman named Margherita, had opened the restaurant the same day the king was crowned AND when Umberto was told the man had died on July 29, 1900, Umberto was assassinated moments later!

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