# Coincidences about 2 assassinated US Presidents **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [June 5, 2004, 9:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/coincidences-about-2-assassinated-us-presidents/248854 "2004-06-05T21:16:32Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 15\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![wolf\_meister](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wolf_meister/32/15202_2.png) [@wolf\_meister](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wolf_meister)\ **Post date:** [June 5, 2004, 9:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/coincidences-about-2-assassinated-us-presidents/248854/1 "2004-06-05T21:16:32Z")
Were you thinking about those Lincoln/Kennedy coincidences? No, I’m talking about the **James Garfield / William McKinley** coincidences. Garfield & McKinley - _8 letter each_. Both were _born in Ohio_. Both were _Republicans_. Both _died in mid-September_. Both _died just slightly over 6 months into their presidential term_ (in McKinley’s case, it was his second presidential term). Died in _adjoining states_ (Garfield - New Jersey & McKinley - New York). Their _successors were born in adjoining states_ (Chester Arthur - Vermont and Theodore Roosevelt - New York). Their _successors (Arthur & Roosevelt) were both born in October_. Their _successors both died in the state of New York_. Garfield and McKinley’s _assassins were born in adjoining states_ (Charles Guiteau - Illinois and Leon Czolgosz - Michigan). Assassins were each _tried and executed in less than a year_ of the shootings. Assassins both _used a pistol at close range_. If anyone would like to add to this list, please do. (I must have missed something). Also, doesn’t this put those “Lincoln / Kennedy” coincidences in perspective? Yes, I know [www.snopes.com](http://www.snopes.com) and other sites have debunked those “coincidences” - some of which were toally contrived such as Lincoln’s secretary being named Kennedy. ---
**Author:** ![wolf\_meister](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wolf_meister/32/15202_2.png) [@wolf\_meister](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wolf_meister)\ **Post date:** [June 5, 2004, 9:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/coincidences-about-2-assassinated-us-presidents/248854/2 "2004-06-05T21:25:28Z")
:smack: Geez looks like I picked an _incredibly_ bad time to post this. I just read of Ronald Reagan’s death. Sorry, if anyone thinks my posting is in bad form. I learned the news about 10 minutes after hitting the Submit Button. :smack: ---
**Author:** ![Larry\_Mudd](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/f14d63/32.png) [@Larry\_Mudd](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Larry_Mudd)\ **Post date:** [June 5, 2004, 9:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/coincidences-about-2-assassinated-us-presidents/248854/3 "2004-06-05T21:33:31Z")
> [@wolf\_meister](#): > > I just read of Ronald Reagan’s death. :turns on CNN: Damn, I thought it would be tomorrow. As for the OP, I new it would be about Garfield, but didn’t guess McKinley. Odd, that. ---
**Author:** ![Larry\_Mudd](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/f14d63/32.png) [@Larry\_Mudd](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Larry_Mudd)\ **Post date:** [June 5, 2004, 9:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/coincidences-about-2-assassinated-us-presidents/248854/4 "2004-06-05T21:35:33Z")
^k ---
**Author:** ![rowrrbazzle](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rowrrbazzle/32/414_2.png) [@rowrrbazzle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/rowrrbazzle)\ **Post date:** [June 5, 2004, 11:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/coincidences-about-2-assassinated-us-presidents/248854/5 "2004-06-05T23:45:44Z")
_Skeptical Inquirer_ had an article about coincidences like these in 1992. They even ran a contest for more in 1993. ---
**Author:** ![Garfield226](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/9e8a1a/32.png) [@Garfield226](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Garfield226)\ **Post date:** [June 6, 2004, 12:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/coincidences-about-2-assassinated-us-presidents/248854/6 "2004-06-06T00:25:36Z")
> [@wolf\_meister](#): > > Garfield and McKinley’s _assassins were born in adjoining states_ (Charles Guiteau - Illinois and Leon Czolgosz - Michigan). Illinois and Michigan aren’t adjoining. ---
**Author:** ![Snooooopy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ee7513/32.png) [@Snooooopy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Snooooopy)\ **Post date:** [June 6, 2004, 12:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/coincidences-about-2-assassinated-us-presidents/248854/7 "2004-06-06T00:29:11Z")
Garfield and McKinley are BOTH presidents I know virtually nothing about. ---
**Author:** ![Otto](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/bbe5ce/32.png) [@Otto](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Otto)\ **Post date:** [June 6, 2004, 1:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/coincidences-about-2-assassinated-us-presidents/248854/8 "2004-06-06T01:24:20Z")
> [@Garfield226](#): > > Illinois and Michigan aren’t adjoining. Well, if you count the lake, they share a watery border. ---
**Author:** ![wolf\_meister](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wolf_meister/32/15202_2.png) [@wolf\_meister](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wolf_meister)\ **Post date:** [June 6, 2004, 1:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/coincidences-about-2-assassinated-us-presidents/248854/9 "2004-06-06T01:38:11Z")
**Garfield226** I stand corrected. (It figures that someone named Garfield would point this out). Yes Michigan and Illinois are not adjoining - there’s that small stretch of Indiana between them. And I thought my reference book “Kennedy was Abraham Lincoln’s Secreatary” was a reliable source. LOL 😃 Well if Skeptical Enquirer already did this AND held a contest, does anyone have a link? ---
**Author:** ![wolf\_meister](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wolf_meister/32/15202_2.png) [@wolf\_meister](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wolf_meister)\ **Post date:** [June 6, 2004, 1:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/coincidences-about-2-assassinated-us-presidents/248854/10 "2004-06-06T01:42:49Z")
And thanks **Otto**. How about “both assassins were born in states that border Lake Michigan”? ---
**Author:** ![Little\_Nemo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/little_nemo/32/3120_2.png) [@Little\_Nemo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Little_Nemo)\ **Post date:** [June 6, 2004, 2:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/coincidences-about-2-assassinated-us-presidents/248854/11 "2004-06-06T02:38:28Z")
Garfield was shot by a man with too many vowels in his name; McKinley was shot by a man with too few vowels in his name. Garfield and McKinley were both President at the time of their death. (I mean really, think about it - what are the odds?) Garfield was shot in a train station; McKinley had ridden on a train. (I haven’t actually verified this.) McKinley was shot in Buffalo and was named Bill; Garfield was a Buffalo Bills fan. (Admittedly this is based on a computerized projection of what Garfield’s football allegiance would have been if he had lived after the founding of the NFL.) Both men were succeeded by their Vice President. Both men were carbon-based life forms. Both men were shot by a man using a gun. Both men had comic strip characters named after them (except for McKinley). ---
**Author:** ![wolf\_meister](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wolf_meister/32/15202_2.png) [@wolf\_meister](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wolf_meister)\ **Post date:** [June 6, 2004, 5:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/coincidences-about-2-assassinated-us-presidents/248854/12 "2004-06-06T05:26:08Z")
**Little Nemo** That is brilliant !!! (and I think it keeps that same “precise, scientific” approach utilized by the people who compiled the Lincoln / Kennedy coincidences). I myself have just discovered a few others: Both President Garfield _and_ McKinley were born in the nineteenth century. Both President Garfield _and_ McKinley were particularly concerned with protecting and defending the Constitution of the United States. President Garfield was _left-handed_. President McKinley was _right-handed_. Wow, these coincidences just keep growing. ---
**Author:** ![Gamaliel](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/b487fb/32.png) [@Gamaliel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gamaliel)\ **Post date:** [June 6, 2004, 7:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/coincidences-about-2-assassinated-us-presidents/248854/13 "2004-06-06T07:43:44Z")
> [@wolf\_meister](#): > > Both were _born in Ohio_. IIRC from high school history, Ohio was once an electoral powerhouse and a bunch of presidents hailed from the state. > [@](#): > > Assassins both _used a pistol at close range_. Well, how else would you kill them? Without access to his food or modern technology, it’s pretty much this or a crossbow. ---
**Author:** ![Amp](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/6a8cbe/32.png) [@Amp](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Amp)\ **Post date:** [June 6, 2004, 7:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/coincidences-about-2-assassinated-us-presidents/248854/14 "2004-06-06T07:53:57Z")
Both are people that have never been in my kitchen. ---
**Author:** ![Marley23](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@Marley23](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Marley23)\ **Post date:** [June 6, 2004, 10:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/coincidences-about-2-assassinated-us-presidents/248854/15 "2004-06-06T10:11:11Z")
> [@wolf\_meister](#): > > I myself have just discovered a few others: > > Both President Garfield _and_ McKinley were born in the nineteenth century. > > Both President Garfield _and_ McKinley were particularly concerned with protecting and defending the Constitution of the United States. > > President Garfield was _left-handed_. > President McKinley was _right-handed_. > > Wow, these coincidences just keep growing. You forgot that both men had the first name President.