14 Historical Coincidences That Are Almost Too Perfect
Some moments in history are so eerily aligned that they feel like they were scripted.
- Chris Graciano
- 4 min read
History has a strange sense of humor — and sometimes, timing. These coincidences defy belief, from eerie parallels between assassinations to twin tragedies centuries apart. They leave us wondering if fate, luck, or something else entirely is at play.
1. Lincoln and Kennedy’s Unbelievable Parallels
Cecil Stoughton on Wikimedia Commons
Both presidents were elected 100 years apart — Lincoln in 1860, Kennedy in 1960. They were succeeded by men named Johnson, born 100 years apart, too. Each was assassinated on a Friday, in the presence of their wives.
2. The Sinking of the Titanic Was Predicted in a Novel
Wikimedia Commons
Fourteen years before the Titanic disaster, author Morgan Robertson wrote Futility, a novel about an “unsinkable” ship named Titan. Like the real ship, Titan struck an iceberg in April and sank.
3. The Deaths of Thomas Jefferson and John Adams
Gilbert Stuart on Wikimedia Commons
America’s second and third presidents, once rivals turned friends, both died on July 4, 1826. Not only was it Independence Day, but it was also the 50th anniversary of the Declaration they helped write.
4. A Child Dodged Two Sinking Ships, Including the Titanic
Wikimedia Commons
Violet Jessop survived the Titanic — but that wasn’t her only brush with disaster. She also lived through the sinking of its sister ship, Britannic, and was aboard a third, the Olympic, during a collision.
5. A Falling Baby Saved by the Same Man—Twice
Julia Андрэй on Unsplash
In the 1930s, a man in Detroit caught a baby who had fallen from a building. A year later, the same baby fell again from a different window, and the same man caught him again.
6. The Civil War Began and Ended in the Same Man’s Backyard
Tymacil on Wikimedia Commons
Wilmer McLean’s house in Virginia saw the first major battle of the Civil War. Tired of the chaos, he moved to Appomattox for peace, only for General Lee to surrender in his new parlor four years later.
7. The Hoover Dam’s First and Last Deaths Were Father and Son
conorrees on Wikimedia Commons
The first person to die during Hoover Dam construction was a surveyor named J.G. Tierney. The last person was his son, who drowned exactly 13 years later, on the same date.
8. The WWI Soldier Killed by the War’s First and Last Days
Hohum on Wikimedia Commons
Private Henry Gunther was the last American soldier to die in World War I, just one minute before the armistice took effect. His death was completely unnecessary, as peace had already been declared.
9. A Civil War-Era Coin Saved a Man’s Life
Charles W. Reed on Wikimedia Commons
Union soldier Jacob Parrott carried a pocket coin that stopped a bullet during battle. The dented coin was credited with saving his life.
10. Mark Twain Was Born and Died With Halley’s Comet
Wikimedia Commons
Twain famously said he came in with Halley’s Comet and expected to go out with it. Sure enough, he was born in 1835 when the comet passed, and died in 1910, the next time it returned.
11. The Simpsons Predicted Multiple Real-World Events
Nixinova on Wikimedia Commons
Though a comedy show, The Simpsons has “predicted” real-life happenings like Donald Trump’s presidency, smartwatches, and even Disney buying Fox. Some claims are stretches, but others are eerily accurate.
12. The Battle of Waterloo and the Broken Leg
Freddy de Hosdent on Wikimedia Commons
Napoleon’s defeat at Waterloo might have hinged on a missing courier. The man tasked with relaying orders broke his leg in a riding accident the day before the battle. Without his intel, crucial reinforcements never arrived.
13. Hitler and Napoleon’s Invasions Aligned by Season and Mistake
Truth Seeker (fawiki) on Wikimedia Commons
Both leaders invaded Russia in summer and were caught in brutal winters. Napoleon entered in June 1812; Hitler in June 1941. Each underestimated the Russian cold — and both suffered catastrophic losses.
14. The Curse of Tippecanoe
Emiya1980 on Wikimedia Commons
Presidents elected in years ending in zero, starting with William Henry Harrison in 1840, all died in office until Ronald Reagan. The trend became known as the “Curse of Tippecanoe.” Reagan survived an assassination attempt in 1981, seemingly breaking the pattern.