Three Presidents Who Died on Independence Day

Three Presidents Who Died on Independence Day

It is one of the more remarkable coincidences in American history: three U.S. presidents died on July 4, the nation’s Independence Day.

Thomas Jefferson died on July 4, 1826, at the age of 83. As the principal author of the Declaration of Independence, his death came on the 50th anniversary of the document’s adoption.

John Adams died just a few hours later on July 4, 1826, at the age of 90. Unaware that Jefferson had already passed away, Adams is famously believed to have said, “Thomas Jefferson survives.” In fact, Jefferson had died earlier that same day.

Five years later, James Monroe became the third president to die on Independence Day when he passed away on July 4, 1831, at the age of 73.

The coincidence has fascinated historians for nearly two centuries. While there is no evidence of any deeper significance, the fact that two Founding Fathers died on the 50th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence, and that another Founding Father and president followed on the same date five years later, remains one of the most memorable quirks in American history.

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