History is rife with strange coincidences that seem almost too odd to be true. These events span across centuries and continents, often creating eerie parallels between people, places, and happenings that appear unrelated at first glance. As we take a deep dive into some of the most bizarre historical coincidences, you'll find yourself questioning the boundaries of chance and fate.
One of the most famous coincidences involves two U.S. Presidents who never met but shared remarkable similarities. Abraham Lincoln and John F. Kennedy were presidents a century apart, yet their lives and deaths bear uncanny resemblances. Lincoln was elected to Congress in 1846, while Kennedy was elected exactly 100 years later in 1946. Both were elected to the presidency in years ending in ‘60: Lincoln in 1860 and Kennedy in 1960. Their assassins, John Wilkes Booth and Lee Harvey Oswald, were both born in a year ending in ‘39 and were known by three names consisting of 15 letters. Tragically, both were killed by gunshots to the head on a Friday, seated beside their wives, and eventually succeeded by men named Johnson: Andrew Johnson and Lyndon B. Johnson, respectively.
Another notable coincidence spans centuries and oceans, connecting the lives of Hugh Williams to multiple maritime disasters. The name Hugh Williams appears in records of shipwreck survivors dating back to the 17th century. In 1664, a shipwreck in the Menai Strait off the coast of North Wales left only one survivor named Hugh Williams. Astonishingly, in 1785 and 1860, two different vessels met the same fate in the same waters, each time sparing a lone survivor, both coincidentally named Hugh Williams.
On the subject of artistic endeavors, consider the remarkable connection between Edgar Allan Poe and a real-life shipwreck. Poe's only full-length novel, 'The Narrative of Arthur Gordon Pym of Nantucket' published in 1838, includes a scenario where survivors of a shipwreck draw lots to decide who will be cannibalized. The losing character, Richard Parker, is consumed by his crewmates. Decades later, in 1884, a yacht named Mignonette met a similar fate. After it sank, the survivors resorted to cannibalism to stay alive. The victim? A cabin boy named Richard Parker.
In the world of literature, another uncanny connection lies between the works and lives of Mark Twain and Halley's Comet. Born in 1835, the same year that Halley's Comet appeared, Twain predicted he would die with its return. True to his word, Mark Twain passed away on April 21, 1910, the day after the comet's return.
Let's not forget the potato paradox. In 1778, Frederick the Great of Prussia sought to promote the cultivation of potatoes to prevent famine. However, his subjects were wary of this new food. To spark interest, Frederick declared the royally-owned potato fields would be guarded heavily, implying a high value. Curious onlookers began stealing the guarded potatoes, which, in turn, led to widespread acceptance and cultivation of the crop.
Finally, the connection between the Titanic and the novel 'Futility' by Morgan Robertson is particularly eerie. Published in 1898, Robertson's book describes the sinking of an
The strange world of bizarre historical coincidences
