|
RStar. The presidents who died in June/July are below.
13 presidents. 12 of them in the 19th century. Just one in 20th. Half of our first 24 presidents died in those two months. Just one of the next 15.
My "the birth of modern air conditioning allowed a more random distribution of presidential death" theory was off the cuff. But I'm liking it more.
Winter would now appear to be the more common time to die. Among the first 24 to die, only four did so in December through February. Among the the 15 post-1901 deaths six have done so.
Or I'm just finding signicance in small samples. As I recall there is some three month window where no president had a birthday until Clinton was elected. I'm sure astrologers were big on that one.
John Adams in Quincy, Massachussetts
Thomas Jefferson in Charlottesville, Viriginia
James Madison in Montpelier, Virigina
James Monroe in New York City, New York
Andrew Jackson in Nashville, Tennessee
Martin Van Buren in Kinderhook, New York
(That's six of the first eight presidents that died in June or July)
James K. Polk in Nashville, Tennesse (he was already sick when he left office, though; he only made it 3 months beyond his term)
Zachary Taylor in Washington, D.C. (while in office; caues unknown but heat stroke is one of the candidates)
James Buchanan in Lancaster, Pennsylvania
Andrew Johnson in Greenville, Tennessee
Ulysses S. Grant in Mt. McGregor, New York
Grover Cleveland in Princeton, New Jersey
Ronald Reagan in Los Angeles, California
|