That's 2 (Gerald Ford)

[Alex]

I don't think Nixon's pardon was the right thing to do. But in the end it was probably the best thing to do in terms of the "psychological" health of the nation.

RStar, I'd have to look again at which presidents died in June and July and where they lived at the time. Back in the age before AC, summers were hell for old people in many parts of the country.

[Scrooge McSam]

Originally Posted by lizziebith

All I remember was how annoyed I was at his pardon of Nixon.

Be comforted, lizziebith. Since the Kennedy's gave him an award a few years back, we're not supposed to be annoyed by that memory anymore.

I do feel sorry for Ms. Ford. I always liked her. She courageously kicked her own destructive addictions and then made it possible for others to follow.

[innerSpaceman]

Yes, hear, hear regarding Mrs. Ford. She was more admirable a first lady, imo, than Ford was a president. I remember his presidency quite well. The fact that, aside from the infamous Pardon, he really did nothing too egregiously aggravating ... that makes him, perhaps, the best president of my lifetime (which stretches back to Eisenhower, btw). For all that, I don't hold the man in paricularly high regard. It's not enough to do no harm. I expect much more than that from the President of the United States.

That "do no harm" is the best we've ever gotten does not make Ford our finest chief executive. But at least my natural feelings of sadness at his passing are not conflicted with the loathing and glee I'm likely to feel at the death of any given U.S. president.

Originally Posted by Alex Stroup

Ford is the second president to die the day after Christmas. Harry Truman did so as well back in 1972. The all time record for a date is three with Jefferson, Adams, and Monroe all dying on July 4. The only other date to have more than one is March 8 sharing Howard Taft and Millard Fillmore.

Jefferson and Adams died on the very same July 4 (in 1826) - probably a singular record. Thanks for all the pres-mortal trivia, Alex!




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[Alex]

Yes, and according to legend when Adams died his last words were "Jefferson survives." He, of course, was unaware that Jefferson had died hours earlier.

This is likely a bit of historical mythology, though. All that's known for sure is that he said "Thomas Jefferson" shortly before dying, the context was unintelligible.

[innerSpaceman]

Originally Posted by Alex Stroup

This is likely a bit of historical mythology, though. All that's known for sure is that he said "Thomas Jefferson" shortly before dying, the context was unintelligible.

But mythology supported by more than mere conjecture. There was a vein running through correspondence between the two men about "holding on" until the 50th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence. It's likely as not to have been the subject of Adams' dying ponderances about T.Jefferson.





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[Tref]

Originally Posted by Alex Stroup

Yes, and according to legend when Adams died his last words were "Jefferson survives." He, of course, was unaware that Jefferson had died hours earlier ...

Ironically, Gerald Ford's last words were, "the Godfather of Soul survives ..."

[Alex]

Originally Posted by innerSpaceman

But mythology supported by more than mere conjecture. There was a vein running through correspondence between the two men about "holding on" until the 50th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence. It's likely as not to have been the subject of Adams' dying ponderances about T.Jefferson.

No, it is supported by the wishful thinking and hyperbole of contemporary eulogists. And matches with later conjecture. The people who began the "Thomas Jefferson survives" last words story had no knowledge of the correspondence between Jefferson and Adams.


It's a nice story and a perfectly good piece of hagiography and historical myth-making. It has value as that. I was just pointing out that there is no evidence of it actually happening the way it has come to be described (the only person present when he said it said she couldn't understand what he was saying). Just persnickety myth piercing on my part.

Like noting that Gerald Ford never actually literally said (as so many have come to believe) "drop dead" to New York City.





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[CoasterMatt]

Woohoo! Fillmore and Taft both kicked the bucket on my birthday!

[Strangler Lewis]

I was born the same day as Richard Nixon, though some years apart.

I remember distinctly when Truman and LBJ died about a month apart because we got a day off from school each time.

[Not Afraid]

I remember Truman dying but barely recall Johnson's death. My first memory was of JFK's funeral, but I didn't really understand what was going on. I was more interested in John John.