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Did You Know? 12 Strange Coincidences That Will Shock You
Throughout history, remarkable coincidences have occurred that defy logical explanation and leave us questioning the nature of chance itself. These extraordinary events, while scientifically explainable as mere probability, continue to fascinate and astound people worldwide. From presidential similarities to literary predictions that came true, the following twelve coincidences demonstrate just how strange reality can be when the odds align in the most unexpected ways.
1. The Lincoln-Kennedy Parallels
Perhaps one of the most famous sets of coincidences involves Presidents Abraham Lincoln and John F. Kennedy. Lincoln was elected to Congress in 1846, while Kennedy was elected in 1946, exactly 100 years later. Lincoln became president in 1860; Kennedy in 1960. Both were assassinated on a Friday, in the presence of their wives, and both were shot in the head from behind. Lincoln’s secretary, named Kennedy, warned him not to go to the theater, while Kennedy’s secretary, named Lincoln, warned him not to go to Dallas. Their successors were both named Johnson, and both assassins were known by three names comprising fifteen letters.
2. The Titan and the Titanic
In 1898, author Morgan Robertson wrote a novel called “Futility” about a massive British ocean liner called the Titan that sank in the North Atlantic after hitting an iceberg. Fourteen years later, the Titanic, a massive British ocean liner, sank in the North Atlantic after hitting an iceberg. Both ships were described as unsinkable, both had insufficient lifeboats, both were making their maiden voyage, and both sank in April. The similarities between the fictional ship and the real disaster are so numerous that many consider this one of the most eerie literary predictions ever recorded.
3. The Falling Baby and the Helpful Man
In Detroit during the 1930s, a man named Joseph Figlock was walking down the street when a baby fell from a fourth-floor window and landed on him. Both survived with minor injuries. Remarkably, one year later, the same baby fell from the same window, and once again landed on Joseph Figlock as he passed below. Both survived this second incident as well, making this double coincidence almost impossible to believe.
4. Twin Brothers, Twin Deaths
In 2002, twin brothers in Finland died within hours of each other in separate bicycle accidents on the same road. The second twin was killed by a truck while riding his bike along Highway 8, just two hours after his brother had been killed in a similar accident on the same road. The brothers were seventy years old, and both accidents occurred approximately one mile apart from each other, making this tragedy an incredibly unlikely coincidence.
5. The Cursed Car of Franz Ferdinand
Archduke Franz Ferdinand was assassinated while riding in his Graf & Stift automobile in 1914, triggering World War I. After his death, the car changed hands multiple times, and each subsequent owner met with disaster. A general who owned it lost his arm in battle, then had four accidents in the car within four months. Another owner was killed in a collision. When two peasants acquired it, they were crushed when the car overturned. The coincidental pattern of tragedy following this vehicle became legendary.
6. The Golden Scarab
Famous psychologist Carl Jung documented a remarkable coincidence involving one of his patients. During a therapy session, the woman was describing a dream about a golden scarab beetle. At that precise moment, Jung heard tapping on the window. When he opened it, a scarabaeid beetle flew into the room—an insect rarely seen in that region. This synchronistic event became a pivotal moment in the patient’s treatment and in Jung’s theories about meaningful coincidences.
7. Mark Twain and Halley’s Comet
Mark Twain was born on November 30, 1835, just two weeks after the perihelion of Halley’s Comet. In 1909, he predicted that he would “go out with it” when the comet returned. True to his prediction, Twain died on April 21, 1910, one day after the comet’s subsequent perihelion. He had lived for nearly seventy-five years, arriving and departing with this celestial visitor that appears only once every seventy-six years.
8. The Hoover Dam Deaths
The first person to die during the construction of the Hoover Dam was J.G. Tierney, who drowned on December 20, 1922, while surveying the site. The final person to die during construction was Patrick Tierney, J.G.’s son, who fell from an intake tower exactly thirteen years later—on December 20, 1935. This tragic father-son coincidence spanning exactly thirteen years to the day remains one of the construction project’s most haunting facts.
9. The Bermuda Survivor
Violet Jessop, a ship stewardess and nurse, survived three major maritime disasters. She was aboard the RMS Olympic when it collided with a warship in 1911, survived the sinking of the Titanic in 1912, and was working on the HMHS Britannic when it sank in 1916 after hitting a mine. Despite being on three sister ships that all suffered catastrophic incidents, Jessop survived each disaster, earning her the nickname “Miss Unsinkable.”
10. The Lottery Winner License Plate
In Bulgaria in 2009, the national lottery drew the winning numbers 4, 15, 23, 24, 35, and 42. Four days later, in the next lottery drawing, the exact same six numbers were drawn again. The odds of this happening are approximately one in four million. While mathematically possible, this coincidence shocked the nation and prompted an investigation into potential fraud, though none was found.
11. The Taxi Cab Tragedy
In 1975, a man riding a moped in Bermuda was accidentally struck and killed by a taxi. One year later, his brother was killed in the same manner—riding the same moped, on the same street, by the same taxi driver, carrying the same passenger. This extraordinary coincidence demonstrated how unlikely events can repeat themselves in the most tragic circumstances.
12. The Royal Photobomber
A British couple reviewing old family photographs discovered that they had unknowingly crossed paths before they met. In a photo from 1975, taken when the man was four years old at a seaside resort, his future wife appeared in the background as a baby being pushed in a stroller by her parents. The couple did not meet until twenty-five years later, making this photographic evidence of their pre-destined proximity a heartwarming coincidence.
Conclusion
These twelve remarkable coincidences challenge our understanding of probability and randomness. While mathematicians assure us that given enough time and opportunities, even the most unlikely events will eventually occur, these stories continue to captivate our imagination. Whether viewed as mere statistical inevitabilities or something more mysterious, these coincidences remind us that reality can sometimes be stranger than fiction. They encourage us to remain open to the unexpected connections and patterns that emerge in our daily lives, proving that truth can indeed be more surprising than any invented tale.
