Presidents Day and death of two Presidents

Here's a holiday that's celebrated every year that receives little attention. I always try to learn something 'new' on holidays whether it's a little known fact or how the day became to be. I find it fascinating to dig into the history and find out what I can. Admittedly it's been many years since my school days and history lessons, it's amazing either how much I forgot or never paid much attention to. Some of us probably remember when Presidents Day as Washington's Birthday (also Lincoln's birthday since both were close together). In 1971 President Richard Nixon proclaimed one single federal public holiday, the Presidents Day, to be observed on the third Monday of February, honoring all past president of the United States of America.

I found a web site that list facts and figures about our past Presidents, both dead and alive. We have three past Presidents living among us and of course our incumbent, George W. Bush. I was shocked to read what the causes of death were for many in the early infancy of this country, things no one would die from today with all our knowledge and modern medicines.

The one thing that caught my attention was the date of death of two Presidents, John Adams, our second President and Thomas Jefferson, our third President. Both men lived to be 83 and 90 years old respectively and died on the same day, July 4th, 1826, just hours apart. Not only that, note the date, exactly 50 years from their signing of the Declaration of Independence. One has to ask themselves, what would be the chances of something like that happening again!

I hope you found this little known fact interesting and to those born after 1971, what the original holiday was named.