Exactly this is actually one of my favorite points of trivia. And if you read the letters between Adams and Jefferson, one sees how close they were and it makes the fact that they both died on the 4th in 1826 that much more poignant!!!
Legend has it that Adams final words were ‘Thomas Jefferson still survives.’
What about Zachary Taylor? IIRC he got sick after eating tainted strawberries at a picnic on July 4, and died a few days later.
And of course, July 4, 1826 was the 50th birthday of our nation. Jefferson and Adams went from being close friends, to bitter political enemies, and back to close long-distance friends towards the end of their lives. When I told my students the story, they were impressed—coincidence or the hand of God?
“”Legend has it that Adams final words were ‘Thomas Jefferson still survives.’””
I remembered that it was the same year and now I do recall that those were Jefferson’s last words but darned if I can remember where I read it.
And James Monroe died on July 4 a few years later. His plantation was next door to Monticello.