(Photo courtesy of Baris Inan)
By Baris Inan, Guest Commentary
This year holds a special place in US presidential history because it coincides with the 100th birthdays of two US presidents, Richard Nixon and Gerald Ford. President Nixon was born on Jan. 9, 1913 and President Ford was born 186 days later, on July 14, 1913. What makes this coincidence even more special is the fact that Nixon and Ford served as two consecutive US presidents.
Nixon was the 37th US president and Ford was the 38th, and it is 39 years ago in 1974, when both presidents were 61, Nixon resigned from the presidency and Ford became the next president of the United States.
Though the possibility of two consecutive US presidents born in the same year seems to be rare, amazingly, there exist three other pairs of US presidents who were born in the same year and served consecutively.
The 6th and 7th US presidents, John Quincy Adams and Andrew Jackson, both born in 1767, had their 100th and 200th birthdays coincide in 1867 and 1967. President Jackson was born on March 15th while President John Quincy Adams was born 118 days later on July 11.
Also, 1922 marked the 100th birthdays of the 18th and 19th US presidents, Ulysses Grant and Rutherford Hayes. President Grant was born on April 27, 1822 and President Hayes was born 160 days later on Oct. 4th, 1822.
In addition, the 42nd and 43rd US presidents, Bill Clinton and George W. Bush, were both born in 1946. President George W. Bush was born on July 6th and President Clinton was born 44 days later on Aug. 19. If they are still alive in 2046, these two US presidents will celebrate their 100th birthdays.
Among other US presidents, there are two others who were born in the same year. They were Presidents Jimmy Carter and George H. W. Bush, who served as the 39th and 41st US presidents. President George H. W. Bush was born on June 12, 1924 and President Carter was born 111 days later, on Oct. 1, 1924.
With regards to their birth months, four US presidents were born in January, four in February, four in March, four in April, two in May, one in June, four in July, five in August, one in September, six in October, five in November, and three in December. Among these, only two consecutive US presidents, James Polk and Zachary Taylor, who served as the 11th and 12th US presidents, were born in the same month. President Polk was born on Nov. 2 and President Taylor on Nov. 24.
Interestingly enough, only two US presidents have their birthdays coincide. These are Presidents James Polk and Warren Harding, who served as the 11th and 29th US presidents. President Polk was born on Nov. 2, 1795 and President Harding was born 70 years later on the same date.
Happy 100th Birthday to Presidents Richard Nixon and Gerald Ford!
Baris Inan is a sophomore electrical engineering major. He can be reached at inan13@up.edu.
Baris Inan (The Beacon)
