Presidents who died on July 4 include John Adams and Thomas Jefferson on July 4, 1826—the 50th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence—and James Monroe on July 4, 1831. These three U.S. presidents who died on July 4rd are often cited as one of America’s most striking Independence Day coincidences, and the story is richer when you add related facts like Calvin Coolidge’s July 4 birth.
How Many Presidents Died on July 4th?
Three U.S. presidents died on Independence Day: John Adams, Thomas Jefferson, and James Monroe. As the Smithsonian and other historians note, Adams and Jefferson’s deaths on July 4, 1826—the semicentennial of the Declaration—grabbed national attention and have long been described as a remarkable historical coincidence (Smithsonian Magazine).
- John Adams — July 4, 1826 (Quincy, MA)
- Thomas Jefferson — July 4, 1826 (Monticello, VA)
- James Monroe — July 4, 1831 (New York, NY)
Presidents Who Died on July 4 — Complete List, Causes, and Timeline
| President | Date (Year) | Age | Location | Reported Cause | Notable facts | Primary source (examples) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| John Adams | July 4, 1826 | 90 | Quincy, Massachusetts | Advanced age; heart failure often cited | Reportedly uttered words referencing Jefferson; died on the 50th anniversary of the Declaration | Adams National Historical Park (NPS); Founders Online |
| Thomas Jefferson | July 4, 1826 | 83 | Monticello, Virginia | Prolonged illness; frailty of old age | Jefferson’s health declined sharply in June–July 1826; died earlier the same day as Adams | Monticello (Thomas Jefferson Foundation); Founders Online |
| James Monroe | July 4, 1831 | 73 | New York City, New York | Illness (often described as heart failure/tuberculosis complications) | Monroe’s death in 1831 added to the Independence Day pattern | Miller Center; White House Historical Association |
Summaries and context
- John Adams (1735–1826): Adams’s health had been failing in the months before his death. Contemporary accounts and the Adams National Historical Park report that his last hours included reference to Thomas Jefferson—though Jefferson had already died earlier that day. The coincidence of both founders dying on the semicentennial fueled widespread public meaning-making (NPS; Founders Online).
- Thomas Jefferson (1743–1826): Jefferson’s health deteriorated in late June 1826. Monticello’s records indicate he became increasingly weak; he died at Monticello on July 4, 1826. Monticello and other archives document Jefferson’s last correspondence and the timeline of his decline (Monticello).
- James Monroe (1758–1831): Monroe, the fifth president to die after leaving office, passed away in New York City on July 4, 1831. His death at age 73 from an illness commonly reported as heart-related further contributed to the Independence Day cluster (Miller Center; WHHA).
Which Presidents Died on July 4th? Quick List You Can Scan
Unordered list
- John Adams — July 4, 1826 (Quincy, MA)
- Thomas Jefferson — July 4, 1826 (Monticello, VA)
- James Monroe — July 4, 1831 (New York, NY)
Numbered list (one-line causes / ages)
- John Adams — advanced age/heart failure often reported; age 90.
- Thomas Jefferson — prolonged illness/old age; age 83.
- James Monroe — illness often attributed to heart failure or tuberculosis complications; age 73.
Presidents Born on July 4 (Calvin Coolidge and July 4 Milestones)
Calvin Coolidge is the only U.S. president born on July 4. He was born on July 4, 1872, in Plymouth Notch, Vermont, and his July 4 birthday frequently appears in July 4 presidential trivia and timelines.
July 4 Presidential Milestones
| Category | Person | Year | Place | Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Death | John Adams | 1826 | Quincy, MA | Died on July 4, 1826 (age 90) |
| Death | Thomas Jefferson | 1826 | Monticello, VA | Died on July 4, 1826 (age 83) |
| Death | James Monroe | 1831 | New York, NY | Died on July 4, 1831 (age 73) |
| Birth | Calvin Coolidge | 1872 | Plymouth Notch, VT | Only president born on July 4 |
As the Coolidge Foundation and his autobiography indicate, Coolidge’s July 4 birth became part of his public image—he and supporters sometimes tied the coincidence to his persona as a New England stoic (Coolidge Foundation).
Other Historic Coincidences Around Independence Day (With Context)
These items are notable coincidences or popular patterns tied to presidents and July 4. Historians caution against reading causal meaning into coincidences, but they remain interesting:
- Adams and Jefferson both died on July 4, 1826—the 50th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence. Contemporaries called this “remarkable,” and newspapers of the day reported national mourning (Smithsonian Magazine; Founders Online).
- James Monroe’s death on July 4, 1831 compounded the pattern, putting three former presidents’ deaths on Independence Day within five years.
- Calvin Coolidge’s birth on July 4, 1872, adds the opposite kind of coincidence—birth rather than death—linking a president’s life to the national holiday.
- The so-called “Curse of Tippecanoe” (or “Zero-Year Curse”) is a folk pattern noting that presidents elected in years ending in zero from 1840 through 1960 often died in office (Harrison, Lincoln, Garfield, McKinley, Harding, FDR, Kennedy). Historians and statisticians note that patterns like this can look compelling but are prone to selection bias and ignore breaks in the pattern (e.g., Reagan in 1980 and George W. Bush in 2000 survived their terms). As historian David J. Hand and others have argued, “extremely improbable events are commonplace” in large datasets—meaning coincidence alone isn’t evidence of a curse (statistical caution).
Caveat: historians and archivists warn against over-interpreting symbolic meaning. As the National Archives and Smithsonian materials emphasize, these are coincidences recorded by contemporaries and later interpreted by memory and myth (National Archives; Smithsonian Magazine).
FAQs — Presidents Who Died on July 4 and Independence Day Coincidences
How many U.S. presidents died on July 4th?
Three presidents: John Adams and Thomas Jefferson on July 4, 1826, and James Monroe on July 4, 1831.
Which presidents died on July 4, 1826?
John Adams and Thomas Jefferson both died on that date. Contemporaries and historians have long noted the significance because it was the 50th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence (Smithsonian Magazine; Founders Online).
Did James Monroe die on July 4?
Yes. James Monroe died on July 4, 1831, in New York City (Miller Center; WHHA).
Which president was born on July 4?
Calvin Coolidge was born on July 4, 1872, in Plymouth Notch, Vermont—the only U.S. president born on Independence Day.
What did John Adams say before he died?
Contemporary accounts and Adams National Historical Park materials report Adams’s final references to Thomas Jefferson; some sources record the phrase “Thomas Jefferson survives” as his reported last words, though exact phrasing and timing vary between witnesses and later retellings (Adams NHP; Founders Online).
Why did Adams and Jefferson die on the 50th anniversary of the Declaration?
There’s no causal explanation—just coincidence. Historians stress that while the double death captured public imagination, it remains a remarkable but statistically possible coincidence (Smithsonian Magazine; National Archives).
What is the “Curse of Tippecanoe,” and is it real?
The “Curse of Tippecanoe” is a folk idea that presidents elected in years ending in zero suffer early deaths in office. The pattern held for several elections in the 19th and 20th centuries but broke in later years; historians and statisticians consider it a coincidence amplified by selective attention.