Thomas Jefferson and John Adams both died on July 4, 1826, exactly 50 years after the Declaration of Independence.
The coincidence occurred on the 50th anniversary of the Declaration’s adoption. Jefferson died at Monticello in Virginia, while Adams died at his home in Quincy, Massachusetts. Both men had been major advocates of independence and later served as U.S. presidents.
Jefferson was the principal drafter of the Declaration, and Adams was one of its strongest congressional supporters. They later became political rivals, especially during the first party system, but renewed their friendship through a long correspondence after Jefferson left office.
Adams reportedly did not know that Jefferson had already died when he spoke his final words. The two men were the only Declaration signers who later became president, making the shared date especially notable.