Which two former presidents died on July 4, 1826, the 50th anniversary of independence before America250?

John Adams and Thomas Jefferson both died on July 4, 1826, exactly 50 years after the Declaration of Independence. Their coincident deaths became one of the most famous anniversaries in early American history and are often recalled in discussions leading to America250.

Adams and Jefferson had been revolutionary allies, political opponents, and later correspondents. Jefferson was the Declaration’s principal drafter, while Adams strongly advocated independence in Congress.

Adams’s last recorded words were reportedly “Thomas Jefferson still lives,” although Jefferson had died earlier that day. James Monroe, another founding-era president, died on July 4, but not until 1831.