America is just about to turn 250, but let’s not overlook a fascinating insight into our nation’s history as we celebrate its 249th birthday this year. On July 4, 1826, Thomas Jefferson—one of our founding fathers—passed away at the ripe age of 83 on the very day America marked its 50th anniversary.
This simple fact reveals how remarkably young our nation truly is. In fact, if you were to find three 83-year-olds alive today, their lifetimes would bridge us back to the founding year of 1776.
Jefferson was not the only president to leave this world on such a significant date. Just hours after Jefferson’s death, John Adams also passed away. In a stunning twist, five years later, James Monroe, our fifth president, died on the same date, July 4, as well.
On a lighter note, we should remember that one president celebrates his birthday on this very day. Calvin Coolidge was born on July 4, 1872, and eventually became America’s 30th president.
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Now, why does Jefferson’s age of 83 matter in celebrating our national birthday? If you trace the lineage of an 83-year-old back through the years, you’d find yourself in 1942. Going back another 83 years from there, you reach 1859, and one more time back brings you directly to 1776.
That’s right: just three back-to-back 83-year-olds take us straight to the year our country was born. It shows the relative youth of our nation, especially when considering the ages of the 56 delegates who signed the Declaration of Independence. These brave individuals risked their lives by putting their names on a document that declared our freedom from tyranny.
And let’s set the record straight—these signers didn’t wield any auto-quills. They were courageous patriots who understood the weight of their actions.
As a point of reference, the average age of those who signed the Declaration was just 44 years; George Washington, at the time, was also 44. Meanwhile, King George III of England, in stark contrast, was merely 38.
Interestingly enough, the oldest signer was Benjamin Franklin, who was 70 years old. And our principal author, Thomas Jefferson, was just 33 when he signed his name on this historic document.
So, as we reflect on our nation’s youth and the sacrifices made for our freedom, let’s gear up for an impressive celebration next year as we approach the monumental 250th anniversary!