Number 1. Can fate play a hand?
In 1858 a British man named Robert Fallon was accused of cheating in a poker game. It happened in San Francisco at the Bella Union Saloon.
He was shot dead by his rivals. His $600 dollar winnings were left behind. They had a superstitious belief back then that money won by cheating was considered as unlucky.
The players decided to call in the first available passerby or stranger that walked by on the saloon and that man was given fallon’s $600 pot money so that he can take the dead man’s place at the gambling table, feeling confident that they can eventually win the money back.
By the time the police arrived to investigate, the player has already increased his winnings to $1000 and eventually he had turned the original $600 into $2,200.
The police was asking for the $600 back so that they could pass it on to Fallon’s next of kin. Here comes the kicker, it turned out that while the police was searching, they have actually already found fallons family. He was the stranger that walked by on the saloon that took his fathers place (unknowingly) in the gambling table, and he has not seen his father for 7 whole years.
Number 2. The Unfortunate Bride, A series of Unfortunate Events
On the wedding day of princess Maria del Pozzo della Cisterna to the duke of D’Aosta, son of the King of Italy in Turin on 30th of May 1867, the festivities were marred by tragic series of events that the royal family suppressed the truth lest the very news bring misfortune to the couple’s life.
-The ominous events began before the wedding when the bride’s wardrobe mistress hanged herself, prompting the superstitious princess to order a new gown.
The mounted officer appointed to lead the wedding procession from the palace to the church suffered sunstroke and collapsed.
The palace gates failed to open for the matrimonial procession. The gatekeeper was found nearby, lying in a pool of blood. He cut his throat.
The best man shot himself in the head.
Eventually the bride and groom were escorted by a procession of carriages to the railway station where the royal newlyweds were to board a train for their honeymoon.
A few moments later (spongebob lol)
- The officer who had drawn up the marriage contract suffered a stroke.
- The anxious stationmaster fell under the wheels of the approaching bridal locomotive.
The series of Unfortunate Events (movie quote ^^) convinced everyone that the ceremony and everything associated with it was jinxed.
-Riding alongside the bridal carriage, the count of Castiglione fell from his horse underneath the carriage’s wheels. The count died when the weight of the wheels drove a splendid medal through his uniform into his chest.
**will you still get married?
Number 3. The 5th Duel
Henri Tragne, of Marseille France was a well known duelist. But contrary to expectation He was not popular because he was a perfect shot or even because he was good.
He was notorious because of how his duels turned out. He fought 5 duels between 1861 and 1878. In his first four duels all four men fell dead before a single shot had been fired and in the fifth duel Henri Tragne himself fell dead prior top shots being fired. Coincidence or maybe they had too much bacon before the fight?
Number 4. Presidents Lincoln and Kennedy
Comparison from both Presidents, is it a coincidence?
- Lincoln was elected President in 1860, 100 years later Kennedy is elected in 1960
- They were both deeply involved in civil rights
- Both were killed on a Friday in the presence of their wife
- Each had lost a child while living at the white house.
- Lincoln was killed in Ford’s Theater and Kennedy in a Licoln Convertible made by the Ford company.
- Lincoln’s private secretary’s first name was John, Kennedy’s private secretary’s last name was Lincoln
- Both assassins were murdered before being brought to trial.
More from Wiki - Both presidents were elected to the House of Representatives in '46.
-Both were losing candidates for their party's vice-presidential nomination in '56.
-Both presidents were elected to the presidency in '60, after a series of debates with their opponent. - Lincoln defeated incumbent Vice President John C. Breckinridge for the presidency in 1860; Kennedy defeated incumbent Vice President Richard M. Nixon for the presidency in 1960.
-Both their predecessors were the last presidents to be born in their respective centuries.
-Both their predecessors left office in their seventies and retired to Pennsylvania. James Buchanan, whom Lincoln succeeded, retired to Lancaster Township; Dwight D. Eisenhower, whom Kennedy succeeded, retired to Gettysburg. They both then died before the end of the decade. - Both their Vice Presidents and successors were Southern Democrats named Johnson (Andrew Johnson and Lyndon B. Johnson) who were born in '08
- Both presidents were known for their wit and eloquence, and both frequently quoted Shakespeare and the Bible in their speeches.
- Both presidents had been captains of ships in their private lives: Lincoln on a river boat, and Kennedy on PT-109.
-Each president suffered from a genetic disease. Lincoln had Marfan's syndrome. Kennedy had Addison's disease.
-Both presidents fathered four children, and had a son die during his presidency. - Both presidents had only one child survive into the next century. That child served another president by political appointment.
- Both presidents' wives died in their sixties after an untimely decline in health
- Both presidents' last names have 7 letters, Both assassins' full names have 15 letters.
- Each assassin committed his crime in the building where he was employed.
- Both presidents were purportedly smiling immediately before the assassination began.
- After shooting Lincoln, Booth ran from a theatre to a warehouse; after shooting Kennedy, Oswald ran from a warehouse to a theatre.
- Both assassins died in the same month as their victim in a state adjacent to the state of their birth.
- Both assassins fled using modes of transportation they did not own. Booth rented a horse, Oswald rode a bus.
- Both had body guards named William, William H. Crook told Lincoln not to go to the assassination point, William Greer drove JFK to the assassination point.
- both body guards named William died within 48 hours of being aged 75 years, 5 months.
-Presidential security was heavily criticized, after each assassination, for being too lax. - Lincoln sat in box number 7 at Ford's Theater; Kennedy sat in car number 7 in the motorcade.
- The doctors who primarily attended to each president were both named Charles. Dr. Charles Leale treated Lincoln. Dr. Charles Crenshaw treated Kennedy.
- Each president died in a place with the initials "P.H." Lincoln died at the Petersen House and Kennedy died at Parkland Hospital.
- Kennedy was the second president in U.S. history who issued interest-free money. The first was Lincoln, who issued greenbacks to finance the war between the states in the American Civil War.
Number 5. Strangers on a Train
In the 1920s, three Englishman were travelling separately by train through Peru.Their introductions were more surprising than they could have imagined. One man's last name was Bingham, and the second man's last name was Powell. The third man announced that his last name was Bingham-Powell. None were related in any way.