OzzyOsborne,
Yes, this is called the Zero Factor and is said to stem from a curse by the Native American chief Tecumseh who was killed by troops under the command of William Henry Harrison in 1813. Elected President in 1840, Harrison died of pneumonia a month after taking the Oath of Office.
Specifically:
- 1840: William Henry Harrison died from pneumonia a month after taking the oath of office.
- 1860: Abraham Lincoln assassinated in 1865 by John Wilkes Booth.
- 1880: James Garfield assassinated in 1882 by Charles J. Guiteau, leading to Secret Service being assigned the task of protecting the First Family.
- 1900: William McKinley assassinated in 1901 by Leon Czolgosz
- 1920: Warren Harding died under mysterious circumstances in 1921 (said to have been poisoned by his wife).
- 1940: Franklin Roosevelt dies from a cerebral hemmorhage in 1945 (natural causes or to keep him from seeking a fifth term?)
- 1960: John Kennedy assassinated in 1963, supposedly by Lee Harvey Oswald.
- 1980: Ronald Reagan, narrowly escaped an assassination attempt by John W. Hinckley, Jr, supposedly to gain the attention (and affections) of Ms. Jodie Foster. During the attempt, William Brady is severely injured; this eventually leads to California Senator Dianne Feinstein and others to introduce a bill in the Senate that would eventually become known as Brady's Law, one of the first successful attempts at gun control. (Through luck, I happened to be in the Gallery at the time. I was impressed.)
The Zero Factor has been a source of much speculation. In recent times, only two men are reported to have taken it seriously to respond to questioning about it: JFK and Ronald Reagan. A book of the same title was published ~1980. I'm sure you can find a copy in the paranormal section of most used book stores.
Some believe that the curse of Tecumseh has been broken; other believed it would remain until the White Man had attoned for the crimes committed against the native american peoples.
Me? I'm waiting for an "X-Files" episode to cover the topic later this season... ;-)
Update: If you can't find
The Zero Factor locally,
Search here. They list several copies for ~$3.00.
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