Although the deaths of these presidents were tragic, no one can deny the bizarre and sad irony of each president.
From left to right: President James Garfield, President William McKinley, President Ronald Reagan, President John Adams, President Thomas Jefferson and President James Monroe.
Four unique situations for six U.S. presidents that are ironic. U.S. presidents are an interesting group because they are known in the United States through campaigns, speeches, and elections. The president is seen not only as the leader of the United States, but also as an otherworldly figure who is able to withstand the rigors of everyday life and remain calm in a variety of situations while handling a busy work schedule. They often determine their own situation to reflect the best interests of the country. In the subsequent sarcasm, you will see that in these situations, the president of the United States has little control, and coincidence and irony are the main players.
James Garfield, newly invented metal detector and assassin's bullet
James S. Death of A. Garfield
President James Garfield was shot twice in an assassination in July 1881. The first bullet grazed his arm and the second passed through his spine and stuck in his abdomen. Many doctors rushed to Garfield's side, including a gunshot wound specialist named Dr. Willard Bliss. Humorously, the doctor is his name. The doctor's focus is on finding and removing the bullet. So they began sticking their unwashed fingers into the wound and probing around. All of this without first performing anesthesia. This type of care, considered a common medical practice at the time, clearly did more harm than good in President Garfield's case.
With the onset of summer, Garfield was bedridden in the White House, feverish, chills and growing coma. Doctors are also debating the extent of the damage caused by the bullet. In fact, Dr. Bliss even asked Alexander Graham Bell to use his newly invented metal detector to find bullets. But other doctors involved in presidential care insist that it cannot be used in humans, let alone any U.S. president.
Doctors continued to probe the president and performed many minor surgical attempts, expanding the initial incision from a 3-inch wound to a 20-inch long incision, starting in his ribcage and continuing to his groin. The excesses of these attempts eventually resulted in a double infection, a gas filled with pus. Sepsis, a fatal infection at the time, began to enter his body and began organ failure.
Franklin cottage in Elberon by the sea
Realizing that the end was coming, the president's wife insisted that he spend his final days on the New Jersey seashore, where he could be in a more peaceful and tranquil environment. On September 19, 1881, President Garfield died in the presence of Dr. and Mrs. Garfield. His cause of death was ruled fatal heart attack, ruptured splenic artery and purulent blood poisoning. If doctors had learned more about bacteria and allowed the new metal-detecting invention to be applied to the president, the results could have been very different.
William McKinley and the X-ray machine at the Pan American Exposition
President William McKinley participated in the Pan American Exposition in Buffalo in 1901. People travel by train from all over the United States to the city of Buffalo to experience all the new technologies that have recently been discovered. Thousands of lamps and other new inventions are on display. One of these new creations included the first X-ray machine.
On September 6, 1901, Jogosh assassinated President William McKinley at the Pan American Exposition
When Leon Chowgosh shot McKinley, he shot two bullets in the abdomen at close range. The first bullet bounced off the coat button and stuck in the fiber of his jacket. Another bullet caused a serious wound to his abdomen. Although the gunshot wound was not fatal, McKinley died of the infection eight days later.
McKinley's doctors, Herman Minter and Matthew Mann, chose to have immediate surgery, but they were neither qualified nor had any experience with abdominal wounds. The hospital is a makeshift room used to set up for more minor injuries and illnesses during the fair. It is not prepared for surgery and does not have the basic tools needed for a successful surgery.
Mann continued to probe the wound to find the bullet, but instead found damage to the stomach and in and out of the wound. He stitched up two holes in his abdomen and stopped looking for bullets, thinking it had gotten stuck in his back muscles and would not cause any further damage. Black silk threads are used to suture the wound without drainage and then covered with a bandage.
Ironically, the X-ray machine displayed at the 1901 Pan-American Exposition demonstrated light and electricity, which could be used to pinpoint where bullets stopped and assist in removal efforts. According to Dr. Mann, its use may bother patients with little benefit.
However, after news of Thomas Edison's shooting spread, a second, slightly different X-ray machine sent from New Jersey was also not used, although reports of why it was not used against the president vary.
U.S. Presidents Adams, Jefferson, and Monroe all died on July 4
John Adams, Thomas Jefferson, and James Monroe all died on Independence Day
John Adams, Thomas Jefferson, and James Monroe are all famous founders of the United States. These pioneering U.S. presidents served as liaisons in the founding of the United States.
Adams was the second president of the United States, a fragile and rude man, very opinionated and difficult to get along with. Before and even during the War of Independence, Adams served as a lawyer and was a delegate to two Continental Congresses. He held many diplomatic positions and was elected vice president under George Washington.
Jefferson is known as one of the founding fathers of the United States after writing much of the Declaration of Independence, effectively separating the North American colonies from British rule. He served as the third president of the United States, was an eloquent writer, but a terrible public speaker. Although he served as Adams' vice president, they were often considered rivals. Jefferson was a silent leader who used his pen to gain support, while Adams was boisterous and very outspoken. The two are completely opposites.
Drawing of 21 presidents
James Madison, the fourth president of the United States, was also a member of the Federalist Document and a major contributor to the new U.S. Constitution. In fact, later in his life, Madison was known as the father of the Constitution, and he protested that this was not the work of one man, but the work of many. He served as Jefferson's secretary of state before being elected president and faced a difficult climb during his presidency. He managed the feud between the newly formed United States, Great Britain, and France, eventually asking Congress to declare war on Britain, beginning the War of 1812.
The United States, still recovering from its struggle against Britain, was unprepared for another war. The British then entered Washington, D.C., and set fire to the White House and the Capitol. However, thanks to some naval victories, the Americans considered the War of 1812 a success. Madison left the office with a good reputation.
Adams and Jefferson, although often arguing, had an unspoken mutual respect, which is why it is so ironic that they both died on July 4, 1826. In fact, Adams is said to have whispered that Thomas Jefferson survived as his last words on his deathbed. He didn't know Jefferson had died hours earlier at his Monticello estate. Madison died on July 4, just five years later, in 1831. It was an unusual and impossible coincidence that all three of America's founding fathers died on July 4, a day celebrated as National Freedom Day.
Ronald Reagan, assassination attempt and Berlin speech
Moments before President Reagan was shot in an assassination attempt on March 30, 1981
Ronald Reagan was struck in an assassination in Washington, D.C., in March 1981, just a few months after his first term as president. Several shots were fired at the president, one of which bounced off the limousine where he was standing nearby and hit him in the left armpit. The shooting also seriously injured Reagan's press secretary James Brady, Secret Service agent Timothy McCarthy and police officer Thomas Drahanti.
The president's wounds were not immediately noticed until he began coughing up blood. He was rushed to George Washington University Hospital, where he was placed in an intensive care unit. It turned out that the bullet hit his lungs, and then the lungs collapsed, almost missing his heart. However, Reagan managed to get into the hospital on his own. He was going to have surgery, and during that time, he managed to joke with his wife, Nancy, saying, "Honey, I forgot to dodge."
Surgery was performed, and Reagan was placed in intensive care to recover. He spent about two weeks in the hospital before returning to the White House to get back into his full presidential agenda.
June 12, 1987 near the Brandenburg Gate in Berlin
Six years later, during an overseas visit to West Berlin, Reagan gave a famous speech near the Brandenburg Gate, imploring their leader Mikhail Gorbachev to open the door! And tear down this wall. In this famous speech, a balloon pops loudly through the crowd, sounding like gunshots. Reagan didn't miss a beat and responded that he missed me, which drew cheers and applause from the audience.
In Reagan's case, the irony is that he was able to transcend the pain of the assassination attempt and make a witty joke in an extremely important and serious speech. This is truly a moment of situational irony, but also a moment of class and perseverance in the face of evil.