Superstitious American Presidents – Part I

Many American Presidents had harbored some superstitious beliefs of various kinds. However, there are five that prominently stand out: William McKinley, Franklin D. Roosevelt, Harry S. Truman, Ronald Reagan, and Barack Obama. Here are their stories:

I—William McKinley

When McKinley, the 25^th President of our dearest Unique United Sates of America (UUSA) was inaugurated for the first time on March 4, 1897, he immediately had two security booths removed form the front lawn of the White House. He liked to walk unaccompanied in the adjoining park every morning; his concerned family and friends obliged him to allow one Secret Service officer to shadow him. He was so popular that he was easily re-elected for a second term and was inaugurated again on March 4, 1901. But by that time the War with Spain had provoked a massive hysteria in the country and there were several threats against McKinley’s integrity.

Note. This picture of President William S. McKinley was taken from Wikimedia Commons.

When he was initially invited tp the Pan-American Exposition in Buffalo, New York, in September 1901, his secretary took it out twice from his schedule; until McKinley ordered him to arrange for his appearance, this time with two additional Secret Service agents. The day was nice and there was an adoring crowd to greet him in Buffalo, which put POTUS in a particularly good, relaxed mood; moreover, he was wearing his “good luck carnation” on his lapel, offering him “protection.”

When a cute 12-year-old girl called Myrtle Ledger stepped forward and asked for his carnation, he resolutely took it off his lapel and gave it to her, saying: “I must give this flower to another little flower.” A few minutes later, a 24-year-old Polish Anarchist called Leon Czolgosz approached him with a bandage covering his right hand. Upon seeing the bandage McKinley shook his left hand instead, which gave Czolgosz the chance to use the concealed weapon under his bandage. He shot the President twice and was reduced by his security detail before shooting for a third time. As he was collapsing, the kindhearted McKinley said; “May God forgive him.”

McKinley was admitted to a hospital for emergency abdominal surgery, which went very well; but in that pre-antibiotic era, his physicians could not treat his gangrene. Before passing away, McKinley said: “Good-bye, all, good-bye. It is God’s way. His will be done.” He exhaled at 2.15 AM on September 14^th, 1901, holding the hand of his beloved wife, Ida McKinley. He was the third American President to be assassinated in only 36 years.

II—Franklin Delano Roosevelt

From an early age, Roosevelt suffered from triskaidekaphobia, i.e. aversion to the number 13, considered bad luck in most Western Societies as it marked the day that the Knight Templars’ hierarchy was burned at the stake by the French King Philippe II on Friday, October 13, 1307—an event we had narrated in a previous article. Roosevelt insisted on never having thirteen guests for dinner, on travelling on the thirteenth day of the month, stopping at the thirteenth floor of any building, etc.

Note. This image of President Franklin D. Roosevelt was taken from Wikimedia Commons.

III—Harry S. Truman

When Harry S. Truman, the 33^rd American President, arrived in the Oval Office of the White House, he immediately hung his lucky horseshoe on the back of its door.

Note. This image of President Harry S. Truman was taken from Wikimedia Images.

We will continue this discussion in Superstitious American Presidents—Part II.

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