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Curse of Tippecanoe
The Curse of Tippecanoe (also known as Tecumseh's Curse, the 20-year Curse[1] or the Zero Curse[2]) is an urban legend[3] about the deaths in office of presidents of the United States who were elected in years divisible by 20. According to the legend, Tenskwatawa, leader of Native American tribes defeated in 1811 at the Battle of Tippecanoe by a military expedition led by William Henry Harrison, had cursed the "Great White Fathers".
Since 1840, eight presidents have died in office. Seven of them were elected in years divisible by 20: William Henry Harrison (1840), Abraham Lincoln (1860), James A. Garfield (1880), William McKinley (1900), Warren G. Harding (1920), Franklin D. Roosevelt (1940), and John F. Kennedy (1960). Three former presidents elected in applicable years did not die in office: Ronald Reagan in 1980, George W. Bush in 2000, and Joe Biden in 2020.
- ^ Purdy, Mike (August 17, 2011). "The End of the 20 Year Curse". Mike Purdy's Presidential History. Archived from the original on November 8, 2021. Retrieved November 8, 2021.
- ^ Cite error: The named reference
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