John Adams and Thomas Jefferson died on the same day. What date was that?

John Adams and Thomas Jefferson, the voice and pen, respectively, of the Declaration of Independence died on the 50th Anniversary of the Signing of the Declaration and five hours apart from each other.

John Adams was 90 years old on that day. He was on his deathbed while the country celebrated Independence Day. His last words were, "Thomas Jefferson still survives." He was mistaken: Jefferson had died five hours earlier at Monticello at the age of 83.

Some in the room reported that the day had been overcast and rainy, but as John Adams passed away, a ray of sunlight broke through the clouds illuminating a chair near the window in his bedroom.

The two men had been close friends during the Revolution and later became bitter enemies. They were reconciled later in life at the urging of Dr. Benjamin Rush and events in their lives. They died together as friends on the "Jubilee" of the Declaration they were instrumental in creating.