John Adams

1735 – 1826 · died at about 91^[1][2]

Politics & Leadership

Fun Facts About John Adams

• John Adams died on July 4, 1826, the 50th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence, saying "Thomas Jefferson survives," unaware that Jefferson had died hours earlier.^[1][3][4]
• Defying anti-British feeling, Adams defended the British soldiers charged with murder after the Boston Massacre and won acquittals for six of them.^[1]
• Adams moved into the nearly finished President's Mansion, later known as the White House, and wrote to Abigail: "May none but honest and wise Men ever rule under this roof."^[1]
• It was Adams who nominated George Washington as commander-in-chief of the Continental Army in 1775.^[1][5][6]
• In the Continental Congress, Adams sat on ninety committees and chaired twenty-five, a workload no other member matched.^[1]
• Adams never owned a slave and refused on principle to use slave labor, even though paying free workers cost him thousands of dollars.^[1]
• John Adams was alive at the same time as Louis Pasteur — their lives overlapped for 4 years (1822–1826).^[1][2][7][8]
• John Adams shares a birthday with Diego Maradona: both were born on October 30.^{[1][2][9][10]}

John Adams was a Founding Father and the second president of the United States from 1797 to 1801. Before his presidency, he was a leader of the American Revolution that achieved independence from Great Britain. During the latter part of the Revolutionary War and in the early years of the new nation, he served the Continental Congress of the United States as a senior diplomat in Europe. Adams was the first vice president of the United States, serving from 1789 to 1797. He was a dedicated diarist and regularly corresponded with contemporaries, including his wife and advisor Abigail Adams and his friend and rival Thomas Jefferson.^[1]

Contemporaries

James Watt

83 yr overlap

Thomas Jefferson

83 yr overlap

Francisco Goya

80 yr overlap

Johann Wolfgang von Goethe

77 yr overlap

James Madison

75 yr overlap

Edward Jenner

74 yr overlap

Joseph Haydn

74 yr overlap

Immanuel Kant

69 yr overlap

Hokusai

66 yr overlap

George Washington

64 yr overlap

Catherine the Great

61 yr overlap

Toussaint Louverture

60 yr overlap

Their World

Questions About John Adams

When was John Adams born?

John Adams was born on October 30, 1735, and died on July 4, 1826.

How old was John Adams at death?

John Adams was born on October 30, 1735, and died on July 4, 1826, at age 90.

What was John Adams known for?

John Adams was known for: Second US president and Founding Father. John Adams was a Founding Father and the second president of the United States from 1797 to 1801. Before his presidency, he was a leader of the American Revolution that achieved independence from Great Britain. During the latter part of the Revolutionary War and in the early years of the new nation, he served the Continental Congress of the United States as a senior diplomat in Europe. Adams was the first vice president of the United States, serving from 1789 to 1797. He was a dedicated diarist and regularly corresponded with contemporaries, including his wife and advisor Abigail Adams and his friend and rival Thomas Jefferson.

Who was alive at the same time as John Adams?

John Adams's closest contemporary was James Watt. Their lives overlapped for 83 years.