Rutherford Hayes was born on this date, in Delaware, Ohio.
That’s not especially interesting in itself. Presidents, after all, must be born somewhere – and President Hayes was not the only one to have chosen Ohio. But consider: Jimmy Carter was born on October 1, 1924, in Plains, Georgia, and Chester Arthur was born on October 5, 1830, in Fairfield, Vermont (or Canada.) That’s three presidential birthdays in a four-day period, a glut of presidential timber not to be found anywhere else on the calendar. Hayes came into office by one electoral vote, accomplished nothing, and did not run for a second term.
Chester Arthur came into office as James Garfield’s vice-president and was promoted eight months later, upon Garfield’s assassination. He accomplished nothing, and wasn’t even nominated for a second term (although he does look a lot like Captain Kangaroo.)
Through no fault of his own, Jimmy Carter was elected president in 1976 (and must therefore bear his share of responsibility for my own difficult misspent youth). He sought but was denied a second term.
Significance? Zero.
The Haus of Dcaligari 