April has certainly etched itself into U.S. history, marked by events that catalyzed political waves – from the closure of the American Civil War to the assassination of President Lincoln, and the death of President Roosevelt. However, with April 2025, uncertainty clouds the nation, as either Joe Biden or Donald Trump, who were both on the cusp of 80, held presidency amidst a climate of political divisions.
Briefly revisiting the past, we recall how in 1865, victory for Ulysses S. Grant was in sight when Robert E. Lee, having lost the battle at Richmond, found his retreat blocked at Appomattox Court House. Lee’s surrender to Grant here, while other Confederate forces did so in the following weeks, signalled the end of the American Civil War. But six days later, President Abraham Lincoln was assassinated at Ford’s Theatre during a performance of “Our American Cousin”. The assassin, John Wilkes Booth, delivered the fatal shot before crying out Virginia’s state motto, “Sic semper tyrannis!” (Thus always to tyrants) demonstrating a clear political motive.
Fast-forward eighty years to 1945, the American army had reached the Elbe River, closing in on Berlin. On the home front, Franklin Delano Roosevelt, the President who served for four terms and left an indelible mark on American memory, passed away from a sudden cerebral hemorrhage.
In this tide of history, we return to April 2025. The shroud of speculation and rumor thickens as the remembered details are sparse – whether the president died of natural causes or political violence remains unclear. The fallout, however, was vivid with supporters enraged, conspiracy theories circulating, and law enforcement struggling to maintain order.
Peering back into the annals of history, it would seem every 80 years, America faces a seismic shift with the death of a sitting President. Is this a quantifiable pattern or merely a coincidence? As we grapple with the fallout and uncertainty, perhaps only time will tell. Nonetheless, the seemingly cyclical nature of history never ceases to astound and offers a unique lens on the state of the U.S. polity.
One cannot help but ponder over this pattern. Insignificant or monumental, it lays bare suggestive fingerprints on the pages of history.
About the author: Mark Herrmann, a litigation, compliance and employment expert, has spent 17 years as a partner at an eminent international law firm. He later headed litigation, compliance, and employment matters at a large international company. In addition, he is the author of the The Curmudgeon’s Guide to Practicing Law and Drug and Device Product Liability Litigation Strategy. He can be reached by email at inhouse@abovethelaw.com.