Ever looked at a calendar and wondered why so many leaders seem to cluster around specific months? It feels weird. You’d think with 46 different men, the distribution would be pretty even across the 365 days of the year. But it isn't. Not even close. If you’re looking at president birthdays by month, you start to see these odd little pockets where the "Commander-in-Chief" energy just seems to peak.
Take October. It’s a powerhouse. For some reason, the crisp air of autumn produced more presidents than any other month. Then you look at June or September, and it's almost a ghost town by comparison. It makes you wonder if there’s something in the water, or if it’s just the chaotic randomness of history.
The October Overload and the Fall Giants
October is the undisputed heavyweight champion of presidential births. It’s produced six of them. John Adams, Chester A. Arthur, Teddy Roosevelt, Dwight D. Eisenhower, Jimmy Carter, and Rutherford B. Hayes all share this birth month.
Why October? There’s no scientific reason, obviously. But it’s a fun piece of trivia that the month associated with harvest and change also harvested the most executive leaders. Teddy Roosevelt, born October 27, 1858, basically embodied that "storming into the world" vibe. He was a force of nature. Contrast that with Jimmy Carter, born October 1, 1924, who is known more for his quiet, enduring humanitarianism.
November and February aren't far behind. They’ve each given us five presidents. November is home to heavy hitters like James K. Polk and Warren G. Harding. But February? That’s the "Mount Rushmore" month. You’ve got George Washington and Abraham Lincoln both packed into the shortest month of the year. It’s why we have Presidents' Day in the first place, though the holiday technically only honors Washington’s birthday according to federal law.
Winter Babies and the New Year
January starts the year strong. It’s got five presidents, including Richard Nixon and FDR. Franklin D. Roosevelt was born on January 30, 1882. Imagine the snowy New York landscape at Hyde Park when one of the most influential figures of the 20th century entered the world.
Millard Fillmore (January 7) and William McKinley (January 29) are also in the January club. It’s a month of transitions. Fitting, right? Since the Inauguration now happens in January, it’s a month where the old gives way to the new.
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The Strange Case of July 4th
You can't talk about president birthdays by month without mentioning the weirdly specific relationship the Founders had with July 4th. Most people know that Thomas Jefferson and John Adams both died on July 4, 1826—exactly fifty years after the signing of the Declaration of Independence. That’s spooky enough.
But James Monroe also died on July 4th a few years later. On the flip side, Calvin Coolidge is the only president actually born on the Fourth of July. Born in 1872 in Plymouth Notch, Vermont, "Silent Cal" is the literal fireworks baby of the group.
The Summer Slump: June and September
If you wanted to be president, statistically speaking, you probably shouldn't have been born in June or September. These are the "lonely" months.
June only has two: George H.W. Bush and Donald Trump. That’s it. For thirty days of summer, the output is surprisingly low. September is equally sparse. It only claims William Howard Taft and Zachary Taylor. It’s kind of fascinating. You have these massive stretches of the year that just didn't produce many leaders, while the fall and winter are packed.
August holds a decent middle ground with four. You’ve got:
- Barack Obama (August 4)
- Herbert Hoover (August 10)
- Bill Clinton (August 19)
- Lyndon B. Johnson (August 27)
It’s a very "modern" month. Three out of the four August presidents served within the last sixty years.
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Breaking Down the Full Calendar
Let's look at the spread. It’s not just a list; it’s a map of American history.
March gives us four, including Andrew Jackson and James Madison. Madison was a tiny guy, barely 5'4", born on March 16. Jackson was the opposite—a brawler born on March 15.
April is another four-president month. Thomas Jefferson (April 13) and James Monroe (April 28) are the big names here. It’s the month of the "Virginia Dynasty."
May is surprisingly quiet with only two. Harry S. Truman and John F. Kennedy. JFK, born May 29, 1917, is probably the most famous May birth. He represented that "springtime" of a new generation.
December rounds out the year with four. Most notably, we have Woodrow Wilson and Andrew Johnson. It's a month of complicated legacies.
Does the Birth Month Actually Matter?
Honestly? No. There is zero evidence that being born in October makes you more likely to lead the free world than being born in June. It’s a classic case of patterns emerging from random data.
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In statistics, we call this a "clustering illusion." If you flip a coin enough times, you’ll eventually get five heads in a row. It doesn't mean the coin is rigged; it means randomness is streaky. The same applies to president birthdays by month.
However, historians often look at the era of birth rather than the month. Most of the early presidents were born in the spring or fall, likely reflecting the agricultural cycles of the 1700s. But as we moved into the industrial and modern ages, the birthdays started to spread out a bit more.
Surprising Birth Details
Did you know that Joe Biden (November 20) and James K. Polk (November 2) share a birth month? Or that Gerald Ford was born in July, just like George W. Bush?
Here’s a weird one: Ronald Reagan was a February baby (February 6). He shares that month with William Henry Harrison, the guy who died after only 31 days in office. One of the longest-lived presidents and the shortest-serving one, both born in the same month.
Actionable Takeaways for History Buffs
If you're trying to memorize these or use them for a trivia night, don't try to learn all 46 at once. That's a nightmare. Break it down by the "Power Months."
- Memorize the outliers. Remember that June and September are the rarest (2 each).
- Focus on the clusters. October is the peak (6). February, November, and January are the runners-up (5 each).
- The Holiday Link. Calvin Coolidge is the only July 4th birth. Use that as an anchor.
- The "Rushmore" Rule. Washington and Lincoln are both February. That’s your easiest win.
Knowing the president birthdays by month isn't just about dates. It’s about seeing the human side of these figures. They weren't just statues or names in a textbook; they had birthdays, cake, and families. They entered the world in the heat of August or the frost of January, just like the rest of us.
To dive deeper, you might want to visit the Library of Congress digital archives. They have incredible primary sources, including birth records and family Bibles for many of the early presidents. If you're ever in Virginia, the "Birthplace Route" takes you through the sites where many of these men were born, particularly the heavy concentration of October and April babies in the Piedmont region.