Last Witness to President Abraham Lincoln Assassination

[Cosmo]

I enjoy finding interviews with people who’ve witnessed extraordinary things, especially when there’s historical significance (or whatever they witnessed is far outside anyone else’s living memory).

Mr. Samuel J. Seymour, the last living eyewitness to the assassination of President Abraham Lincoln at Ford’s Theater in Washington, D.C. was the mystery guest on the February 8, 1956 episode of the I’ve Got a Secret game show. Mr. Seymour (March 28, 1860 – April 12, 1956) was actually 95 years of age at the time of this appearance instead of 96.


My dad was born before this guy died in1956. Crazy to think my father’s life overlapped with this guy’s… Time is amazing.

 

[Cosmo]

I’ve watched this a few times now; incredible. This guy was born in 1860 and lived long enough to make a television appearance. Today, this would be like talking to someone who was there to see the Hindenburg explode, or witness the completion of the Empire State Building.

Something about this is jus t flabbergasting to me. It’s just an old man who saw something interesting when he was young, but the context it gives to how things overlap and aren’t as far removed from the present day as you think.