When was John Adams born?

John Adams, the second president of the United States, was born on Oct. 30, 1735, in the northern section of Braintree, Mass., now known as Quincy. He was the eldest son of John and Susanna Boylston Adams.

Educated as a lawyer at Harvard, Adams was very active in the movement for independence in America. He was elected the nation's first vice president, serving two terms under President George Washington. He became president in 1797 and served one term. Adams and his wife Abigail had five children. One son, John Quincy Adams, became the sixth U.S. president. John Adams died on July 4, 1826, the 50th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence; Thomas Jefferson died on the same day.