We have all heard of twins separated experiencing similar events in their
lives. But the parallels between the lives of these two look alike stagger
the imagination and add up to some amazing coincidences.
On July 29, 1900, King Umberto 1 of Italy was to present the prizes at an athletic meet in the town of Monza. The king and his aide-de-camp Gen. Emilio Ponzio-Vaglia arrived in town a day early and dined at a small restaurant for dinner.
When the owner of the restaurant arrived at the kings table both men were amazed at the uncanny resemblance between the king and the restaurant owner. They were almost exact doubles in both the face and in their build.
The two men began talking and the similarities didn't stop at physical appearance. Both men where born on March 14,1844, in the same town. Each man was named Umberto. On April 22,1868 both men were married to a woman named Margherita. Both Umbertos had a son and named them Vittorio. On the date of King Umberto's coronation the other Umberto opened his restaurant
King Umberto was overwhelmed by the amount of coincidences and wondered why their paths had never crossed. The restaurant owner told the king that in fact their paths had crossed on two separate occasions. The first time was in 1866 when both men were decorated for bravery. umberto was a private and the king was a colonel. The second time was when both men were given a promotion in 1870. The restaurant owner then had to return to his work.
The king ordered his aide to see that Umberto was present at the meet the next day. "I intend to make that man a Cavaliere of the Crown of Italy..." the king stated.
The next day at the meet the restaurant owner didn't show. When the king asked where the man was he was told of the man's unfortunate demise. Umberto the restaurant owner had been shot to death that day. While the king was asking about the whereabouts of the funeral so that he might attend, shots rang out. The first shot fired by the assain missed the king, but the second and third shot pierced his heart and the king died instantly.
Luckily these types of coincidences are rare.
(Mysteries of the Unexplained, p.61-62)