When Forrest starts his run across America, he passes the barbershop and the tv announces that President Carter collapsed in Maryland from heat exhaustion. When Forrest is home from running and gets Jenny's letter, the tv announces that Ronald Reagan has been shot. Forrest claimed to have ran for three years, two months, fourteen days and sixteen hours. However, Jimmy Carter collapsed in Maryland on Sept. 15th, 1979 and Ronald Reagan was shot on March 30th, 1981. So Forrest actually only ran for about a year and a half.