Skip to content
Search AI Powered

Latest Stories

People Describe The Most Famous Person In Their Family

People Describe The Most Famous Person In Their Family
Clem Onojeghuo on Unsplash

Are you related to anybody famous? Where do they stand in your family?

The reality is, we are all probably related in some way or another to some famous figure at some point in history—the size of the human population was a lot smaller back then.

But how about now?

Does anybody whose name crosses the news on a regular or semi-regular basis come to your holiday table?


Redditor LoveSimpleHacks asked:

"Who is the most famous person in your family?"

Here were some of those answers.

Barney And Betty

"My grandmother was the voice of Betty Rubble... And the blue bonnet chicken in Foghorn Leghorn, and little red riding hood on Bugs Bunny (and witcheepoo), and Tweety's grandma (along with other women who voiced her.)"

"And she was on I Love Lucy, and she had her own show called Petticoat Junction, and she was on Burns & Allen.. and.. so... so.. so many more. Oh, and my grandfather was Red Ryder on TV." - Chalky_Cupcake

Crew Crew

"My grandad is a double Olympic bronze medalist for rowing, he has them displayed in a cabinet in his house."

"He’s also one of the most humble and down to earth people I’ve ever met. Never brags or boasts about it, and never brings it up in conversations as a form of one-upping someone."

"If he does talk about it it’s because someone found out by some other means and has asked him about it." - The_Extreme_Potato

You Mean Reality TV Isn't Real?!

"Well I will have you all know my mom has not only been a guest on the Ricki Lake show and the Queen Latifa Show, but the Sally Jessy Raphael show as well!"

"The last one is the only one we have been able to find video evidence of. My mom is a full on attention-seeker and early 2000’s daytime TV was her stage."

"She was also on a couple of 'court' shows but … those storylines were for sure fake. She just wanted a free trip." - sadmotelvibes

These are the people that represent us and our family on the world stage.

Rutherford? I Hardly Know 'Er Ford!

"My great-great Uncle, Ernest Rutherford. The father of Nuclear Physics!"

"My granny has fond memories of him, and it was a buzz to visit the Nobel Prize Museum and see him honoured there. I can attest that the propensity to be good at physics is not passed on, I was horrendous." - petanotpeter

Its Fleece As White As Snow

"George Ellery Hale. His father owned the Hale Elevator Co, who provided the elevators for Chicago's new skyscrapers after the Chicago fire."

"George was a solar astronomer who made discoveries concerning magnetic fields and sunspots. Some of his most famous work, however, was getting 4 observatories built, including Mount Wilson where Hubble made his discoveries of the expanding universe."

"He got multiple world leading telescopes built. Is considered a founder of astrophysics. Cofounded the Journal of Astrophysics. Received numerous awards for his scientific research and achievements."

"I may be related to Sarah Josepha Hale, who wrote 'Mary Had a Little Lamb' and was instrumental in getting Abraham Lincoln to make Thanksgiving a federal holiday, but I'm still researching that one." - ProbablyABore

Google Docs - create and edit documents online, for free.

Create a new document and edit with others at the same time -- from your computer, phone or tablet. Get stuff done with or without an internet connection. Use Docs to edit Word files. Free from Google.

Is There A Doctor In The House?

"Not famous in the traditional sense, but I have 4 uncles in my family who are world renowned physicians. One has a patent that is used worldwide in cardiac surgery."

"Another just won India's second most prestigious award for citizens' distinguished service from the President of India himself."

"Another is retired but used to be the personal physician to the Royal House of Bhutan. The last is one of the top orthopedic surgeons in the world. Pretty astounding achievements in their fields." - dhalsim282

Another Pandemic, Another Time

"My grandmother was a nurse during the 1918 flu. A large farm family was stricken with the virus so she stayed on the farm and nursed them all back to health."

"The mother was pregnant and when the baby was born, my grandmother returned to care for mom and baby. My grandfather was a close relative of the farmer and worked as a hired hand."

"The baby was the father of singer Christopher Cross." - DamnDame

The world is a lot smaller than we give it credit for, so in doing a true family tree trace, you could find one of these surprising figures in your family.

Politicians

"My grandma was a very popular governmental figure and since finishing her term, nobody has really been noteworthy in the same position, the job pretty much never gets mentioned."

"I know I'm biased of course, but I keep up with it and there's nearly no news. No outreach. Nothing. Mostly disappointments. People not doing anything with the job."

"Most of her 'fanbase' are pretty old now. But she used to get stopped every time we went out, it was a huge pain as a kid." - ladyalot

Saving The Family

"Both of my paternal great grandmothers walked The Trail of Tears. Both lost their entire families during the walk due to exposure."

"One quickly became a Robin Hood of sorts by stealing things from drunken passed out soldiers at night, then passing out what she could."

"Both of them were the best of friends, married (one married a Frenchmen, the other a Swiss farmer) and had children. One of each of their children married and they were my grandparents. My dad is 92 come March. (I’m 35. Second mid life crisis😅)" - Professor_Quackers

I Know Your Face

"My aunt is not famous, but she's been an actress her whole life and has been lucky enough to get some small parts here and there."

"She was in a movie with Matt Damon, she was recently in a TV show with Alec Baldwin, and she knows a ton of other celebrities".

"She was in House of Cards, Daredevil, etc. But, yeah, she is definitely not famous and she is just scraping by to pay the bills despite doing better than the average actress." - gman4734

So even though someone in your family might not make the newspapers on a daily basis in 2021, they are still an important part of history.

Be sure to give credit where credit is due.

Want to "know" more?

Sign up for the Knowable newsletter here.

Never miss another big, odd, funny, or heartbreaking moment again.

More from Trending/best-of-reddit

Winnie Harlow; Whitney Houston
PG/Bauer-Griffin/GC Images; Peter Jordan/PA Images via Getty Images

Model Winnie Harlow Responds To Backlash Over Her Whitney Houston Halloween Look

Model Winnie Harlow is under fire for a controversial Halloween costume depicting one of Whitney Houston's lowest moments—or highest, depending on who you ask.

Harlow is firmly in the latter camp. But many Houston fans online are furious, even after Harlow explained that her intent was to honor the music legend, not mock her.

Keep ReadingShow less
Screenshot of Donald Trump; Zohran Mamdani
60 Minutes; Andres Kudacki/Getty Images

Trump Dragged After Making Outrageous Comparison To Zohran Mamdani In Viral Clip

President Donald Trump was widely mocked after he asserted during a 60 Minutes interview with Norah O'Donnell that he's "much better-looking" than New York City mayoral candidate Zohran Mamdani—a claim that not a soul is taking seriously.

Trump isn't exactly known to be a looker but he has nonetheless declared himself a "perfect physical specimen" and boasted about his physical prowess, once noting that his own White House physician had declared him "healthier than Obama"—despite Trump's distaste for exercise and fondness for fast food.

Keep ReadingShow less
Gavin Newsom; Karoline Leavit
Justin Sullivan/Getty Images; Andrew Harnik/Getty Images

Gavin Newsom Rips Karoline Leavitt After She Says White House Toilet 'Horrified' Her Before Renovation

California Governor Gavin Newsom criticized White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt and the GOP at large after she claimed to have been "horrified" by the toilet in the Lincoln bathroom before President Donald Trump's marble renovation.

Trump shared an update about ongoing renovations aboard Air Force One while en route to Florida for the weekend, even as the federal government remains shut down and his administration continues to refuse to release all of the emergency funds to sustain SNAP food assistance benefits through November.

Keep ReadingShow less
people seated at bar
Hai Nguyen on Unsplash

People Describe The Most Memorable Moments They Had With A Stranger Who They Never Saw Again

Chance encounters can be meaningful, even if you never see the person again.

Maybe they impart some wisdom or restore your faith in humanity or just entertain you for a little while.

Keep ReadingShow less
Jack Schlossberg (left); Julia Fox (right)
Tom Williams/CQ-Roll Call, Inc via Getty Images; Tiffany Rose/Getty Images for HIM Training Camp

Jackie Kennedy's Grandson Slams Julia Fox's 'Disgusting' JFK Assassination Halloween Costume

Of all the 2025 Halloween costumes in the world—from Labubus to K-pop Warriors to Glindas and Elphabas—Julia Fox went with the one soaked in presidential tragedy.

The Uncut Gems actress arrived at a New York City Halloween party in a replica of the pink Chanel suit worn by First Lady Jacqueline Kennedy on November 22, 1963—the day President John F. Kennedy was assassinated in Dallas.

Keep ReadingShow less