There’s a common human thread that everyone shares, whether you’re Cindy Crawford, an office worker in Munich, or you have the most important job of all (mom, of course) in Salt Lake City: everyone wants to know where and who, they came from. Genealogy is the study and tracking of your ancestry lines, and each one’s history is unique. No matter what your ancestors did, knowing your roots doesn’t determine who you are, but it sure does offer insight (not to mention some great conversation starters).
Celebrities are just like us, except that people are far more interested in finding out what’s in Kelly Clarkson’s shopping cart than they are in the peanut butter and broccoli you’re promoting. It’s no wonder that when it comes to genealogy, we can’t get enough of figuring out who our favorite A-listers ancestors were. Here are some of the most shocking celebrity genealogy reveals yet.
Unearthing history
Zooey Deschanel may be best known for portraying “lovable,” especially on her show. New girl, and it seems she comes from a long line of strong women. One of his ancestors was Sarah Henderson Pownall, an abolitionist who helped break ground and left a lot of documentation to prove it. Pownall’s forward-thinking actions, beliefs, and dreams are clear, so perhaps there is a seed of truth in all of nature vs. Nurture the debate as Deschanel is known for her free love ways.
If it seems like some people have all the luck, Cindy Crawford’s ancestral roots seem to prove it. The aging supermodel recently discovered that she is related to Ernest Hemingway. As if being the descendant of a literary giant wasn’t enough, Crawford is also a distant relative of an Italian king and Charlemagne. With royalty and greatness running through her blood, Crawford has said “Not bad for a girl from the Midwest.”
Did it all start with a Big Bang?
Jim Parsons, best known for playing Sheldon Cooper in Big Bang Theory, has revealed that his great-grandfather six times was the “first-class architect” of the King of France in the late 18th century. During his visit to France, Parsons was able to experience what every genealogist works: See first-hand the results of the hard work of an ancestor. As you walk into a historic church that your ancestor designed and helped build, there is nothing like a tangible artifact to remind all of us how real our roots are.
Not everyone is related to royalty, not everyone can trace our lineage back a thousand years, and sometimes most of the time, the most incredible stories are not mixed with paparazzi and celebrities. Each story is exciting, fascinating, heartbreaking, inspiring, and full of joy because they are real. It is not known what a person will discover when they begin to inquire into their family history. There may be dead ends and dispelled or proven family rumors, but a glimpse into the past can be an excellent stepping stone to a better-informed future.