Lionel Richie is one of the latest celebs to trace his roots
Roots of the Well Known
Lionel Richie is one of the latest celebs to trace his roots. He had a little help from a certain TV show. The legendary musician has ties to an old civil rights organization dating back to 1897 through his great-grandfather. Learn interesting facts about other famous family trees.
Adolf Hitler
Adolf Hitler (read his biography) had some interesting finds in his family tree, according to DNA research. The revelation underscores the surprises many people often uncover when researching their genealogy. See what you can dig up about your own family.
Vanessa Williams
The award-winning actress and former beauty queen has roots in the Tennessee legislature, where her great-great-grandfather served. Read her biography.
Tim McGraw
This country star (read his biography) found out in his teens that his biological father was this professional baseball player. He's also got ties to this former president, since an ancestor was actually mentioned in one of the former president's journals.
Emmitt Smith
Football great Emmitt Smith, who also happened to win this show, was able to trace his roots all the way to this West African country, whence his ancestors were brought to America as slaves.
Alex Haley
His 1976 historical novel "Roots" and subsequent miniseries (clips) ignited genealogical interest, especially among African-Americans. Haley's research revealed that his ancestors were slaves from this country. They landed in this Maryland town, which has a statue (see photos of it) in honor of Haley telling the story of his family tree.
Sarah Palin
The Rev. John Lothrop, who came from England in 1634 and founded a New England town, is an ancestor of both Palin and the former president who expanded social services. The ex-Alaska governor is also a distant cousin of this late English princess.
President Barack Obama
Born in Hawaii, the commander in chief is the son of Barack Obama Sr. (photos), a Kenyan, and Ann Dunham a Kansan. On his maternal side, President Obama is related to his predecessor, a British prime minister and a handsome A-list actor.
Tom Hanks
Hank's family tree's maternal branch includes 1800s immigrants from a southwestern European country; the paternal branch includes a great American president. Via his stepmom, the California-born actor (clips) has Chinese-American siblings. Read Hanks' biography.
Sarah Jessica Parker
Sarah Jessica Parker (read her biography) originally thought her ancestors were German. But she got a surprise in the family tree. (Watch a clip of her learning about her roots.) Parker's people are English, and her 10th great-grandmother was accused of wicked deeds.
Eva Longoria
"He's Mexican?" jokes the Tejana actress on learning that she and this Chinese-American cellist share an ancestor. Longoria made the discovery on Henry Louis Gates Jr.'s genealogy series.
Robert Pattinson
London native Pattinson (read his biography), star of a certain vampire movie franchise, is a distant relative of the real-life count who inspired an influential Bram Stoker novel. On a less-gothic note, the actor is also a distant cousin of two British princes.
Tina Turner
On "African American Lives," Turner (read her biography) explores her multiracial heritage. Her great-great-grandfather was an African-American sharecropper (what is that?) and minister; she also has European DNA and blood from these tribes.
Dwayne 'The Rock' Johnson
Although not born in Hawaii, the wrestler-turned-actor (catchphrase?) is of Pacific islander ancestry, specifically here, on his mother's side. Johnson's African-Canadian father, also a wrestling champ, is from a province with a rich black heritage. (
Soledad O'Brien
The CNN reporter's full name, María de la Soledad Teresa O'Brien, offers clues to her heritage. (See photos of her.) She was born in New York to an African-American mom from this island. Her dad? He's of Irish descent and an emigrant from Toowoomba in this country.
Lionel Richie is one of the latest celebs to trace his roots. He had a little help from a certain TV show. The legendary musician has ties to an old civil rights organization dating back to 1897 through his great-grandfather. Learn interesting facts about other famous family trees.
Adolf Hitler (read his biography) had some interesting finds in his family tree, according to DNA research. The revelation underscores the surprises many people often uncover when researching their genealogy. See what you can dig up about your own family.
The award-winning actress and former beauty queen has roots in the Tennessee legislature, where her great-great-grandfather served. Read her biography.
This country star (read his biography) found out in his teens that his biological father was this professional baseball player. He's also got ties to this former president, since an ancestor was actually mentioned in one of the former president's journals.
Football great Emmitt Smith, who also happened to win this show, was able to trace his roots all the way to this West African country, whence his ancestors were brought to America as slaves.
His 1976 historical novel "Roots" and subsequent miniseries (clips) ignited genealogical interest, especially among African-Americans. Haley's research revealed that his ancestors were slaves from this country. They landed in this Maryland town, which has a statue (see photos of it) in honor of Haley telling the story of his family tree.
The Rev. John Lothrop, who came from England in 1634 and founded a New England town, is an ancestor of both Palin and the former president who expanded social services. The ex-Alaska governor is also a distant cousin of this late English princess.
Born in Hawaii, the commander in chief is the son of Barack Obama Sr. (photos), a Kenyan, and Ann Dunham a Kansan. On his maternal side, President Obama is related to his predecessor, a British prime minister and a handsome A-list actor.
Hank's family tree's maternal branch includes 1800s immigrants from a southwestern European country; the paternal branch includes a great American president. Via his stepmom, the California-born actor (clips) has Chinese-American siblings. Read Hanks' biography.
Sarah Jessica Parker (read her biography) originally thought her ancestors were German. But she got a surprise in the family tree. (Watch a clip of her learning about her roots.) Parker's people are English, and her 10th great-grandmother was accused of wicked deeds.
"He's Mexican?" jokes the Tejana actress on learning that she and this Chinese-American cellist share an ancestor. Longoria made the discovery on Henry Louis Gates Jr.'s genealogy series.
London native Pattinson (read his biography), star of a certain vampire movie franchise, is a distant relative of the real-life count who inspired an influential Bram Stoker novel. On a less-gothic note, the actor is also a distant cousin of two British princes.
On "African American Lives," Turner (read her biography) explores her multiracial heritage. Her great-great-grandfather was an African-American sharecropper (what is that?) and minister; she also has European DNA and blood from these tribes.
Although not born in Hawaii, the wrestler-turned-actor (catchphrase?) is of Pacific islander ancestry, specifically here, on his mother's side. Johnson's African-Canadian father, also a wrestling champ, is from a province with a rich black heritage. (
The CNN reporter's full name, María de la Soledad Teresa O'Brien, offers clues to her heritage. (See photos of her.) She was born in New York to an African-American mom from this island. Her dad? He's of Irish descent and an emigrant from Toowoomba in this country.
