Who's Your Coolest Ancestor?
- Thread starter Chamale
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One of my ancestors was William Marston, the creator of Wonder Woman and is credited as the creator of the Lie Detector (He also had 2 wives)
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/William_Moulton_Marston
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/William_Moulton_Marston
Grandfather on my mum's side.
He was a very intresting man who my mum often says I'm a lot like he used to be, but sadly he's too old to even properly have a conversation with.
For example of interestingness. Stories from my mum. He took a year off before going to university, but once the war started he joined university in the middle of the year to avoid it, then worked in the ministry of defense in the section for some kind of emergency situations, so he wouldn't have to do any paperwork. He was an engineer that invented a component used to make radar, that he accidently left in a phonebooth once, and it's now used it car smelting processes for a specific car company.
He was a very intresting man who my mum often says I'm a lot like he used to be, but sadly he's too old to even properly have a conversation with.
For example of interestingness. Stories from my mum. He took a year off before going to university, but once the war started he joined university in the middle of the year to avoid it, then worked in the ministry of defense in the section for some kind of emergency situations, so he wouldn't have to do any paperwork. He was an engineer that invented a component used to make radar, that he accidently left in a phonebooth once, and it's now used it car smelting processes for a specific car company.
Well, my great great grandfather was an Austrian army officer, who somehow wound up fighting in the French resistance in WWII. I always found that pretty cool.
On my father's side, my ancestors were the only one of the Galway Tribes to have a direct link to the old Gaels, back in the 1400s, on my mother's side they're from the Munster plantation, dont know much about anyone specific though.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tribes_of_Galway
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tribes_of_Galway
My great grandfather (mum's side) was in both world wars, in the british army. He served at Gallipoli during the first war, and was at Dunkirk during the second where he commanded an AAA unit defending the beach while allied forces withdrew. When the order came for him to destroy his guns, he disobeyed and kept them firing until his unit was litterally the next batch to get off the beach (He was awarded a DSC for his actions)
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gallipoli_Campaign
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dunkirk_evacuation
I also may be distantly related to William Shakespeare
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gallipoli_Campaign
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dunkirk_evacuation
I also may be distantly related to William Shakespeare
On my mother's side, I go back to John Bunyan and at least one Plantagenet king.
On my father's side, we haven't proven anything, but we think that, due to our last name, there might be a connection to the royal line of Wales.
On my father's side, we haven't proven anything, but we think that, due to our last name, there might be a connection to the royal line of Wales.
I haven't researched my family tree that far back, but i do have two badass stories from each of my parents families.
My grandfather (on my dad's side) refused to serve as an officer in Portugal's attempt to maintain control over Angola with military might. He was put in prison, but eventually escaped. He then practically walked all the way to Germany to continue his work as a doctor, and eventually ended up in Sweden. My Grandmother eventually followed him there with my aunt in tow (my dad was in boarding school on the UK). And that's how my dad ended up in Sweden, and started to work with the Swedish embassy (where he met my mom, when they were both working in Zambia).
My mother's Grandfather gained fame within the family at the age of 93. It was christmas, and my Mother's dad had arrived to the big family get-together with a christmas tree (I believe he had bought it). My mom's grandfather claimed that it was "too scrawny", and despite it being about -20 degrees Celsius outside (Don't know the Fahrenheit conversion. Water freezes at 0 Celsius, might give you an idea of how cold), he got his clothes, skis, an axe and went outside. He then went skiing into the forest, and when he found a good tree, he cut it down, and skied back with it. The guy was 93 years old! This is the story our mom tells us when we (me and my siblings) ask how long we should expect to live, based on previous family members.
My grandfather (on my dad's side) refused to serve as an officer in Portugal's attempt to maintain control over Angola with military might. He was put in prison, but eventually escaped. He then practically walked all the way to Germany to continue his work as a doctor, and eventually ended up in Sweden. My Grandmother eventually followed him there with my aunt in tow (my dad was in boarding school on the UK). And that's how my dad ended up in Sweden, and started to work with the Swedish embassy (where he met my mom, when they were both working in Zambia).
My mother's Grandfather gained fame within the family at the age of 93. It was christmas, and my Mother's dad had arrived to the big family get-together with a christmas tree (I believe he had bought it). My mom's grandfather claimed that it was "too scrawny", and despite it being about -20 degrees Celsius outside (Don't know the Fahrenheit conversion. Water freezes at 0 Celsius, might give you an idea of how cold), he got his clothes, skis, an axe and went outside. He then went skiing into the forest, and when he found a good tree, he cut it down, and skied back with it. The guy was 93 years old! This is the story our mom tells us when we (me and my siblings) ask how long we should expect to live, based on previous family members.
Lol I liked point 3 the bestSmokej said:Of course i'm overgeneralizing in some casesspookydom said:
here are the reasons why i'm doubting the validity of the rest:
1. experience on the scienfific matter (although it was only a subdiscipline in my university education, i'm well aware of the strict criteria on objectivity if you're doing genealogical research)
2. experience with people (yeah i'm getting old)
3. closely linked with number 2: It's the internet!
I mean come on, if people claim they are a direct descendant of Captain James Sparrow or whatever, you probably know the outcome. If genealogical research wasn't such a tedious matter, it would be no problem to proof the validity of all the assertions... But as it stands i have to settle myself for a guess...
As an asside here is a fun fact. Did you guys know 0.5% of the male population of the world are descended from Genghis Khan? http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2003/02/0214_030214_genghis.html
Are all of you getting this from just a family record or do you have any online resources? I would love to find out my family heritage, but no one in my family ever kept track. All Ive got is back to my g-grandmother.
(Ancestory.com is not free, its a trial. I tried)
(Ancestory.com is not free, its a trial. I tried)
Well I can't say I wasn't expecting a reply like thatHG131 said:
Also, just remembered. This guy:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Edgar_Degas
is my great-great-great uncle. If you go to his museum/house/place in New Orleans (I've stayed there before) I believe either my mom or my grandmother is on the big family tree they have on the wall.
So yeah, neat.
My great-great-great-great-great uncle, Charlie Pitts, was a member of Jesse James' gang. During their last robbery attempt(the Northfield, Minnesota raid in the article linked below), the heist went bad and the gang agreed to split up to escape. Charlie went with Jim and Bob Younger, and the three of them were cornered in a swamp. The Younger brothers surrendered after being wounded in the following firefight, but Charlie was shot and killed.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/James-Younger_Gang
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/James-Younger_Gang
Apparently I'm related to Sir Joseph Banks, the botanist who was part of Captain Cook's First Fleet that landed in Australia. Then in true Aussie form I have an ancestor who was a notorious bushranger.
My great, great grandfather left Jamaica and immigrated to Australia, but he left his family while here to find gold (literally) so he would have been cool if not for that dick move.
My great, great grandfather left Jamaica and immigrated to Australia, but he left his family while here to find gold (literally) so he would have been cool if not for that dick move.
I really don't know that much about my ancestors, per se. Furthest back I know that well is my grandfather in the war.
He was one of them.
He was one of them.
My ancestors were some of the first settlers in our area. They were Quakers, which was part of the Christian Pacifist movement.
They were also actively involved in the Underground Railroad.
Bam.
They were also actively involved in the Underground Railroad.
Bam.
My great great great grandfather led a Lebanese(Small country in the Middle-East, Canada has lakes bigger than it.)revolution. He hid in a neighbouring country, after his brother was killed, with an Islamic family. He changed his last name to theirs, to honour their help.
On my father's side, I'm a descendant of Robert Fulton... I'd say it's pretty cool
(also, he didn't actually invent the first steamboat, but he did create the first commercialy viable one... it was fun getting to read about an ancestor in my history books)
(also, he didn't actually invent the first steamboat, but he did create the first commercialy viable one... it was fun getting to read about an ancestor in my history books
)
I dont really know his name, (never really bottered to ask) but my moms side of the family comes from Poza Rica Veracruz, a town known for its oil output (petrol?? how do you say that in english!?), one of the central plants catched fire and they where evacuating the complex when my great great uncle (a meager salary man working there) realized that the main valve was open, meaning that if the fire managed to get there, the whole town would be obliverated... this valve was huge and 3 people where needed to close it off, so he grabed two buddies and went back.
they found them scorched into the valve, this one already closed, they built a monument for him and his friends in the town.
i haver always felt proud for this... but for the life of me i dont know why i never bottered to ask his name... i just realized that now... weird...
they found them scorched into the valve, this one already closed, they built a monument for him and his friends in the town.
i haver always felt proud for this... but for the life of me i dont know why i never bottered to ask his name... i just realized that now... weird...