Roots of the Well Known

Roots of the Well Known

Roots of the Well Known.President Obama retraced some of his lesser-known ancestral roots to a village in Ireland .. One of the president's maternal great-great-great-grandfathers was a shoemaker who immigrated to the United States during the height of a crisis in his homeland. Crowds packed the streets to hear Obama speak as he kicked off a four-nation tour of Europe

Adolf Hitler
Adolf Hitler 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.

Lionel Richie
When Lionel Richie retraced 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.

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 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 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 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. 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 originally thought her ancestors were German. But she got a surprise in the family tree.  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,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 explores her multiracial heritage. Her great-great-grandfather was an African-American sharecropper 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  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. 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.

Hillary Rodham Clinton
The secretary of state has an exciting family tree, including:

* Madonna
* an Oscar-winning actress
* a Canadian diva
* the author of "On the Road"
* the singer of "Ironic"

Robert Pattinson

'I'm TERRIFIED of clowns', admits Robert Pattinson as he reveals

By DAILY MAIL REPORTER

Coulrophobic: Robert Pattinson has revealed he is terrified of clowns after a traumatic incident during a family outing at the circus


Twilight star Robert Pattinson has revealed he is terrified of clowns after a traumatic incident at the circus when he was a child.

The 24-year-old actor said he was turned into a coulrophobic after a family outing to the Big Top ended with the death of one of the clowns.

And now, despite playing the fearless vampire Edward Cullen in the Twilight film series, Robert admits he hasn't been able to shake his phobia.


Admission: Twilight actor Robert Pattinson opened up to Ellen DeGeneres about getting suspended from primary school


He told America's Today Show: 'The first time I went to the circus somebody died. One of the clowns died.

'His little car exploded. The joke car exploded on him. Seriously. Everybody ran out. It was terrifying.'

And Robert isn't the only famous coulrophobic - Johnny Depp and P. Diddy have previously admitted being irrationally scared of the beings.

Meanwhile, Robert, who is currently promoting new movie Water For Elephants, also revealed to U.S. TV host Ellen DeGeneres that he was once suspended from school because he tried to stop other children from killing snails.

The actor also had his beloved Top Trumps cards confiscated and his teacher threw all the saved snails in the bin, he said.


Casual: Seen here later in the day arriving to record an interview with chat show host Jimmy Kimmel


Robert Pattinson on Ellen 2011



source: dailymail

Reese Witherspoon and Robert Pattinson share uncomfortable cuddle

By DAILY MAIL REPORTER

Awkward? Robert Pattinson and Reese Witherspoon posed for pictures on the red-carpet for the premiere of their new film, Water For Elephants, at the Ziegfeld Theatre in New York City


After already complaining about getting intimate with Twilight star Robert Pattinson this week, Reese Witherspoon was once again forced to cozy up close to her younger co-star tonight.

The pair shared an uncomfortable cuddle as they posed for pictures on the red-carpet for the premiere of their new film, Water For Elephants, at the Ziegfeld Theatre in New York City.

The awkward embrace comes after the 35-year-old actress revealed that her steamy sex scenes with the 24-year-old were anything but enjoyable.


Pretty in puffball: Reese was radiant in a cream Jason Wu puffball mini dress which had a stunning fine black floral embroidery scattered around the skirt and bodice


Reese described her kissing scenes with the Twilight hunk as 'unpleasant'.

'He had a very runny nose,' she told MTV, adding: 'It wasn’t appealing. It wasn’t pleasant.'

Reese, who married talent agent Jim Toth last month, offered her co-star some advice for his future kissing scenes too.

'Bring a Sudafed,' she joked.

Reese could barely force a smile on the arm of Robert, who had his arm wrapped around her waist.

The duo appeared more comfortable when they posed with their co-star Hal Holbrook, who plays the older version of Pattinison's character.

Regardless of their lacklustre chemistry, the two co-stars looked equally elegant for tonight's occasion.


Three's a crowd? Reese and Robert also posed with their 86-year-old co-star Hal Holbrook, who plays the older version of Pattinison's character


The recently married actress also showed off her wedding band set, which she received from Toth when the pair exchanged vows only weeks before.

Robert, who is rumoured to be in a relationship with his 21-year-old Twilight co-star Kristen Stewart, looked dashing in a checked charcoal suit with a white shirt and burgundy tie.

While Kristen wasn't on hand to escort him down the red-carpet, the handsome British actor did have his two older sisters, Victoria and Lizzy Pattinson for moral support.


Brilliant black: Making sensible fashion choices was P.S. I Love You star Gina Gershon and Robert's two older sisters, Victoria and Lizzy Pattinson, who came along for moral support



Good sport: Robert took time out to sign autograph and pose with excited fans


Robert Pattinson WFE Red carpet arrival (April 17 2011)



source: dailymail