It’s an American story. Ancestry.com, the world’s largest online family history resource announced yesterday that President Obama and former Alaska Governor Sarah Palin are 10th cousins through common ancestor John Smith. The website also found that Obama is related to one of his most vociferous critics, conservative radio talk show host Rush Limbaugh. They are said to be 10th cousins once removed through a common ancestor Richmond Terrell.
Ancestry.com researchers also discovered that Palin, Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid and conservative author Ann Coulter are also cousins through Englishman John Lathrop, who was exiled to the United States for becoming a minister of an illegal independent church.
Obama, Palin and former President George W. Bush are also said to be related. Obama and Bush, who both reached the highest office in the land, are 11th cousins through common ancestor Samuel Hinckley. Palin and Bush, who are also 11th cousins, are also related through Hinckley. Apparently leadership runs in the family, since Hinckley’s son, Thomas, went on to become governor of Plymouth Colony.
“We have all watched the heated media coverage as the leadership of Congress is at stake in this very contentious upcoming November election,” said Anastasia Tyler, a genealogist at Ancestry.com. “It is not unusual, however, to find family members on different ends of the political spectrum. This election season is an ideal time to look into the family trees of our candidates and their critics to learn more about the ties that make them all part of this great country.”
Other Famous Finds
These newfound family connections between our nation’s top political players are the latest of several discoveries from the research team at Ancestry.com:
- In 2009, Ancestry.com discovered that Obama and financial investor Warren Buffett are more than just allies. The two men are 7th cousins three times removed.
- Ancestry.com also revealed that Obama and actor Brad Pitt are 9th cousins.
- In 2008, Ancestry.com announced that then-Governor Sarah Palin is a distant cousin to both Franklin D. Roosevelt and Princess Diana.
Ancestry.com recently announced it has extended its relationship with NBC for the second season of the hit television series “Who Do You Think You Are?” Ancestry.com worked with NBC on the first season of “Who Do You Think You Are?” that debuted in March 2010, providing important family history research for the show, including tracing the roots of the seven celebrities featured.