Hi, I’m John Green, and welcome to my salon! Today, we’re diving into the fascinating world of siblings of famous historical figures. Did you know that Walt Disney’s brother, Roy, played a huge role in the success of Disney? He was the chairman of the board for many years and even helped start the company with $250 back in 1923. After Walt’s death, Roy postponed his retirement to help build Walt Disney World. He once said his job was to help Walt do what he wanted to do. That’s pretty cool, right?
Napoleon Bonaparte, the famous French leader, had several siblings. His older brother, Joseph, was quite interesting. Joseph ruled Naples and later Spain, even though he wanted to be a writer. After his time in Europe, he moved to New Jersey in the U.S. with the crown jewels of Spain! He also helped make Niagara Falls a popular honeymoon spot.
Cleopatra, the famous Egyptian queen, had a brother named Ptolemy XIII. He became pharaoh at a young age and eventually exiled Cleopatra due to jealousy. Unfortunately for him, things didn’t end well.
Mark Antony, a Roman leader, was married to Octavia, the sister of the future Emperor Augustus. Octavia worked hard to keep peace between Antony and Augustus, even though Antony was involved with Cleopatra.
Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart wasn’t the only musical genius in his family. His older sister, Maria Anna, was a talented piano player who toured Europe and even helped teach Mozart.
Mary Boleyn, known for her connection to King Henry VIII, had an affair with him before marrying one of his friends. Later, she married a man of lower status, which led to her banishment.
King George III of England had a sister, Caroline Matilda, who became queen of Denmark. She had an affair with a doctor, which caused a scandal and led to her divorce.
Louis XIV of France had a younger brother, Philippe, who was openly homosexual and a skilled military commander.
In China, Crown Prince Yin was the older brother of Emperor Li Shimin, who helped start the Tang Dynasty. Unfortunately, the Crown Prince was killed after a power struggle.
Christopher Columbus had a younger brother, Bartholomew, who was an explorer and helped Columbus with his expeditions to the New World.
Famous painter Edvard Munch had a sister, Sophie, whose death inspired much of his artwork.
Branwell Brontë, the only brother of the famous Brontë sisters, struggled in his career but worked with his sisters on creative projects.
Edwin Booth was a renowned actor and the brother of the man who assassinated Abraham Lincoln. He had a successful acting career and even saved Lincoln’s son.
Manfred von Richthofen, known as the Red Baron, had a brother, Lothar, who was also a fighter pilot during World War I.
Albert Göring, the younger brother of Hermann Göring, helped Jewish people escape Germany during World War II.
Lizzie Borden had an older sister, Emma, and after Lizzie’s trial, they had a falling out.
Harry Houdini performed with his brother Theo, and after Harry’s death, Theo continued the family legacy.
Al Capone had siblings, including his oldest brother, who had a varied career.
Famous baseball player Joe DiMaggio had a brother named Dom who played for the Boston Red Sox.
Benjamin Franklin had 16 siblings, including his youngest sister Jane, with whom he exchanged letters for many years.
Charles Adams, son of President John Adams, struggled with personal issues despite his promising start.
President Teddy Roosevelt’s younger brother, Elliot, faced challenges in his life, including issues with alcohol.
Donald Nixon, brother of Richard Nixon, had a colorful life in California.
Jimmy Carter had a brother, Billy, who faced his own challenges.
Jackie Kennedy Onassis had a younger sister, Caroline, who briefly pursued acting.
Finally, Leo Gallagher, the comedian known for his fruit-smashing routine, allowed his brother Ron to perform a similar act, leading to a legal dispute.
Thanks for joining me on this journey through history’s lesser-known siblings. Remember, don’t forget to be awesome!
Research one of the historical figures mentioned and create a family tree that includes their siblings. Include interesting facts about each sibling and how they contributed to history. Present your family tree to the class and explain the relationships and roles of each family member.
Choose a sibling of a famous historical figure and imagine you are a journalist interviewing them. Write a list of questions you would ask and then role-play the interview with a classmate. Focus on uncovering their personal stories and contributions to their famous sibling’s life.
Write a short story or a diary entry from the perspective of one of the siblings discussed in the article. Describe a day in their life, highlighting their achievements and challenges. Share your story with the class and discuss how their experiences might have influenced their famous sibling.
Create a timeline that highlights the key achievements and events in the lives of both a famous historical figure and their sibling. Use visuals and brief descriptions to illustrate how their lives intersected and influenced each other. Present your timeline to the class.
Participate in a debate about whether the siblings of famous historical figures should be considered unsung heroes. Research and present arguments for or against the recognition of these siblings’ contributions to history. Engage with your classmates in a respectful and thoughtful discussion.
Sure! Here’s a sanitized version of the transcript, removing any inappropriate or sensitive content while maintaining the essence of the original message:
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Hi, I’m John Green. Welcome to my salon. This is a Mental Floss video. Did you know that Walt Disney’s brother Roy was the chairman of the board of Walt Disney Productions for many years? He also contributed $250 of the $790 total to help start the company in 1923 and postponed his retirement to build Walt Disney World after his brother’s death in 1966. Roy once described his job as helping Walt do the things he wanted to do. That’s funny; that’s what my job is, too—only my brother’s name isn’t Walt.
Anyway, that’s the first of many interesting lesser-known siblings of famous historical figures I’m going to tell you about today in this video brought to you by our friends at Geico.
Napoleon Bonaparte had several brothers and sisters, but probably the most interesting is his older brother Joseph, who ruled Naples and later Spain. Despite his ambition to be a writer, Napoleon encouraged him to take on leadership roles. Joseph later moved to the U.S. and ended up in New Jersey with the crown jewels of Spain, which he had acquired. Joseph also helped popularize Niagara Falls as a honeymoon location.
One of Napoleon’s sisters, Pauline, had two husbands. The first one died, and the second was a prince whom she didn’t spend much time with. She was known for having many affairs.
This brings us to Cleopatra’s brother/husband, Ptolemy XIII, who became the pharaoh of Egypt at a young age. He eventually exiled his sister due to jealousy, which did not end well for him.
Mark Antony was married to Octavia, the sister of future Emperor Augustus. Octavia played a role in creating peace between Antony and Augustus during a tumultuous time in ancient Rome, but Antony continued his relationship with Cleopatra.
Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart wasn’t the only prodigy in the family; his older sister Maria Anna toured Europe as a piano player at a young age and helped teach the instrument to her younger brother.
Mary Boleyn, known for her connection to Henry VIII, had an affair with him for at least two years before marrying one of his friends. She later married a man of lower status, which led to her banishment.
King George III of England had a sister, Caroline Matilda, who became queen of Denmark. She had an affair with a doctor, which led to a scandal and her eventual divorce.
Louis XIV of France had a younger brother, Philippe, who was openly homosexual and an accomplished military commander.
In China, Crown Prince Yin was the older brother of Emperor Li Shimin, who helped found the Tang Dynasty. The Crown Prince was eventually killed after a power struggle.
Christopher Columbus had a younger brother, Bartholomew, who was an explorer and cartographer. He assisted Columbus with expeditions to the New World.
Famous painter Edvard Munch had a sister, Sophie, whose death inspired much of his work.
Branwell Brontë, the only brother of the famous Brontë siblings, struggled to find success in his career but collaborated with his sisters on creative projects.
Edwin Booth was a famous actor known as the brother of the man who assassinated Abraham Lincoln. He had a prolific acting career and even saved Lincoln’s son.
Manfred von Richthofen, known as the Red Baron, had a brother, Lothar, who was also a fighter pilot during World War I.
Albert Göring, the younger brother of Hermann Göring, helped Jewish people escape Germany during World War II.
Lizzie Borden had an older sister, Emma, and after Lizzie’s trial, they had a falling out.
Harry Houdini performed with his brother Theo, and after Harry’s death, Theo continued the family legacy.
Al Capone had siblings, including his oldest brother, who had a varied career.
Famous baseball player Joe DiMaggio had a brother named Dom who played for the Boston Red Sox.
Benjamin Franklin had 16 siblings, including his youngest sister Jane, with whom he exchanged letters for many years.
Charles Adams, son of President John Adams, struggled with personal issues despite his promising start.
President Teddy Roosevelt’s younger brother, Elliot, faced challenges in his life, including issues with alcohol.
Donald Nixon, brother of Richard Nixon, had a colorful life in California.
Jimmy Carter had a brother, Billy, who faced his own challenges.
Jackie Kennedy Onassis had a younger sister, Caroline, who briefly pursued acting.
Finally, Leo Gallagher, the comedian known for his fruit-smashing routine, allowed his brother Ron to perform a similar act, leading to a legal dispute.
Thanks for watching this Mental Floss video, made possible by our friends at Geico. As we say in my hometown, don’t forget to be awesome!
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This version maintains the informative nature of the original while ensuring that the content is appropriate for all audiences.
Siblings – Brothers and sisters; people who share at least one parent – In the famous musical family, the siblings often performed together on stage.
History – The study of past events, particularly in human affairs – In history class, we learned about the impact of the Renaissance on the performing arts.
Performing – Presenting a form of entertainment, such as acting, singing, or dancing, to an audience – The young actor was nervous about performing in his first school play.
Arts – Various branches of creative activity, such as painting, music, literature, and dance – The arts have played a significant role in shaping cultures throughout history.
Famous – Known about by many people; having a widespread reputation – The famous composer wrote music that is still performed in concert halls today.
Family – A group of people related by blood or marriage – The artist’s family supported her passion for painting from a young age.
Brother – A male sibling – Her brother was a talented musician who played the violin in the school orchestra.
Sister – A female sibling – His sister was known for her beautiful singing voice and often led the choir.
Scandal – An action or event regarded as morally or legally wrong and causing general public outrage – The scandal involving the famous actor shocked the theater community.
Musician – A person who plays a musical instrument or is musically talented – The musician practiced for hours every day to prepare for the big concert.
