Many people who have been adopted throughout history have gone on to do great things in politics, sports and entertainment.
Bill Clinton
Gerald Ford wasn’t the only president to be adopted; Bubba was adopted by his step-father. Bill’s mother remarried after his father’s death in a car accident. Bill Clinton became the governor of Arkansas, and later achieved the U.S. presidency, becoming the 42nd U.S. president.
Aristotle
Aristotle, one of the most famous philosophers in world history, was taken in by Proxenus after his parents were killed when he was young. Although the ancient Greeks likely didn’t have the same sense of adoption that we do in modern times, the philosopher was nonetheless raised by someone other than his parents.
Robert Byrd
The Senator’s mother died as a result of the influenza epidemic of 1918, and his father sent Robert to live with his sister-in-law and her husband, who adopted him. Byrd was one of the most prominent politicians of the second half of the twentieth century, becoming the longest-serving senator and congressman in U.S. history.
John Hancock
One of America’s founding fathers was adopted by his uncle, Thomas Hancock, after his father died and his mother was no longer able to care for the children. Despite his family’s struggles, Hancock would go on to become one of the most prominent political figures in the American Revolution.
Edgar Allan Poe
Poe was never formally adopted, but after the death of his parents he was fostered by a merchant named John Allan and his wife, Frances. The family moved to England when he was six, but they later returned to America, where Poe would go on to be one of the country’s most famous authors of the nineteenth century.
Gerald Ford
President Ford’s parents separated when Gerald was young. Ford was then taken in by his step-father, Gerald R. Ford, and later took his name. Ford would go on to do great things, first playing football for the University of Michigan and later becoming the leader of the Free World.
Greg Louganis
The gold-medal winning Olympian was adopted when he was just a baby by a couple who had adopted another child as well. Louganis went on to be one of the most successful divers in U.S. history, taking home gold at the 1984 and 1988 Olympic games.
Ray Liotta
Liotta, perhaps best known for his turn as Henry Hill in the Martin Scorsese movie Goodfellas, was adopted as a baby. He grew up in New Jersey and became a successful actor.
Nancy Reagan
Ronald Reagan’s wife was adopted by her step-father at that age of 6. Nancy went on to become an actress of moderate success before she married her husband, who became first governor of California and then president of America.
