Random Modern Descendants Of Historical Figures Who Work In The Same Field (10 items)

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  (#6) Jane Austen

  • Dec. at 41 (1775-1817)

  Jane Austen, one of the most celebrated English authors, wrote masterpieces - like Pride and Prejudice, Sense and Sensibility, and Mansfield Park - which became adapted into other forms. Her best stories continue to inspire films and series to this day - some of which include zombies. Austen's literary longevity helped one of her modern descendants, Anna Chancellor, to appear in a TV adaptation of Pride and Prejudice.

  Chancellor has a few famous ancestors, including her great-great-grandfather H.H. Asquith, a prime minister. She’s the sixth-great-niece of Austen, who died in 1817. Chancellor was already a well-established actor (including a role in Four Weddings and a Funeral) when she appeared as Caroline Bingley in the 1995 miniseries Pride and Prejudice, so it wasn’t a case of nepotism - simply a happy coincidence, which let Chancellor keep her great-aunt’s story alive.
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  (#4) Elvis Presley

  • Dec. at 42 (1935-1977)

  Elvis Presley is arguably the most famous individual in entertainment history, which makes it astonishing that his descendants have managed to keep such a low profile, including Riley Keough, Elvis's granddaughter. She has established a thriving acting career without relying on her grandfather's fame. And as Lisa Marie Presley's daughter, she also has a famous stepfather: Michael Jackson.

  In addition to her role as Capable in the Oscar-nominated Mad Max: Fury Road, Keough has appeared in American Honey, Logan Lucky, and TV’s The Girlfriend Experience, where she plays lead-character, Christine Reade. One could argue Riley has already surpassed her grandfather’s acting career, though she hasn't attempted to match his musical resume.
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  (#9) Albert Einstein

  • Dec. at 76 (1879-1955)

  Few family names come with loftier expectations than Einstein, a moniker now synonymous with genius. Albert Einstein died in New Jersey in 1955 after altering the world of physics forever, and though he had numerous grandchildren, most have avoided conducting scientific research. It’s easy to understand why. Grandpa Albert set the bar preposterously high, and any Einstein entering the sciences would have to reach an impossible standard of excellence.

  The only modern Einstein to stick with the sciences is allegedly Thomas Martin Einstein, MD, grandson of Albert and an anesthesiologist in California. Dr. Einstein might not invent theorems or formulas, but he still had to obtain several degrees for his current position.
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  (#7) William Howard Taft

  • Dec. at 72 (1857-1930)

  There are several well-known political dynasties in Washington, like the Bushes and the Kennedys, but a lesser-known family dynasty dates back to 27th President of the United States, William Howard Taft. The former president also served as chief justice of the United States for roughly a decade.

  The two most prominent Tafts in the modern political landscape are William Howard Taft IV and his brother, Bob. William is an attorney who has held lofty US government positions, including deputy secretary of defense and permanent representative to NATO. William served under three Republican presidents, Ronald Reagan and both Bushes. 

  Bob Taft is a more traditional politician, serving as the governor of Ohio for eight years, a stint which ended in 2007. He was the first governor in Ohio history with a conviction for criminal charges, which came after a 2005 trial for incomplete financial disclosures.
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  (#10) Charlie Chaplin

  • Dec. at 88 (1889-1977)

  Game of Thrones viewers are familiar with the character of Talisa Maegyr, who has married into the Stark family. Oona Chaplin, the granddaughter of silver-screen legend Charlie Chaplin, portrayed Talisa. Despite following her grandfather's vocational footsteps, Oona never met him before he died, and describes the legacy as “amazing, but it kind of freaks me out sometimes.”

  Oona’s historical ties to acting don’t end with her vaudevillian grandfather. Her parents named her after her grandmother, Oona O'Neill Chaplin, Charlie's fourth wife and the daughter of writer Eugene O’Neill, who won both a Pulitzer and Nobel Prize. So she’s not the first member of her family tree to take part in dramatic storytelling.
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  (#1) Christopher Columbus

  • Dec. at 55 (1451-1506)

  Columbus didn’t merely leave behind a legacy of discovery and colonization - he also started a family tradition of sailing for the Spanish, which continues to this day.

  Columbus’s Spanish name was Cristobal Colon, and many of his descendants have carried this name. This includes his 17th-generation great-grandson, Cristobal Colon de Carvajal, who served as a vice admiral in the Spanish navy before meeting his demise by the Basque in Spain in 1986.

  Colon's son, also named Cristobal Colon, followed in his father's footsteps by also becoming a vice admiral. Among other seaworthy accomplishments, he took command of a rebuilt Santa Maria, which was a ship his ancestor used on his first journey across the Atlantic. 

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