Famous Adoptees

Did you Know?

Sarah Baker | October 17, 2013 | 09:56 AM

Adoption has been around for a long time. It plays a role in many people’s lives. Whether you have an aunt that was adopted, your friend was in foster care, your step parent adopted you or you know someone who placed a child for adoption; people have been parenting children not biologically theirs, all through history. Below is a list of people that are adoptees that you may have heard of.

Robert Byrd ~ U.S. Senator

William Jefferson Clinton ~ U.S. President

Gerald Ford ~ U.S. President

John Hancock ~ Politician

Nelson Mandela ~ President, South Africa

Nancy Reagan ~ First Lady

Eleanor Roosevelt ~ First Lady

Paull H. Shin ~ U.S. Senator

Malcolm X ~ Civil Rights Leader

Freddie Bartholomew ~ Irish-American actor, producer

Melissa Gilbert ~ Actress

Matthew Laborteaux ~ Actor

Patrick Labyorteaux ~ Actor

Art Linkletter ~ Comedian

Ray Liotta ~ Actor

James MacAthur ~ Actor

Lee Majors ~ Actor

Marilyn Monroe ~ Model, Actress

Jack Nicholson ~ Actor

Priscella Presley ~ Actress

Reno ~ Performance artist, Comedian

Bo Diddley ~ Musician, Performer

D.M.C. ~ Hip Hop Artist

Eric Clapton ~ Musician

Debbie Harry ~ Singer

Faith Hill ~ Country Singer

John Lennon ~ Musician

Nat King Cole ~ Singer

Tim McGraw ~ Country Singer

Sarah McLachlan ~ Singer

Willie Nelson ~ Musician

Buffy Sainte-Marie ~ Musician

Jett Williams ~ Country Singer

Mark Acre ~ Athlete

Peter and Kitty Carruthers ~ Figure Skaters

Daunte Culpepper ~ Football Player

Eric Dickerson ~ Athlete

Tim Green ~ Football Player, Commentator

Greg Louganis ~ Athlete

Scott Hamilton ~ Figure Skater

Jim Palmer ~ Athlete

Dan O’Brien ~ Decathlete

Edward Albee ~ Playwright

Edgar Allen Poe ~ Poet, Writer

Aristotle ~ Philosopher

Christian Crawford ~ Author

Langston Hughes ~ Poet, Writer

James Michener ~ Author

Clarissa Pinkola Estes ~ Author

Michael Reagan ~ Author

Jean Jacques Rousseau ~ Philosopher

Andy Berlin ~ Entrepreneur, Chairman of Berlin Cameron & Partners

Larry Ellison ~ Entrepreneur, Chief Executive of Oracle

Steve Jobs ~ Entrepreneur, Co-Founder of Apple Computer

Tom Monaghan ~ Entrepreneur, Domino’s Pizza

Dave Thomas ~ Entrepreneur, Founder of Wendy’s

George Washington Carver ~ Inventor

Moses ~ Biblical Leader

Jesse Jackson ~ Minister

Jesus ~ Adopted by Joseph the carpenter (Bible)