Famous Adoptees

from American Baby

Ever since the earliest days of man, families have been formed through adoption. Alexander the Great, who ruled Macedonia from 356 to 323 BC, for instance, was an early adoptee, as was the Hebrew prophet Moses, who was adopted by the princess of Egypt. People from all walks of life have been raised by someone other than their birth parents. In fact, the following entertainers, writers, athletes, politicians, business leaders, and other influential citizens all lived, at least for a time, with adoptive parents, stepparents, relatives, family friends, or in foster families.

Entertainers

Halle Berry -- actress
Shari Belafonte-Harper -- actress
Ingrid Bergman -- actress
Richard Burton -- actor
Charlotte Church -- singer
Nat King Cole -- singer
Ella Fitzgerald -- singer
Melissa Gilbert -- actress
Sara Gilbert -- actress
Deborah Harry -- singer
Faith Hill -- singer
Eartha Kitt -- singer
John Lennon -- musician
Art Linkletter -- comedian
Ray Liotta -- actor
Sarah McLachlan -- singer
Marilyn Monroe -- actress
Priscilla Presley -- actress
Buffy Sainte-Marie -- musician
Shania Twain -- singer

Writers

Edward Albee
Louisa May Alcott
Maya Angelou
Charles Dickens
Langston Hughes
James Michener
Edgar Allen Poe
Leo Tolstoy

Athletes

Surya Bonaly -- figure skater
Peter and Kitty Carruthers -- figure skaters
Scott Hamilton -- figure skater
Greg Louganis -- diver
Dan O'Brien -- decathlete
Jim Palmer -- baseball player

Political leaders

Alexander the Great
Senator Robert Byrd
President William Clinton
President Gerald Ford
President Herbert Hoover
Representative Jim Lightfoot
Nelson Mandela -- former president of South Africa
Senator Paull H. Shin
Anthony Williams -- mayor of Washington, D.C.

First ladies

Nancy Reagan
Eleanor Roosevelt

Business leaders

Larry Ellison -- chairman and CEO of Oracle Corporation
Steve Jobs -- cofounder of Apple Computer
Tom Monaghan -- founder and CEO of Domino's Pizza
Dave Thomas -- founder of Wendy's International

Philosophers

Aristotle
Jean Jacques Rousseau

Others

John J. Audubon -- naturalist
Les Brown -- motivational speaker
George Washington Carver -- inventor
Lynnette Cole -- Miss USA 2000
Crazy Horse -- Lakota chief
Faith Daniels -- news anchor
Jesse Jackson -- political activist
Charlotte Anne Lopez -- Miss Teen USA 1993
Malcolm X -- civil rights leader
Moses -- Hebrew prophet
Wilson Riles -- educator
"Dr. Ruth" Westheimer -- sex therapist and radio personality

Sources: adoption.com, National Adoption Information Clearinghouse, Dave Thomas Foundation for Adoption, Evan B. Donaldson Adoption Institute

The information on this Web site is designed for educational purposes only. It is not intended to be a substitute for informed medical advice or care. You should not use this information to diagnose or treat any health problems or illnesses without consulting your pediatrician or family doctor. Please consult a doctor with any questions or concerns you might have regarding your or your child's condition.