ELEANOR ROOSEVELT

Eleanor and Franklin Roosevelt were cousins — specifically, fifth cousins once removed. Eleanor was born Anna Eleanor Roosevelt and was raised in Oyster Bay, Long Island. Meanwhile, Franklin’s side of the family was from Hyde Park in upstate New York. The couple were married in New York on March 17, 1905. St. Patrick’s Day was chosen as the special date to accommodate President Theodore Roosevelt’s schedule, who was Eleanor’s uncle and Franklin’s fifth cousin. Apart from officiating, he also gave away the bride. When asked for his thoughts on the Roosevelt-Roosevelt union, he quipped, “It is a good thing to keep the name in the family.”