On April 5, 1614, an explorer from the Colony of Virginia named John Rolfe married Pocahontas, the daughter of a Powhatan chief named Wahunsenaca. According to the legend, the Pocahontas would go on to convert to Christianity before taking on the name "Rebecca." Although contesting historical reports allege that her pregnancy resulted from a kidnapping, John and Pocahontas had an offspring named Thomas Rolfe.
The story of Pocahontas's alleged romantic ties to John Rolfe (and Captain John Smith) has been reimagined numerous times in television and films. Now, it appears that one of the most talented actors of the past few decades has direct ties to the historic pairing.
The Golden Globe Award winner and co-star of Fight Club recently appeared on an episode of Finding Your Roots, where the host, Henry Louis Gates, revealed that Pocahontas was his Grandmother, about 12 generations removed. When explaining the findings to Norton, Gates stated the information was a “direct paper trail, no doubt about it, connecting you to your 12th great-grandmother and 12th great-grandfather, John Rolfe and Pocahontas.”
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Source: Twitter
