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In certain cultures, marrying a first cousin is prohibited, while in others, it's even encouraged! Throughout history, many famous figures have chosen to marry within their family, for reasons known only to them. Here’s a list of 10 prominent people who have taken this step.
10. Jesse James
Jesse James married his first cousin, Zerelda 'Zee' Mimms, whose name was inspired by Jesse's own mother. The couple had two children and stayed together until Jesse passed away in 1882 at the age of 34.
9. Franklin D. Roosevelt
Although they had known each other since childhood, Franklin D. Roosevelt and Eleanor Roosevelt rekindled their relationship following a dinner at the White House in 1902, hosted by Eleanor’s uncle, President Teddy Roosevelt, who was also Franklin's fifth cousin. At the time, FDR was 20 and attending Harvard. They married on St. Patrick's Day, 1905, and went on to have six children together.
8. Johann Sebastian Bach
In 1707, Johann Sebastian Bach wed his second cousin on his father's side, Maria Barbara Bach. She passed away in 1720. Although little is known about their marriage, Bach remarried less than two years after her death.
7. H.G. Wells
H.G. Wells married his first cousin, Isabel Mary Wells, but their marriage lasted only three years. Wells was an English author, most renowned today for his science fiction works published between 1895 and 1901: The Time Machine, The Island of Doctor Moreau, The Invisible Man, The War of the Worlds, When the Sleeper Wakes, and The First Men in the Moon.
6. Thomas Jefferson
Thomas Jefferson wed his third cousin, Martha Wayles Skelton Jefferson, in 1772. The couple had six children. Martha passed away on September 6, 1782, and Jefferson never remarried thereafter.
5. Albert Einstein
Albert Einstein married his second cousin, Elsa, in 1919, shortly after his divorce from his first wife, Mileva. Elsa passed away in 1936 due to various health issues. Though Albert did not marry again, he had several relationships until his death in 1955.
4. Charles Darwin
Famous for popularizing the theory of evolution and natural selection, Charles Darwin married his first cousin, Emma Wedgwood. Together, they had ten children. Darwin passed away in 1882.
3. Rudy Giuliani
Governor Rudy Giuliani married Regina Peruggi in 1968, believing her to be his third cousin. However, they discovered years later that they were actually second cousins. After divorcing in 1982, Rudy married his second wife, Donna Hanover, in 1984.
Contributor: DanielleR
2. Jerry Lee Lewis
In 1957, rock and roll icon Jerry Lee Lewis wed his 13-year-old cousin, Myra. This controversial marriage caused a massive loss of respect and nearly ended his career, pushing him to shift from rock to country music. They had two children together but divorced in 1970. [Image: Jerry Lee Lewis and his Wife Myra]
1. Edgar Allan Poe
At the age of 20, the famous poet Edgar Allan Poe moved in with his aunt, uncle, and cousin after losing both his father and mother. While living in Baltimore, he met his seven-year-old cousin, Virginia, whom he later fell in love with and married when she was just thirteen. Virginia passed away eighteen years later in 1847, and Poe himself died only two years after her death.
