# Famous people we don't know the identities of **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [March 8, 2013, 3:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/famous-people-we-dont-know-the-identities-of/652386 "2013-03-08T15:18:33Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 6
**Author:** ![Jim\_s\_Son](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/e19adc/32.png) [@Jim\_s\_Son](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jim_s_Son)\ **Post date:** [March 11, 2013, 11:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/famous-people-we-dont-know-the-identities-of/652386/101 "2013-03-11T11:34:29Z")
> [@Guinastasia](#): > > Yep, I’m an American, and I know its origins, but it still makes me think of WWI, since that’s how most people seem to use it. (As the Revolutionary War was a local thing, while WWI was, well, a world war.) 🙂 Spain and France were involved in the American revolution. I think the colonies got financial aid from Holland and tried to get aid from Russia, or recognition at least, sending along 14 year old John Quincy Adams as a secretary to the minister (I think young Adams would also act as interpreter, as he spoke French which was the language of the tsar’s court for about 150 years). But it wasn’t quite a world war. > **[Spain and the American Revolutionary War](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Spain_in_the_American_Revolutionary_War)** > > Spanish victory > Spain, through its alliance with France and as part of its conflict with Britain, played an important role in the independence of the United States. Spain declared war on Britain as an ally of France, itself an ally of the American colonies. Most notably, Spanish forces attacked British positions in the south and captured West Florida from Britain in the siege of Pensacola. This secured the southern route for supplies and closed off the possibility of any British offensive throug... ---
**Author:** ![Rollo\_Tomasi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/58956e/32.png) [@Rollo\_Tomasi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rollo_Tomasi)\ **Post date:** [March 11, 2013, 1:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/famous-people-we-dont-know-the-identities-of/652386/102 "2013-03-11T13:22:03Z")
> [@The\_Second\_Stone](#): > > Rollo Tomasi I’ll never tell. ---
**Author:** ![Yorikke](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/yorikke/32/4335_2.png) [@Yorikke](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Yorikke)\ **Post date:** [March 11, 2013, 1:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/famous-people-we-dont-know-the-identities-of/652386/103 "2013-03-11T13:45:18Z")
> [@Little\_Nemo](#): > > B. Traven. There’s evidence that he was a German named Ret Marut. But that doesn’t really answer the question because then you have to ask who Ret Marut really was. There’s a really good book on this subject, “The Secret of the Sierra Madre.” It felt like snooping, reading about this man who tried so hard to hide himself, but it’s a very interesting subject. ---
**Author:** ![cjepson](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/a9adbd/32.png) [@cjepson](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cjepson)\ **Post date:** [March 11, 2013, 3:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/famous-people-we-dont-know-the-identities-of/652386/104 "2013-03-11T15:33:21Z")
There are numerous painters from the Renaissance era whose identities are unknown, such as: [Master of Alkmaar](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Master_of_Alkmaar) [Master of the Virgo inter Virgenes](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Master_of_the_Virgo_inter_Virgines) [Master of the Female Half-Lengths](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Master_of_the_Female_Half-Lengths) [Master of the Morrison Triptych](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Master_of_the_Morrison_Triptych) ---
**Author:** ![Tess](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/e480ec/32.png) [@Tess](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tess)\ **Post date:** [March 11, 2013, 10:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/famous-people-we-dont-know-the-identities-of/652386/105 "2013-03-11T22:52:14Z")
Thanks for the links, **MichaelQRiley** and **Sarabellum**! I hadn’t seen either before. Now I’m off to wonder if the source of that ID card had anything to do with the case. ---
**Author:** ![teela\_brown](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/d9b06d/32.png) [@teela\_brown](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/teela_brown)\ **Post date:** [March 11, 2013, 11:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/famous-people-we-dont-know-the-identities-of/652386/106 "2013-03-11T23:35:49Z")
I always thought Tokyo Rose was never identified, but I’m probably wrong. Otherwise someone else would have mentioned her in the preceding 2.3 pages. ---
**Author:** ![Bosda\_Di\_Chi\_of\_Tricor](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bosda_di_chi_of_tricor/32/16845_2.png) [@Bosda\_Di\_Chi\_of\_Tricor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bosda_Di_Chi_of_Tricor)\ **Post date:** [March 11, 2013, 11:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/famous-people-we-dont-know-the-identities-of/652386/107 "2013-03-11T23:53:12Z")
> [@teela\_brown](#): > > I always thought Tokyo Rose was never identified, but I’m probably wrong. Otherwise someone else would have mentioned her in the preceding 2.3 pages. There **was no** Tokyo Rose, per se. > **[Tokyo Rose](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tokyo_Rose)** > > Tokyo Rose (alternative spelling Tokio Rose) was a name given by Allied troops in the South Pacific during World War II to all female English-speaking radio broadcasters of Japanese propaganda. The programs were broadcast in the South Pacific and North America to demoralize Allied forces abroad and their families at home by emphasizing troops' wartime difficulties and military losses. Several female broadcasters operated using different aliases and in different cities throughout the terr During t... ---
**Author:** ![Darryl\_Lict](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/7cd45c/32.png) [@Darryl\_Lict](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Darryl_Lict)\ **Post date:** [March 12, 2013, 12:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/famous-people-we-dont-know-the-identities-of/652386/108 "2013-03-12T00:01:56Z")
R. C. Christian, coordinator for the [Georgia Guidestones](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Georgia_Guidestones). ---
**Author:** ![ctaylor](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/6f9a4e/32.png) [@ctaylor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ctaylor)\ **Post date:** [March 12, 2013, 12:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/famous-people-we-dont-know-the-identities-of/652386/109 "2013-03-12T00:06:03Z")
How about some of the human vectors for the AIDS virus spread? Like, the first person that the virus jumped species to, or the first person who brought the virus to the United States. ---
**Author:** ![BlankSlate](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/blankslate/32/80_2.png) [@BlankSlate](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BlankSlate)\ **Post date:** [March 12, 2013, 12:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/famous-people-we-dont-know-the-identities-of/652386/110 "2013-03-12T00:24:05Z")
> [@Little\_Nemo](#): > > I think it’s pretty much established that the sailor is George Mendonsa. He was one of the men who stepped forward to claim it was him. He has scars and tattoos that matches the sailor’s in the photograph. And more importantly, Mendonsa says he was on a date with his girlfriend, Rita, and had had a few drinks when they heard about the Japanese surrender and Mendonsa kissed a nurse he saw on the street - and in the photo you can see Mendonsa’s girlfriend standing a few feet away from the kissing couple. (Happily for Mendonsa, Rita wasn’t too upset about George’s behavior and they later married.) So unlike the other claimants, Mendonsa has some objective evidence to support his claim. According to [this](http://www.amazon.com/Kissing-Sailor-Mystery-Behind-Photo/dp/1612510787/ref=la_B007FBLKDI_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1363047760&sr=1-1) book, her name is Greta Zimmer Friedman. Funny that this famous photo is actually some form of assault. ---
**Author:** ![terentii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/terentii/32/212_2.png) [@terentii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/terentii)\ **Post date:** [March 12, 2013, 12:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/famous-people-we-dont-know-the-identities-of/652386/111 "2013-03-12T00:50:54Z")
> [@BlankSlate](#): > > Funny that this famous photo is actually some form of assault. Funny the absolute bullshit that some people are stupid enough to believe nowadays. ---
**Author:** ![ZPG\_Zealot](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/e47c2d/32.png) [@ZPG\_Zealot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ZPG_Zealot)\ **Post date:** [March 12, 2013, 2:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/famous-people-we-dont-know-the-identities-of/652386/112 "2013-03-12T02:54:04Z")
I’ve always wondered who the biological father of Jesus of Nazareth was. ---
**Author:** ![digs](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/digs/32/14889_2.png) [@digs](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/digs)\ **Post date:** [March 12, 2013, 4:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/famous-people-we-dont-know-the-identities-of/652386/113 "2013-03-12T04:49:44Z")
> [@terentii](#): > > The sour-faced woman in the background when Mary Tyler Moore throws her hat in the air. And this also now tops my list of “Famous people we don’t know the identities of, but can never not pay attention to, to the extent of stopping what we’re doing and running into the living room when we hear their theme music”. I am officially obsessed now, and am thinking of starting a fan club. ---
**Author:** ![alphaboi867](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/alphaboi867/32/3898_2.png) [@alphaboi867](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/alphaboi867)\ **Post date:** [March 12, 2013, 5:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/famous-people-we-dont-know-the-identities-of/652386/114 "2013-03-12T05:44:16Z")
> [@ctaylor](#): > > How about some of the human vectors for the AIDS virus spread? Like, the first person that the virus jumped species to, or the first person who brought the virus to the United States. We know nothing about Mitochondrial Eve other than she had at least one daughter. ---
**Author:** ![retsin2000](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/c6cbf5/32.png) [@retsin2000](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/retsin2000)\ **Post date:** [March 13, 2013, 3:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/famous-people-we-dont-know-the-identities-of/652386/115 "2013-03-13T15:31:06Z")
> [@gaffa](#): > > Mine is “the person who set up the camera to capture the 47% video that tanked Mitt Romney’s Presidential ambitions”. > > Is it possible for a Pulitizer to be awarded anonymously? Looks like your wish wil be granted. > **[Man Who Taped Romney's "47 Percent" Remarks Comes Forward](https://slate.com/news-and-politics/2013/03/romney-s-47-percent-remarks-man-who-recorded-mother-jones-video-comes-forward.html)** > > Update 11:30 p.m.: The man's name: Scott Prouty. ---
**Author:** ![Earl\_Snake-Hips\_Tucker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/earl_snake-hips_tucker/32/3269_2.png) [@Earl\_Snake-Hips\_Tucker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Earl_Snake-Hips_Tucker)\ **Post date:** [March 13, 2013, 3:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/famous-people-we-dont-know-the-identities-of/652386/116 "2013-03-13T15:42:14Z")
For 40 years, the identiy of [The Migrant Mother](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Florence_Owens_Thompson) was unknown. And, from an old thread, [The Hippie Chick](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showpost.php?p=5268834&postcount=1) in 1960s stock footage. ---
**Author:** ![Colophon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/f05b48/32.png) [@Colophon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Colophon)\ **Post date:** [March 13, 2013, 9:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/famous-people-we-dont-know-the-identities-of/652386/117 "2013-03-13T21:33:16Z")
> [@Earl\_Snake-Hips\_Tucker](#): > > And, from an old thread, [The Hippie Chick](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showpost.php?p=5268834&postcount=1) in 1960s stock footage. That thread predates YouTube. I can’t picture the footage it refers to - anyone got a link? ---
**Author:** ![booklover](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/85f322/32.png) [@booklover](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/booklover)\ **Post date:** [March 13, 2013, 11:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/famous-people-we-dont-know-the-identities-of/652386/118 "2013-03-13T23:51:40Z")
> [@Colophon](#): > > That thread predates YouTube. I can’t picture the footage it refers to - anyone got a link? Pretty sure they mean the chick at the beginning of this vid: [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ySswQObWBEU](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ySswQObWBEU) ---
**Author:** ![Earl\_Snake-Hips\_Tucker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/earl_snake-hips_tucker/32/3269_2.png) [@Earl\_Snake-Hips\_Tucker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Earl_Snake-Hips_Tucker)\ **Post date:** [March 14, 2013, 12:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/famous-people-we-dont-know-the-identities-of/652386/119 "2013-03-14T00:51:44Z")
Bingo! ---
**Author:** ![gaffa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/e68b1a/32.png) [@gaffa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gaffa)\ **Post date:** [March 14, 2013, 12:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/famous-people-we-dont-know-the-identities-of/652386/120 "2013-03-14T00:54:37Z")
> [@retsin2000](#): > > Looks like your wish wil be granted. > [Romney's 47-Percent Remarks: Man who recorded Mother Jones video comes forward.](http://mobile.slate.com/blogs/the_slatest/2013/03/13/romney_s_47_percent_remarks_man_who_recorded_mother_jones_video_comes_forward.html) What shall I do with this great power to make real whatever I desire? [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/famous-people-we-dont-know-the-identities-of/652386.md?page=5) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/famous-people-we-dont-know-the-identities-of/652386.md?page=7)