Famous people we don't know the identities of

[Jim_s_Son]

@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

[Rollo_Tomasi]

@The_Second_Stone

Rollo Tomasi

I’ll never tell.

[Yorikke]

@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.

[cjepson]

There are numerous painters from the Renaissance era whose identities are unknown, such as:

Master of Alkmaar

Master of the Virgo inter Virgenes

Master of the Female Half-Lengths

Master of the Morrison Triptych

[Tess]

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.

[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.

[Bosda_Di_Chi_of_Tricor]

@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

[Darryl_Lict]

R. C. Christian, coordinator for the Georgia Guidestones.

[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.

[BlankSlate]

@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 book, her name is Greta Zimmer Friedman.
Funny that this famous photo is actually some form of assault.

[terentii]

@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.

[ZPG_Zealot]

I’ve always wondered who the biological father of Jesus of Nazareth was.

[digs]

@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.

[alphaboi867]

@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.

[retsin2000]

@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

[Earl_Snake-Hips_Tucker]

For 40 years, the identiy of The Migrant Mother was unknown.
And, from an old thread, The Hippie Chick in 1960s stock footage.

[Colophon]

@Earl_Snake-Hips_Tucker

And, from an old thread, The Hippie Chick in 1960s stock footage.

That thread predates YouTube. I can’t picture the footage it refers to - anyone got a link?

[booklover]

@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

[Earl_Snake-Hips_Tucker]

Bingo!

[gaffa]

@retsin2000

Looks like your wish wil be granted.
Romney's 47-Percent Remarks: Man who recorded Mother Jones video comes forward.

What shall I do with this great power to make real whatever I desire?