Executive or legislative branch?
Or both?
Executive and judicial.
OK going out on a limb here
James Marshall was unable to deliver all of the “midnight judges” judicial commissions signed by John Adams before Thomas Jefferson took office as President. Jefferson told the new Secretary of State James Madison not to deliver the remaining commissions as they were now void. One of those that did not receive his commission was William Marbury who sued Madison to get his commission. This resulted in the landmark SCOTUS case Marbury v. Madison. This led to the concept of judicial review wherein a court can declare a law unconstitutional.
This hits a lot of the points in the thread but I’m not sure it hits them all.
Aaaaand we have a solution here! Congratulations and thanks for playing 
For those who don’t know the exact factual background: John Marshall was both the secretary of state responsible for sealing and delivering the commissions and the Chief Justice who would later adjudicate Marbury’s case - in fact, for about a month (and at the time he was trying to send the commissions, March 4, 1801), he was both simultaneously. He handed over the commissions to his brother James Marshall for delivery to the appointees, but James left some of them (including Marbury’s) behind and thus failed to deliver them before the expiry of Adams’ term as President and John’s as secretary of state.
OK I don’t know how this one will go. It may be brilliant or stupid. I’m thinking the latter.
He was taken when only 1 year old.
Do you believe in miracles? He was returned home 78 years later.
His brother has become world famous.
Does ‘he’ refer to:
- A living human being?
- A deceased human being, such as a mummy or a skull?
- An animal?
- An artistic representation of a person or an animal?
- A painting?
- A statue, doll, mannequin or similar ?
Would it help to know what the brother is famous for? Is his fame related to this incident?
Are saints or relics involved? Is religion in general involved?
Is this a real-life story?
Fictional?
Was he given up for adoption?
Removed from his home by authorities for some reason?
Separated from the family by slavery?
By war?
Is his brother named after a movie?
No
No
No
Yes
No
No
It would narrow it down a lot, maybe even give away the puzzle. Fame related to the incident itself? Hmmmm - I would say no.
Nope
Yep
Nope
Nope
Nope
Nope
Not at all although now I’m curious who you are thinking of.
I was thinking of Michael Caine, who found out late in life (namely, after becoming world-famous) that he had an older brother who’d been institutionalized.
That would have been a good one.
Is the “do you believe in miracles” a hint?
If so, is it a reference to religion?
Is it a reference to sports?
Great pickup on that
Definitely
Nope
Oh yes - that is a BIG hint
So, it’s a statue?
One of a pair?
With a sporting connection?
But not a religious one?
I thought the answer there said it’s NOT a statue. (“No” to “a statue, doll, mannequin or similar.”)
Is it related to hockey?
Is it related to the Olympics?
Is it related to Al Michaels?
(That’s obviously where I was going with the sport question, but I’m having difficulty teasing out the answer here.)
It’s not entirely clear, but I thought it was yes to statue, no to doll, no to mannequin.
Can we have clarification on this, please.