Which Famous Americans Have A Lithuanian Connection?
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- Опубліковано 13 чер 2024
- Are there any world-famous celebrities out there who are Lithuanian or have Lithuanian ancestry? Obviously, within the country there are big time celebrities and well-known stars. These include TV personalities, musicians, and of course, basketball players! However, these fabulous Lithuanians are less well-known outside the country’s borders.
So if we “zoom out” to the broader western world, and one that centers around American pop culture, are there any well-known people out there with connections to Lithuania? Well, this is something we’re going to look at in today’s video!
Sources: jerulita.lt/6-famous-people-y...
www.lrt.lt/naujienos/veidai/1...
countrylicious.com/lithuania/f...
theculturetrip.com/europe/lit...
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I’m loving all the comments adding to the list of famous people with a Lithuanian connection! I hope you can keep adding to the list and I can make a Part II for this video!🎉
Alvin Karpis public enemy nr1 ,lithuanian
Rūta Šepetys. As an author, she is a #1 New York Times and international bestseller and winner of the Carnegie Medal.
A couple more:
Robert Zemeckis - the director of iconic films such as Forrest Gump, Castaway and Back to the Future franchise.
Žydrūnas Savickas (Big Z) an icon in the strongman competition world, has broken multiple world records.
Death Becomes Her, my favourite movie 🎥
You mixed up Žydrūnas Savickas with Žydrūnas Ilgauskas whose nickname is Big Z. He was NBA player. :)
@@dstlt no
@@realrickastley152 oh, it seems they both have same nick name. The more you know :D
These are all Polish guys, from Lithuania, which used to be one country with Poland (many Poles live in Lithuania so far). Their names are also Polish, but distorted. Zemckis from Ziomecki ("soil mate" in Polish). Savickas - Sawicki
My 5 cents::
Film director Robert Zemeckis
American actress Ruta Lee {born Ruta Kilmonyte)
American Aactress Ann Jillian (born Ann Jura Nauseda)
British Actor John Gielgud
British actress Ruta Gedmintas
French film director Michel Hazanavicius
Famous British guitar maker Tony Zemaitis
Lithuanian-American archaeologist and anthropologist Marija Gimbutas
Chilean geologist, mineralogist and ethnologist Ignacy Domeyko
Lithuanian-American filmmaker, poet, and artist Jonas Mekas
Lithuanian American artist, one of the founding fathers of Fluxus art movement George Maciunas
Johnny Ramensky, also known as John Ramsay, Gentleman Johnny, and Gentle Johnny (borrn Jurgis Ramanauskas) - Scottish career criminal and WW2 hero.
if we are talking about criminals in USA, famious Alvin Karpis as Albinas Karpavicius.
Ruta Lee, Ann Julian, Johnny Unitas. Two actresses and Baltimore Colts quaterback.
My dad got Unitas autograph in the 1960s, I still have it, I’m the son
I just took an ancestry dna test and was surprised to see a huge chunk of Lithuanian. My dads English and Irish, my mom always said she was polish, but we are significantly more Lithuanian than Polish. Beautiful place. A lot of forest I hear. I’m going to plan a trip there.
That's what happens when people mix in pre-ethno-centric countries i.e. The Commonwealth
@@benas_st or polonisation...
Poles and Lithuanians are the same people.
@@Based_Gigachad_001 watch your mouth
Great video! Didn't know that half of them had Lithuanian roots! :) I guess you could add Jonas Mekas to the list - film maker.
Thanks! And thanks for being a member! 🥳🥳🥳
Vitas Gerulaitis. Tenis player from NY.
Aurimas Odi Bakchis, he might not be as well known in all of america, but he is really well known in the drifting scene. He's been called one of the best formula drift drivers and he was born in lithuania and also started his racing career here.
You could’ve added George Gershwin and Jonas Mekas
Nonetheless, great video !
Gershwin was of Russian-Ukrainian-Jewish ancestry, not Lithuanian
Jonas Mekas:D he is famous for?
Add famous Canadian movie star Joanna Shimkus to the list. Her father is an emigrant of Lithuanian origin, an officer of the Canadian Navy Juozas Šimkus - Jozeph Shimkus. I remembered the movie "Last adventures" with Alain Delon, Lino Ventura and the charming Joanna Shimkus, which I saw as a child.
Sudeikis and Kiedis even have Lithuanian surnames.
I know lol. It's a give away.
@@johnborisson3786 yeah, when i saw sudeikis somewhere on the news I was like: wait , his surname looks so Lithuanian. :D ( I am not following too much social media and shows. )
Please do not forget UFC champ Rose Namajūnas. MMA has become kinda pop now and she is quite a special person.
P.s. lets jest forget her last fight against Carla Esparze
Are you doing this full time? You are pumping videos like crazy! :))
Nope. I just put all my free time into these videos 😆
@@LithuaniaExplained we really appreciate you doing that, your videos have really high production quality for a channel of your size and are super interesting!
@@weaseled4118 Thanks so much for your support! It means a lot!
I was thinking the same, while I can't find any time for my side jobs and hobbies, this guy is very hardworking and makes quality videos in a short time :)
Rasa von Werder - the first female body builder, and an interesting personality all around. Both parents were Lithuanian despite her having been born in Germany.
British and American film star Laurence Harvey must be added to the list of Lithuanians. He was born in 1925 in Northern Lithuania, in the small town of Joniškis. Soon around 1929, he and his parents emigrated to South Africa. All his life, Laurence Harvey said that his real Homeland is Lithuania.
He was a Lithuanian Jew, not a Lithuanian. Charles Bronson (Karol Buczyński) was a Polish-speaking Lithuanian "lipka" Tatar.
@@tomaszmatuszak2239 Wikipedia says he could speak Lithuanian, Russian, Greek and English. Nothing about Polish. Although is father was a Tatar, he was from Druskininkai, which is a Lithuanian town, nearby Suwalki and Bialystock were also ethnically Lithuanian towns. His mother was also from Lithuania. So it makes him Lithuanian.
@@blueeyedbaer How did it happen that Karol Buczynski aka Charles Bronson is Polish? From 1385, Poland and Lithuania were in a union like Scotland and England. However, Lithuania was already called the Grand Duchy of Lithuania and most of the population were Ruthenians (currently Belarusians and Ukrainians), due to the fact that the Ruthenian Principalities were invaded from the east by the Mongols (Tatars) and the Ruthenians preferred to surrender to the Lithuanians who were not so cruel . Eastern Russian principalities such as the Principality of Moscow remained under Mongol-Tatar rule for 200 years and took over the way of managing the state from the Tatars. Ethnic Lithuanians were pagans and did not know the script, so they quickly abandoned the Lithuanian language. They began to use the Ruthenian language, which was written and used to make chronicles records, documents and administration. Numerous marriages between Lithuanian and Ruthenian noble families resulted in the Lithuanian nobility becoming to Ruthenian, but they still called themselves Lithuanians. Over time, the Lithuanian language was only used in villages around ethnic Lithuania. The first book in Lithuanian was printed only at the end of the 16th century. In the 15th century, the Principality of Moscow freed itself from Mongol-Tatar control and sought to take over the lands that were part of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania, but the Lithuanians did not want this. In the 16th century, in order to obtain more military assistance to fight the Crimean Tatars, subordinated to Turkey and the Principality of Moscow, Lithuanians formed a union with the Kingdom of Poland, giving it south-eastern Ruthenia (today Ukraine) and this part of the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth was called the Crown. The King of Poland was the Grand Duke of Lithuania. At that time, the King invited the Tatar nobility to come to the Polish side and settle them in the Grand Duchy of Lithuania, one of such Tatar warriors "Tatar Lipka" invited by the King of Poland was the ancestor Charles Bronson who received the Polish surname Buczynski. The family probably initially adopted the Russian language and then Polish. Already in the 15th century, the Russian nobility was Polonized due to the fact that they sent their children to the Crown and Poland had its own University, rich not only ecclesiastical but also secular literature, and schools run by Jesuits who taught in Polish and later also operated in the east of the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth. Nations. Orthodox education did not include academies and secular schools and was therefore not attractive to Ruthenians. In the 17th century, Sweden attacked the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth and at the same time the Principality of Moscow attacked the Grand Duchy of Lithuania, murdering 60% of its inhabitants and razing many cities to the ground. The capital of GDof L Vilnius lost 90% of its inhabitants. The reconstruction of the ruined Lithuania was undertaken by settlers from the Crown who spoke Polish, brought Polish books with them and managed the reconstruction, but in Polish. Lithuanians and Poles decided in the Parliament that the language of administration in Lithuania would be Polish because everyone preferred to speak Polish and everyone knew this language. At that time, Lithuanian was already a dying language. In the following centuries, the inhabitants of most of the areas of ethnic Lithuania defined themselves as "Lithuanians", part of the Polish nation, and used the Polish language, and knew the Lithuanian language only relictly as single words. The Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth was conquered by three neighboring countries through the partitions of Prussia, Austria and Russia, but identification with Polish culture and the Polish language remained among the population of the former Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth. There were constant uprisings against the invaders of the Russian Empire and Prussia. After the 1863 uprising, the Prussians (Germans) supported a group of New Baltic Lithuanians from lower social classes who wanted to resuscitate the Prussian-friendly ethnic Lithuania from 700 years ago and restore the Lithuanian language and achieve social advancement. This is how Lithuania was established in 1918, which recognized the indigenous people living in Lithuania who spoke Polish as invaders and not Lithuanians. The problem was that the main ethnographic regions of Lithuania, also in the countryside, including the capital city of Vilnius, were inhabited by Polish-speaking Lithuanians (ID Poles) who did not want to speak the reconstructed Lithuanian language or live in the new Baltic State of Lithuania and identified themselves with Polish culture. In the new Lithuanian State without Vilnius, with its capital in Kaunas, pogroms against Polish-speaking citizens were used. During World War II, the New Lithuanians, with the help of the Soviets and then the Germans, occupied Vilnius and wanted to murder all the inhabitants. Lithuanian nationalists, with the help of the Germans, murdered Polish-speaking residents in Ponary and ethnically cleansed the villages. After World War II, the Soviets deported most of the Polish-speaking inhabitants of Lithuania, especially from Vilnius, to Poland, which had been stripped of its eastern territories. A large Polish-speaking minority still lives in Lithuania, identifying itself as Poles who are administratively lithuanized by force. Karol Buczyński aka Charles Bronson was a Polish-speaking Lithuanian (Pole) and not a Baltic Lithuanian. Lithuanians really want to erase 700 years from their history, they are afraid of Polonization and that they will disappear as a nation, that's why government of New Lithuania changed the Polish-speaking citizens surnames from Polish to Lithuanian and that's why on Wikipedia English or Lithuanian his father is Valteris P. Bučinskis and not Watler Buczyński as in the original . .
Laurence Harvey aka Zvi Mosheh Skikne was Jewish, not Lithuanian. At the age of 5, he emigrated with his family to South Africa. If he had stayed in Lithuania after July 1941, he would have probably been murdered by Lithuanian nationalists (Ypatingasis būrys killing squads) like other Jews and Poles in the Ponary massacre/Paneriai massacre (Vilnius).
Hello, be sure to add the British theater and film star John Gielgud to the list of famous Lithuanians. He was born in 1904. April 14 in South Kensington, London. John Gielgud's father, Frank Gielgud, born in 1880, comes from the famous Gelgaudas family of Lithuanian nobles, who fled from Lithuania to Great Britain in 1837 after the 1831 uprising in Lithuania against the occupation of Tsarist Russia, leaving the hereditary Gelgaudiškis Castle (now called Panemunes Castle in the Jurbarkas district) ).
Gielgud comes from the Polish magnate family Giełgud (coat of arms Giełgud). They were Polish-speaking Polish patriots who identified themselves as LITHUANIANS, part of the Polish nation, and not Lithuanians, part of the Lithuanian (Baltic) nation, in the sense of identifying the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth.
@@tomaszmatuszak2239 Lithuanians Lithuanians and once again Lithuanians
@@andriuskairaitis673 O yes, everybody was Lithuanians Julius Cesar and George Washington.
@@tomaszmatuszak2239 O YeaaaHHH! The first president of Poland, Gabrielius Narutavičius (Gabriel Narutowicz) is a Lithuanian. The most prominent political figure in Poland, Juzefs Pilsudskis (Juzef Pilsudski) is Lithuanian. OH YEAAHH! I suggest adding to the list of famous Lithuanians !!!!
Jerome David Salinger, writer, (The Catcher in the Rye), his father was from Lithuania
Mariel Zagunis (Žagunis) - saber fencing. Five-time Olympian; four-time Olympic medalist (2 golds, 2 bronzes). Made history at age 19 in 2004 when she became the first U.S. fencer to win Olympic Gold medal in 100 years. Served as the Opening Ceremony flag bearer for the U.S. delegation at the London 2012 Olympic Games.
Jack Sharkey (b. Joseph Paul Zukauskas / Juozas Povilas Žukauskas, 1902-1994) was a Lithuanian-American world heavywieght boxing champion (1932).
Jonas Mekas (1922-2019) - Lithuanian-American filmmaker, poet, and artist who has been called „the godfather of American avant-garde cinema“ on many occasions. Along with Lionel Rogosin, he was part of the New American Cinema movement. He was a close collaboration with artists such as Andy Warhol, Nico, Allen Ginsberg, Marie Menken, Yoko Ono, John Lennon, Salvador Dali, etc.
Robert Zemeckis - an American filmmaker (science-fiction comedy „Back to the Future“ film trilogy, live-action/animated comedy „Who Framed Roger Rabbit“, „Death Becomes Her“, „Forrest Gump“, for which he won the Academy Award for Best Director and the film won Best Picture).
His father Alphonse Zemeckis was Lithuanian-American while his mother Rosa Nespeca was Italian-American.
As an American who is descended from Lithuanian immigrants, I feel like I am part of some sort of mythical club!
Welcome to the club bro!🙂
From Australia here same
Robert Downey JR. Has a very small Lithuanian part in him too. His father was half-Lithuanian.
Half Lithuanian Jewish
Guitar maker Tony Zemaitis, pretty great and well known guitars!
Katya Virshilas was born on September 10, 1983 in Lithuanian SSR, USSR [now Lithuania]. She is an actress, known for Take the Lead (2006), John Tucker Must Die (2006) and Shall We Dance (2004).
Leonard Cohen,Sasha Baron Cohen,Robert Zemeckis,Phil Rudd(Rudzevicius)-ACDC drummer-not american,but famous!Ruta Lee..
I remember watching video interview or his own video with Brendon Urie from Panic at the disco and he mentioned that he has lithuanian blood as well.
Could've also mentioned Joseph, John, Marcus and James Laurinaitis. The first three are former professional wrestlers and the latter - an ex-NFL player. Though, they're not as famous as the ones that you did mention, I guess.
Creator of Superman in the1930s was Lithuanian
Jim Backus from Gilligans island was Lithuanian
Jurgis Mačiūnas (aka George Maciunas) was the founder of FLUXUS (perhaps he doesn't fall into the category of 'celebrities' but worth mentioning anyway:)))
richard butkus, an american football player is lithuanian too
Chicago tank
Rest in Peace...Dick
What other came to my mind - Robert Zemeckis.
I am Lithuanian living in Lithuania.My grandma was American , born in Boston. Am I kinda 1/4 American?
its very complicated to answer...America is multicultural,and local americans can name themselves only indians...other just immigrants,..
MAYA RUDOLPH HAS LITHUANIAN HERITAGE.
Also, Leonard Cohen, Al Jolson, Curly from the Three Stooges, David Cronenberg, William Shatner, John Milius, Don Rickles, Pete Holmes, Dick Butkus, Johnny Unitas... Estonia and Latvia combined have nothing on Lithuanian when it comes to celebrities, haha.
Thanks for your contributions! I know Canadians like to claim Leonard Cohen and William Shatner for themselves but it’s cool to see a Lithuanian connection too 😊
Get off your high horse, braļukas, all the famous guys here are musicians or actors. We have famous scientists and intellectuals lmao.
A Latvian invented Jeans. What would you do without that guy, huh? 😅
@@ilzezeivote9136 Argggh, it's really tough to beat:))) We've got to dig deeper into products and brands to outdo Jeans:))) Cheers, Ilzė!
@@ilzezeivote9136 Ilzite, you have no chances - Lithuanians invented sunsets (at Palanga pier)😬 .
Pink (singer Alecia Beth Moore) described herself as an "Irish-German-Lithuanian-Jew".
William Shatner has Lithuanian ancestry
He's not an American, but there's Marko Ramius, captain of the Red October.
Druskininkai we are famous, come visit, we have nice resort nice people ad good for your health weather!!!
Walter Matthau is my favorite famous Lithuanian.
You missed William Shatner and 3 stoogers :-)
what about chikago band
Tenis player Vitas Gerulaitis
Don't forget Thug Rose.
Creator of Superman was Lithuanian
Maybe not so famaus but anyway, Tonis Kutka, Pontiac car maker designer. He designed Pontiac Trans Sport.
Bronson had a polish connection, The pary where his parents were born in, Belonged to Poland at that time, hes polish.
its complicated for you chech wiki?
I only know one lithunian that is really big time famous it's Vitas Gerulaitis
I wonder why is it not mentioned that Sasha Heifetz was Jewish?
who he must be with that name?of course jewish,we talking about Lithuanian connections..
Jasha Heifetz
Charles bronson one of the greats came from a miners background. Didn't know Penn was Lithuanian thought he came from irish heritage? Good video interesting 👍
Missed some of the biggest. Dick Butkus, Johnny Unitas, Jack Benny.
Moses Harry Horwitz, Samuel Horwitz, and Jerome Lester Horwitz of 3 Stooges
Joson Sudeikis ???
Helmut Bakaitis plays the architect in the Matrix.
Leonardo as well 😉
Fiona Katauskas Sydney Morning Herald Cartoonist
Sammy Marks, Tauragė Industrialist South Africa Sun City
One of the three stuges was Lithuanian
Rūta Tarvydas
The only guy to fight Jack Dempsey and Joe Louis.
Jonas Povilas Zuksauskad. Jack Sharkey
Robert Downey jr. also has Lithuanian blood
Only guy to fight Jack Dempsey and Joe Louis w
charles bronson-Karolis Bučinskis he has lithuanian name and Jason Sudeikis. about others needs more proof
The list is far away from full.
Robert Zemeckis father is lithuanian.
OMG WHAT ABOUT THE STOOGES?!?!?!?
Rose Namajunas 💪😉
Aurelijus Rūtenis Antanas Mockus Šivickas - a Colombian mathematician, philosopher, and politician. In 1995 was elected Mayor of Bogotá. Under his leadership
- water usage dropped 40%,
- 7000 community security groups were formed
- homicide rate fell 70%
- traffic fatalities dropped by over 50%,
- drinking water was provided to all homes
- sewerage was provided to 95% of homes
- asked residents to pay a voluntary extra 10% in taxes, 63,000 people did so
Blackie Dammett (John Michael Kiedis - father of Anthony Kiedis of Red Hot Chili Peppers) his father's family emigrated from Lithuania in the early 1900s.
I'm from taurage
Curley, Moe and Shemp. Yes the 3 stooges
Keanu reeves is from lebanon
Yes. Born in Beirut, grew up in Toronto.
I knew Charles Bronson was Lithuanian but none of the others.
Arvydas Sabonis
Portland Trailblazer s
Gold in Olympics playing for Soviets...beat "dream team USA"
When ordering a beer in Lithuania ask for a "Sabonis"
funny how we can only enjoy our emigrants :DD
Wondering if among them would be actually split between Lithuanian or Polish heritage when asked?
Jurgis (George) Mačiūnas.
noe of them have lithuanian passport...end of case lol
Also would love to mention Rose Namajunas, who is very proud of her roots and visited Lithuania not that long ago.
And one infamous person is Alvin Karpis, public enemy no 1.
Though Pinks mom, Sean Penn and Bob Dylan parents might have ended up in Lithuania. Their not ethnically Lithuanian. Totally differnt tribe, theirs come from the middle east. Not Lithuanian! Tatars to!
Maybe not a celebrity strictly speaking, but we could add Monica Lewinsky, President Clinton's hot tamale.
I think that Jewish Lithuanian is not a correct term for people of Jewish origin who live in Lithuania. It's Lithuanian Jews, also known as Litvaks.
Dostoevsky, Tolstoy and Stravinsky are all of Lithuanian descent
Most of these people are not Lithuanian descendants, but Jews, Tatars and .....
And you are Polish, forever and ever Polish, and can't be said having connections to any other country except Poland, no matter where you or your ancestors were born and lived? That's the ethnos your name points to. But are you and all your ancestors from Poland or have connections to any other country?
@@manometras Yes, I am Polish and I do not hide it at all. My parents were born in Vilnius. Unfortunately, we Poles have the same complexes as Lithuanians. We, like you, emphasize that some actor or singer comes from Poland (even if it is not important for that person). Sorry, I don't know Lithuanian or English, so I used an automatic translator.
You're joking, right? Jew or tatar isn't a nationality - Judaism is a religion and tatar is an ethnic group. Both of them can be lithuanian.
@@eazy9925 I don't know if Tatars and Jews will agree with you :)
@@marekzawisza5052 Exactly. You don't know. So why are you so hateful if you have no idea what you're talking about? While I haven't had a chance to talk to tatars, I've met more than a few jewish and people of polish roots that consider themselves lithuanian. So maybe save your energy and instead of hating on someone for no apparent reason - go do something productive.
It’s interesting, how most of the people that you have included in your video, are not Lithuanian but Jewish. Their not being Lithuanian was often the reason, why they had to flee the country, especially during the periods of soviet and/or nazi occupation. It’s not fair to diminish the achievements of one group of people assigning them to a totally different group. For example, if my parents were Jewish, and lived in let’s say Nigeria, and I moved to USA, I wouldn’t say that I had Nigerian ancestry. My ancestors are my parents, not some random place I have lived at. It’s not fair to disregard the excellence and success of Jewish people - and of Lithuanian people as well, as Lithuanians have a lot of interesting prominent famous personalities of their own to be proud of.
Bronson was a Polish guy. (and spoke Polish). Poles lived in those areas of present-day Lithuania for 6 centuries.Until 1947, they accounted for 90 percent. inhabitants of modern southern Lithuania. and it was a part of the Polish state. Many Poles were also owners of noble estates iad land n Lithuania, which they received in the 16-18th century for military services for Poland.
The most ridiculous claim I ever heard from a Polish guy .
@@fidenemini111 A very dramatic statement by an ignorant one
He was Lithuanian.
70% are Jews from Lithuania and not Lithuanians.
I thought the same thing. Jewish or of partial Lithuanian descent.
@Vasia Neokleous Parents born in Lithuania have NO Lithuanian Connection? Are you sure?
big part of Jews in USA are litvaks,
Lithuanian Jews are also Lithuanian.
Religion is not a nationality.