Famous people known for two totally unrelated accomplishments

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I always find it mighty interesting (and impressive) when people are famous for two or more totally unrelated things, especially when one didn't lead to another.

Here are some examples of people who are famous for two or more totally unrelated things:

Robert Leonard ---- He was an original member of the rock band Sha Na Na, and he played at the original Woodstock in 1969. And Robert Leonard is a highly distinguished forensic linguist. He has appeared on the television episode Words Matter on Forensic Files II. Leonard testified as an expert witness in the murder trial of Christopher Coleman in 2011. Either one of these things got Robert Leonard media attention.

Arnold Schwarzenegger----Arnold was famous as a bodybuilder, winning the Mr. Universe total once and winning the Mr. Olympia title seven times. Plus Arnold Schwarzenegger was a famous movie star. Furthermore, Arnold Schwarzenegger was governor of California.

Ronald Reagan---- Ronald Reagan was a famous movie star first. Then later Ronald Reagan became President of the United States.

John Wilkes Booth----John Wilkes Booth was a famous actor throughout America BEFORE he assassinated Abraham Lincoln. And John Wilkes Booth is also famous for assassinating Abraham Lincoln.

There are two things that I would like to exclude from these lists: Athletes who played in two or more sports like Bo Jackson, Michael Jordan, Deion Sanders, etc. I would like to exclude athletes who played in two sports from this list for two reasons: 1# The athletic ability that helps one succeed in one sport would help an athlete succeed in another sports and 2# there are too many examples of athletes who played in two or more sports.

The other thing that I would like to exclude is Generals who later held political office like George Washington, Ulysses S. Grant, Eisenhower, etc. because there are too many, and I think that the fame that the generals received helped them win political office.

What famous people are famous for two or more totally unrelated things?

I am interested in famous people who are famous for two totally unrelated things in which the second unrelated thing that the famous person did would get media attention EVEN IF THE FAMOUS PERSON DID NOT DO THE FIRST THING THAT GOT THEM MEDIA ATTENTION. Let me give an example:

Worthy of including in this thread: A famous male scientist won the Nobel Prize in Physics AND made a world bench press record:

Unworthy of including in this thread: A famous male scientist won the Nobel Prize in Physics and could bench press more than 300 pounds.

While a 300 pound bench press would put a person in the top 1% of men in the bench press, a 300 pound bench press is not something that would get any media attention if a regular man who is not a famous scientist did it. A world record bench press would get media attention no matter who broke the world record.

My favorite examples are Robert Leonard and John Wilkes Booth because I see their two famous things as being totally unrelated. I think when most famous people are famous for two different things, the first thing that the famous person did kind of ENABLED him or her to be selected to do the second famous things. For example, the famous football player Lyle Alzado used to be an actor in movies. I don't think that Lyle Alzado would have been cast in those movies if he was not a famous football player. I think that Robert Leonard would have became a forensic linguist even if he was never in the rock band the Sha Na Na.

Even if John Wilkes Booth was not a famous actor, John Wilkes Booth would have been famous for assassinating Abraham Lincoln. I will contrast John Wilkes Booth with another famous murderer: OJ Simpson. The only reason that OJ Simpson's murdering Nicole Brown and Ron Goldman got national media attention is that OJ Simpson was a famous former football player. John Wilkes Booth's murdering President Lincoln would have got national media attention even if John Wilkes Booth was not a famous person before the assassination.

So, again, what famous people are famous for two or more totally unrelated things?
 
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Physics news on Phys.org
Linus Pauling - 2 different nobel prizes
 
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DaveE said:
Linus Pauling - 2 different nobel prizes
That is a good example because the two different nobel prizes were in two different categories.
 
Putting aside scientists that were also philosophers and scientists that were also politicians, I would consider:

Thomas Young, not only greatly famous for proving that light is a wave (and also a bunch of things in mathematics, hearing, music and more) but also famous for being one of the main guys to decipher the Egyptian hieroglyphs.

Leonardo da Vinci might fit the bill too as artists/scientist. Actually most polymaths.

Addition: Samuel Morse was mostly a painter, but he is remembered more for his telegraph and the invention of the Morse code.
 
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PeroK said:
Why not ask an LLM?

What is an LLM?
 
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sevensages said:
Robert Leonard ---- He was an original member of the rock band Sha Na Na, and he played at the original Woodstock in 1969. And Robert Leonard is a highly distinguished forensic linguist.
Another artist who was also accomplished in astrophysics.

Sir Brian May is best known as the lead guitarist of the rock band Queen, but he is also an accomplished astrophysicist. He earned his PhD from Imperial College London in 2007; title of his dissertation is "A Survey of Radial Velocities in the Zodiacal Dust Cloud."
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brian_May#Scientific_career

sevensages said:
That is a good example because the two different nobel prizes were in two different categories.
Marie Curie was awarded the Nobel Prize in Physics (1903) alongside her husband, Pierre Curie, and physicist Henri Becquerel for their pioneering research into the phenomenon of radioactivity.

Then in 1911, Marie Curie was awarded the Nobel Prize in Chemistry as the sole recipient for her successful isolation of pure radium. This recognized her extensive work in discovering the elements radium and polonium.
Ref: https://www.nobelprize.org/stories/women-who-changed-science/marie-curie/

However, the two Noble Prizes are related to the same work since Ra and Po are radioactive elements, and one could argue that chemistry is related to physics.

pines-demon said:
Actually most polymaths.
I was thinking of that, that there are many examples of polymaths making contributions in mathematics and different subjects in science or humanities.
 
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sevensages said:
What is an LLM?
Large language model, a form of AI.
 
sevensages said:
What is an LLM?
An LLM is the ultimate sage, which has vacuumed up almost all human knowledge with scant regard for intellectual property and not so much as a word of thanks.
 
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sevensages said:
What is an LLM?
Even if you don't know about them, they know all about you:

On Physics Forums, sevensages is an active, technically-minded community member who frequently discusses a broad array of topics ranging from academic mathematics to applied science and practical engineering. [1, 2]
Their footprint on the platform includes:
    • Academic & Math Background: They have shared insights on university-level math sequences, noting the rigor of subjects like Calculus II, and often reflect on problem-solving skills gained from past technical military training. [1]
    • Practical & Applied Physics: They weigh in on everyday physics and engineering questions, such as thermal dynamics in air conditioners, plumbing textbook queries, and Earth sciences. [1, 2, 3]
    • Diverse Discussions: They engage across multiple subforums, including Classical Physics, Quantum Interpretations, and Earth Sciences. [1, 2, 3]

If you want, I can:
  • Find specific posts or threads authored by sevensages on a particular topic.
  • Look into their views on specific scientific subjects, such as quantum interpretations or thermodynamics.
Let me know how you'd like to explore their forum history.
 
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Benjamin Franklin
 
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DaveE said:
Benjamin Franklin
Thank you for your response. It would behoove you to say what two things that Benjamin Franklin is famous for though.
 
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Astronuc said:
Another artist who was also accomplished in astrophysics.

Sir Brian May is best known as the lead guitarist of the rock band Queen, but he is also an accomplished astrophysicist. He earned his PhD from Imperial College London in 2007; title of his dissertation is "A Survey of Radial Velocities in the Zodiacal Dust Cloud."
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brian_May#Scientific_career

I don't think that Sir Brian May fits the ground rules of the question of the OP because nobody gets famous just for getting a PhD. This thread is about people who are famous for two different things in which each individual thing would make the person famous alone. Nobody gets famous just for getting a PhD.

Why don't you tell me of a famous rock star who won a Nobel Prize in Physics or won the Fields Medal? That would be worthy of inclusion in this thread.




Astronuc said:
Marie Curie was awarded the Nobel Prize in Physics (1903) alongside her husband, Pierre Curie, and physicist Henri Becquerel for their pioneering research into the phenomenon of radioactivity.

Then in 1911, Marie Curie was awarded the Nobel Prize in Chemistry as the sole recipient for her successful isolation of pure radium. This recognized her extensive work in discovering the elements radium and polonium.
Ref: https://www.nobelprize.org/stories/women-who-changed-science/marie-curie/

However, the two Noble Prizes are related to the same work since Ra and Po are radioactive elements, and one could argue that chemistry is related to physics.
This thread is all about people who are famous for two DIFFERENT things. The key word is different. I know that Physics and Chemistry are different subjects, but they are both a part of science. I don't like including Marie Curie on this thread because saying she was awarded both a Nobel prize in Chemistry and a Nobel Prize in physics is like saying "Marie Curie is famous for winning a Nobel Prize in Science, and Marie Curie is famous for winning a Nobel Prize in science." Since Physics and Chemistry are both branches of physical science, Physics and Chemistry are too similar for the OP.




Astronuc said:
I was thinking of that, that there are many examples of polymaths making contributions in mathematics and different subjects in science or humanities.
Well, then please give me some examples that have not already been mentioned on this thread.
 
pines-demon said:
Putting aside scientists that were also philosophers and scientists that were also politicians, I would consider:

Thomas Young, not only greatly famous for proving that light is a wave (and also a bunch of things in mathematics, hearing, music and more) but also famous for being one of the main guys to decipher the Egyptian hieroglyphs.

Thomas Young is a great answer. This is the type of answer I was hoping for when I created this thread. Yes, either one of those things would be noteworthy for Thomas Young by itself. Thomas Young is a strong competitor to Robert Leonard and John Wilkes Booth.


pines-demon said:
Leonardo da Vinci might fit the bill too as artists/scientist. Actually most polymaths.
Leonardo da Vinci might very well be a good answer to the question of the OP. I thought about including Leonardo da Vinci in the OP, but I decided against it because I don't know if Leonardo da Vinci would have become famous if he was not an artist. Leonardo da Vinci painted the Mona Lisa and many other famous paintings. Leonardo Da Vinci was definitely EXTREMELY intelligent, possibly one of the smartest people who ever lived. But what did Leonardo da Vinci do that would have gotten him fame if he was not a famous artist already? That's not a rhetorical question. I ask that question to try to learn.





pines-demon said:
Addition: Samuel Morse was mostly a painter, but he is remembered more for his telegraph and the invention of the Morse code.
 
sevensages said:
It would behoove you to say what two things that Benjamin Franklin is famous for though.
More than two. Benjamin Franklin was a publisher, postmaster, inventer, politician, diplomat/ambassador (Franklin was the American (before US) ambassador to France (1778-1785), . . .

https://about.usps.com/who-we-are/postal-history/pmg-franklin.pdf

"In 1732, he [Benjamin Franklin] first published Poor Richard's Almanack, which was wildly successful and secured his fortune"

"in 1737, when Alexander Spotswood, Deputy Postmaster General of America under the British, appointed Franklin as postmaster of Philadelphia."

"in 1775, Franklin was part of the Second Continental Congress and served on many committees, including one to establish an independent postal system. On July 26, 1775, the Congress appointed Benjamin Franklin the first Postmaster General of the organization now known as the United States Postal Service."

Franklin the inventor - https://fi.edu/en/science-and-education/benjamin-franklin/inventions
His numerous important inventions include the lightning rod, bifocals, glass harmonica and the Franklin stove. He founded many civic organizations, including the Library Company, the University of Pennsylvania, and Philadelphia's first fire department.
Ref: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Benjamin_Franklin
 
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I asked AI about this, and AI told me about Hedy Lamar. Hedy Lamar is definitely a good answer. Hedy Lamar was a famous movie star in the 1940s in America. She also co-patented the frequency hopping spread spectrum technology intended to stop torpedoes from being jammed, which later paved the way for modern Wifi, bluetooth, and GPS.
 
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Carl Sagan:
His space science stuff; lots
The book the movie Contact was made from.
 
BillTre said:
Carl Sagan:
His space science stuff; lots
The book the movie Contact was made from.
Translation: He does space stuff, and he does space stuff.
 
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sevensages said:
Translation: He does space stuff, and he does space stuff.
Movie stuff is different from space stuff.
 
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BillTre said:
Movie stuff is different from space stuff.
No I see SS's point here.

But for Sagan's science chops, there would be no book or movie.

Direct causation there.
 
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As mentioned: Hedy Lamarr is a poster child for dual celebrity, as is Da Vinci.


Another one: Florence Nightingale (thanks, ChatGPT) notable for major, independent contributions in different domains:
  • Nursing and healthcare reform: Transformed hospital sanitation practices during and after the Crimean War, significantly reducing mortality rates and helping establish modern nursing as a profession.
  • Statistics and data visualization: Pioneered the use of statistical graphics (notably the “coxcomb” diagram) to communicate public health data and influence policy.
These achievements lie in distinct areas—clinical practice and statistical methodology—yet both had lasting global impact.
 
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DaveC426913 said:
No I see SS's point here.

But for Sagan's science chops, there would be no book or movie.

Direct causation there.
My sentiments exactly
 
DaveC426913 said:
As mentioned: Hedy Lamarr is a poster child for dual celebrity, as is Da Vinci.


Another one: Florence Nightingale (thanks, ChatGPT) notable for major, independent contributions in different domains:
  • Nursing and healthcare reform: Transformed hospital sanitation practices during and after the Crimean War, significantly reducing mortality rates and helping establish modern nursing as a profession.
  • Statistics and data visualization: Pioneered the use of statistical graphics (notably the “coxcomb” diagram) to communicate public health data and influence policy.
These achievements lie in distinct areas—clinical practice and statistical methodology—yet both had lasting global impact.

I agree with you that Florence Nightingale is worthy of inclusion on this thread.

Would Da Vinci have become famous if he was not an artist? Here is what AI said:

No, Leonardo da Vinci likely would not be a household name today if he were not an artist. While he was a brilliant polymath, his historical fame initially rested almost entirely on his achievements as a painter. His groundbreaking work in other fields went largely unpublished and unknown for centuries
 
pines-demon said:
Addition: Samuel Morse was mostly a painter, but he is remembered more for his telegraph and the invention of the Morse code.

I asked AI about this, and AI said that Samuel Morse was famous as an artist BEFORE he invented Morse Code. So Samuel Morse is worthy of inclusion on this thread.
 
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Here are the people I would include on this list so far:

Robert Leonard
Arnold Schwarzenegger
Ronald Reagan
John Wilkes Booth
Linus Pauling
Thomas Young
Samuel Morse
Benjamin Franklin
Hedy Lamarr
Florence Nightingale

____________________________________________________________-

All ten of these people had newsworthy accomplishments in two or more vastly different fields, and for all ten of these people, either one of the things that they did to achieve fame would have resulted in fame for them WITHOUT the other thing that they did.
 
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sevensages said:
Would Da Vinci have become famous if he was not an artist? Here is what AI said:
Very much so.

His art is not even his greatest accomplishment. Yes, he was a fine artist, and many of his illustrations are well-known, but quite independent of that, he is an accomplished scientist, naturalist and engineer. For me, as for many, he is far more interesting for his science than for his art. (And why his is my hero.)

He's widely regardless as a genius, and considered the very epitome of the Renaissance Man (someone accomplished in multiple independent fields). His contributions spanned anatomy, astronomy, botany, cartography, painting, and palaeontology. He greatly advanced our understanding in each of these fields, and was well-known for doing so.

Da Vinci is essentially the poster child for what you seek.
 
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This:
DaveC426913 said:
No I see SS's point here.

But for Sagan's science chops, there would be no book or movie.

Direct causation there.
would seem to equally apply to these two:
sevensages said:
Arnold Schwarzenegger
Ronald Reagan
if one were to be consistent.

Without their movie fame their political careers would not have existed.
 
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Byron White, AKA Whizzer White was an All-American half-back in college and got into the NFL (1938, 1940-1941) He then got into the NFL Hall of Fame. This is where he got the Whizzer name).

After that he became a Supreme Court Justice (1962-1993).
 
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sevensages said:
I asked AI about this
So AI is the ultimate arbiter here? You should decide what counts and check that AI is right about what it says.
 
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