There is a relation between George Clooney and Abraham Lincoln; according to Ancestry.com, Clooney is the half-first cousin five times removed from Lincoln, the 16th president, Reuters reports.

When they say "half", then mean that two of their ancestors were half-siblings - Lincoln's mother Nancy Hanks was the half-sister of Clooney's 4th great-grandmother Mary Ann Sparrow. As historical figures go, Clooney has got to be pretty happy with the news. Considered to be one of the most important men in the history of America, and certainly remembered as its finest president, Abraham Lincoln led the country through the Civil War and is credited with the abolition of slavery, which officially became law in 1865 after his assassination. Clooney, whilst predominantly known for his fine acting talents, has also trodden down the political path once or twice, but not with quite the same authority and consequence. A major Hollywood backer of President Barack Obama - he hosted a Democratic Party fundraiser at his Los Angeles home in March that raised $15 million for the party.

One can't help the feeling that Ancestry.com knew about this link for a little while, but waited for the week in which Lincon - the upcoming Steven Spielberg film, which stars Daniel Day Lewis as the title role - is released. You can catch Lincoln on limited release on November, 9, with the general release happening on the 16th.