“One-Upping My Claim to Fame: Mickey Dolenz and Tom Selleck’s High School Connection”

1. Celebrity School Connections

Did you go to high school or college with anyone famous? I might not have a star-studded resume, but my biggest claim to fame is having a buddy from high school who ended up owning the largest used car dealership in town. He’s a great guy and an excellent businessman, but “famous” might be pushing it a bit.

Speaking of connections, here’s a fun list of famous individuals who shared their school years:

• Mickey Dolenz of The Monkees went to high school with Tom Selleck, the iconic star of Magnum P.I. and Blue Bloods.
• Super Bowl-winning coach Jimmy Johnson was classmates with the legendary Janis Joplin.
• Danny DeVito and Michael Douglas were drama school classmates, both forging successful acting careers.
• Christopher Reeve, known for his role as Superman, studied at Juilliard with the comedic genius Robin Williams.
• Sean Penn, Charlie Sheen, and Robert Downey Jr. all attended high school together.
• David Hasselhoff and Paul “Pee Wee Herman” Reubens crossed paths at art school.
• Canadian icons Rick Moranis and Geddy Lee of Rush were elementary school buddies.
• Carole King and Paul Simon shared college years.
• Justin Trudeau, Canada’s Prime Minister, went to elementary school with the late Matthew Perry from Friends.
• Actress Kelly Preston attended high school with Barack Obama.
• Musicians Lenny Kravitz and Slash were high school classmates of actor Nicolas Cage.
• Brandon “Superman” Routh and Jason “Aquaman” Momoa went to high school together—quite the superhero duo!
• Kevin James, who would go on to be a comedian, and Mick Foley, the future pro wrestler, were high school friends.
• For those reminiscing about the classics, Bette Davis and Lucille Ball were high school mates.

2. Did You Know?

Here are some quirky facts to brighten your day:

• Despite its lemon-lime taste, Mountain Dew contains orange juice.
• Jam is made from fruit (hence its chunky texture), while jelly is made from fruit juice (hence its smooth consistency).
• Thomas Jefferson was the one who introduced macaroni and cheese to American cuisine.
• The creamy filling in Twinkies is not cream but mostly vegetable shortening.
• Sheep brains are considered a delicacy in Turkey and China.
• The latest World Baseball Rankings are: 1. Japan, 2. Mexico, 3. Chinese Taipei, 4. United States, 5. Venezuela, 6. South Korea, 7. The Netherlands, 8. Cuba, 9. Panama, and 10. Dominican Republic. These rankings are based mainly on international tournaments.
• Each year, enough Nutella is consumed to cover the Great Wall of China—eight times!

3. Celebrity Birthdays This Week

Celebrating their birthdays this week:

• Former NFL quarterback Dan Marino turns 63 on Sunday.
• Prince Harry, husband of Meghan Markle, will be 40 on Sunday as well.
• Actor Mickey Rourke marks his 72nd birthday on Monday.
• Nick Jonas of the Jonas Brothers celebrates his 32nd birthday on Monday.
• Illusionist David Copperfield turns 68 on Monday.