National Brother's Day — 24 May

The word brother stems from the Latin root frater and the Proto-Germanic word brother, which itself comes from the Proto-IndoEuropean root bhrater. Regardless of origin, both in words and in blood, our bothers have our backs over and over again. They’re our closest friend, and sometimes, the most annoying people we know. But we love them anyway. Even some of the most famous people in history had brothers to lean on and be annoyed by. 

1. Henry and William James Henry James was one of America’s most acclaimed novelists in the late 1800s and early 1900s, penning books such as “The Portrait of a Lady” and “The Turn of the Screw.” His older brother, William James, was a renowned American philosopher and considered by many to be the father of psychology.

2. The Bee Gees Famous pop group, the Bee Gees, was made up of brothers Barry, Robin, and Maurice Gibb. They have sold more than 120 million records worldwide making them one of the world’s best selling artists of all time. They were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1997 and were presented the award by Brian Wilson, the frontman of another famous family act, The Beach Boys.

3. The Sullivan Brothers Following the loss of their friend in Pearl Harbor, George, Francis, Joseph, Madison, and Albert Sullivan enlisted in the US Navy. All five were serving on the USS Juneau during World War II when it sunk in a 1942 naval battle. When three uniformed men called upon their parent’s house, their father — bracing for the bad news — asked “Which one,” to which the lieutenant commander replied “I’m sorry. All five.” Because of them, the US War Department established the Sole Survivor Policy to protect those who lost family members in military service from combat duty.