No one ever wants to think about losing their parents. Ever. Honestly, it is the last thing anyone wants to even consider. They're immortal, or so most people like to think. For many individuals, parents are the one constant thing throughout their life, and to lose either one of them or both of them is something beyond imagination.

But it does happen, because sometimes life can't be all rainbows and butterflies. Nothing lasts forever, no matter how much people may want it to. The reality is that at one point or another, everything must die. The only thing people can really hope for is that when the time does come, it comes quickly and without pain.

Orphans have long been the source for most tragic tales in history, whether they are fictional or real. The famous novel Oliver Twist revolves around a young orphan boy, while Lemony Snicket's Series of Unfortunate Events is centered on a young family of orphans. Being an orphan is the plot device in many popular books, television shows, and movies. The tragedy of having the main character either be or become an orphan at some point in the story line is for some reason fascinating and often draws people further into the plot in order to keep them reading or watching.

What many people don't know, however, is that there have been many famous people throughout history that were orphaned at one point in their life, whether through abandonment or through the death of their birth parents.

This is a list of 18 celebrities that you probably didn't know were orphaned.

18 Jamie Foxx - Orphan Unchained

Recognizable from movies like Jarhead, The Amazing Spider-Man 2, and Django Unchained, actor Jamie Foxx was born as Eric Marlon Bishop in Texas on December 13th, 1967. His biological parents are Shahid Abdula (formally Darrell Bishop, he changed his name after converting to the Islamic faith), who was a stockbroker on occasion, and Louise Annette Talley Dixon. His birth parents, for whatever reason, chose to give him up for adoption shortly after his birth, and he ended up being adopted by his birth mother’s adoptive parents. He has rarely-if ever-had any contact with his birth parents and they had no part in his upbringing. Instead he was raised by Ester (a domestic worker) and Mark Talley (a yard worker). In the years since he has become an extremely successful sitcom star, actor, comedian, and musician. In more recent times for his achievements as an entertainer he has earned himself a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.

17 Edgar Allen Poe - And Quoth The Orphan, Nevermore

Famous poet and literary critic Edgar Allen Poe was born on January 19th in the year 1809 in Boston, Massachusetts. Son of David Poe Jr. (an actor from Baltimore) and Elizabeth Arnold Poe (a British actress) Poe was one of three children. He had a brother named William and a sister named Rosalie. His father abandoned the family when Poe was only a baby and his mother passed away from tuberculosis when Poe was three. The children were separated shortly thereafter, and Poe was sent to live with a tobacco merchant and his wife, by the names of John and Frances Allen. While it appeared that he had a good relationship with his adoptive mother Poe had a rather difficult one with his father, mainly because the man did not support his writing, preferring that his son follow him into the family business. Their relationship became even more strained when Allen did not provide Poe enough funds for him to complete college. In spite of the obstacles he faced, Poe went on to make a name for himself.

16 Faith Hill - This Orphan

Audrey Faith Perry was born north of Jackson, Mississippi on September 21st, 1967. Nothing is really known about her birth parents, and she was adopted as an infant by Edna and Ted Perry and raised in a town called Star, about 20 miles outside Jackson. She was raised alongside her parents two biological sons. She would later attend college at Hinds Junior College (which is now Hinds Community College) for a brief period of time before dropping out to pursue her music career. She married David Hill in 1988, and she kept his name as her stage name after they divorced. She is currently country music royalty and one half of the powerhouse couple that includes her husband, singer and actor Tim McGraw. Between the two of them and their successful marriage they have three daughters, one great acting career, and two extremely successful music careers with multiple platinum albums.

15 Eartha Kitt - Orphan Baby

Born on January 17th in the year 1927, Eartha Kitt was a famous singer before her death in 2008. It is widely believed that she was conceived by rape. Born out of wedlock, her mother was black and it has been said that her father was a dirt-poor white cotton farmer. To this day no one truly knows. Though she tried to find out his identity for years, it was never discovered, and because she was biracial and light-skinned her mother’s side of the family did not accept her. She was given away by her mother at a young age, and the woman died shortly thereafter. She was passed around to several people before finally landing in New York City with a woman named Mamie Keitt. Kitt would go on to attend a preforming arts high school, before beginning her preforming career with the Katherine Dunham Company in 1943. She would later release her most recognizable hit, Santa Baby, in 1953.

14 Melissa Gilbert - Little Orphan On The Prairie

A well-known actor and director, Melissa Ellen Gilbert was born on May 8th in 1984. She started out as a child actress in the latter half of the twentieth century starring in a great many commercials, before moving on to voice work and television shows and movies later in her life. One of her more well-known appearances was her time on Little House on the Prairie, starring as the main character Laura Ingalls Wilder. She was born to a newly engaged couple, Kathy Wood and David Darlington before being place up for adoption almost immediately after her birth. She was adopted by actor Paul Gilbert and his wife Barbara Crane, who also adopted her brother Jonathan Gilbert who would co-star with her on LHOTP. Her parents divorced when she was eight, and when she was eleven her father died suddenly. Though she was initially told he suffered a stroke, Gilbert later found out that her father committed suicide. She has a younger sister who is her adoptive mother’s biological daughter, Sarah, who would also take the last name Gilbert in honor of her siblings’ father.

13 Ingrid Bergman - Casaorphan

A Swedish actress who has starred in many European and American films, Ingrid Bergman was born on the 29th of August in the year 1915 and died on August 29th in 1982. Among some of the awards she won during her acting career were several Academy and Emmy Awards. Best remember for playing Ilsa Lund in Casablanca in 1924, she is also known for starring as Alicia Huberman in the 1946 film Notorious. Her mother, Friedel Bergman died when she was two, and her father Justus died the year she turned thirteen. After her father passed she was sent to live with one of her aunts, who suffered from heart disease and died only six months later. She moved one final time, this time to live with her Aunt Hulda and her Uncle Otto, with whom she would remain for the rest of her adolescence.

12 John Lennon - Oh My Orphan

John Lennon was a famous singer and song writer who many people recognize as one of the co-founders of the popular band The Beatles. Born on the 9th of October in 1940 and died on the 8th of December in 1980, he had a very successful songwriting relationship with Paul McCartney. Once The Beatles disbanded, he embarked on his own solo career until the day he was murdered. Born in wartime, his father Alfred Lennon was a soldier who went absent without leave, leaving Lennon with his mother Julia. When he returned Alfred offered to take care of the family, but his wife rejected the notion and sent him on his way. She neglected Lennon and gave custody of him to her sister after the other woman made complaints to Social Services. His father visited a short time later and took him to Blackpool with Julia following close behind. They eventually made the five-year-old Lennon choose between the two of them, and though he verbally chose his father he ended up leaving with his mother. After that day more than twenty years would pass before he saw his father again. His mother than returned him to her sister, with whom he spent the rest of his childhood.

11 J.R.R Tolkien - Lord Of The Orphans

John Ronald Reuel Tolkien is the man best known for being the creator of the much loved novel series The Lord of The Rings, in addition to its prequel The Hobbit and its companion novel The Silmarillion. Because of this, and the fact that there was a greater interest in reading and writing fantasy fiction after his works were published he is often considered the father of fantasy literature. Born in South Africa, his mother decided to take him and his brother to England on a lengthy family visit. His father remained behind, however, and died of rheumatic fever before he could join them. With no source of income Tolkien’s mother took herself and her children to her parents house, where they resided for many years. When he was twelve, Tolkien’s mother Mabel converted to Roman Catholicism despite protests from her extremely Baptist family. Because of this they cut off all financial assistance, and she would die a little while later of diabetes. Insulin had not yet been discovered, and as such was no help to her. Prior to her death Mabel assigned a close friend guardianship of her sons in order for them to be brought up in her religion, and not in her families.

10 Ice T - Don’t Hate The Orphan

Tracey Lauren Marrow, better known by his popular stage name Ice-T was born on February 16th in the year 1958. He is an American musician, rapper, songwriter, actor, and author who was the first person to have to carry a warning label for explicit content on one of his hip-hop albums. For nearly two decades he has starred in the popular crime drama Law & Order: Special Victims Unit as Detective (and now Sergeant) Odafin Tutuola. Ice T’s mother Alice Marrow died of a heart attack when he was around eight years old, and four years later his father Solomon died in the exact same manner. Orphaned at only twelve years old, T went to live with nearby aunt for a very brief period of time before officially relocating to View Park-Windsor Hills in South Los Angeles with another aunt and uncle and his cousin Earl. Earl would be the one to inspire T’s love of music later in life.

9 George Lopez - The Orphan Next Door

George Lopez is a popular American comedian and actor who is best known for his self-titled and self-produced sitcom. Most of his comedy focuses on race, ethics, and Mexican American cultural issues. Born April 23rd, 1961 the man has received several different honors and awards for his contributions to the Latino community. Lopez was born in Mission Hills in Los Angeles, California to parents Frieda and Anatasio Lopez, the latter of which was a migrant worker. His father deserted the family when Lopez was only two months old, and ten years later his mother followed suit, leaving her son to be raised by her mother, Benita Gutierrez (a factory worker) and her step-father Refugio (a construction worker). Lopez has surely made a success of himself, despite the fact that both of his parents abandoned him at such a young age.

8 Ray Charles - Lonely Orphan

Ray Charles Robinson was born on September 23rd, 1930 and died on June 10th, 2004. Known professionally as Ray Charles and among friends and fellow musicians as either “Brother Ray” or “The Genius” Charles was blind from the age of seven onward, and pioneered soul music by combining blues, rhythm, and gospel music into the songs her recorded. Billy Joel has been quoted as saying that he considers Charles more important that even Elvis Presley. Charles’ mother was a teenage orphan named Aretha Williams who had been informally adopted by Bailey Robinson and his wife, Mary Jane. Williams took their surname, and later became pregnant by Bailey, causing a scandal. She left after becoming back, but returned after she gave birth. Bailey Robinson abandoned the family soon thereafter. Charles would have a little brother, George, who would drown in family’s laundry tub as a young child. His mother would die later on when Charles was fourteen. He has said that the two great tragedies of his life were losing his mother and his brother, as both deaths came as a shock to him. After leaving school he would move in with close friends of his mother.

7 Barbara Stanwyck - The Orphan Birds

Barbara Stanwyck was born as Ruby Catherine Stevens on July 16th, 1907 and she died on January 20th 1990. She began her acting career with a short stint on stage, then made a total of 85 films over a 38 year period before finally switching to television acting. By 1944 she was the highest paid woman in the US, and her her lifetime she had been nominated for the best actress Academy Award four times, as well as been the recipient of three Emmy Awards for her television work. Born in Brooklyn, she was one of the five children of Byron and Catherine Ann Stevens. When Ruby was four, her mother passed away from complications of a miscarriage caused by being knocked off a streetcar by a drunk. Less than two weeks after her mothers death, her father went to the Panama Canal with a work crew less than two weeks later and was never heard from again. Her elder sister Mildred had custody of her and her brother Byron Jr. for a short period of time, but they were placed in foster care after Mildred took a job as a showgirl.

6 Leo Tolstoy - War And Orphans

Count Lev Nikolayevich Tolstoy was born on September 9th, 1828 in Yasnaya Polyana, Russia. Known commonly in english as Leo Tolstoy, he is regarded as one of the best authors of all time. To this day, people still read his books. He died on November 20th, 1910. He was eighty-two years old. Tolstoy's family was of old Russian nobility, and was able to trace their ancestral tree all the way back to 1353. The fourth of five children, he was the son of Count Nikolai Ilyich Tolstoy and his wife Mariya Tolstoya. Both of his parents died when he was very young, and both he and his siblings were brought up by relatives. Some of Tolstoy's more well known works include Anna Karenina and War and Peace.

5 Marilyn Monroe - Orphan Business

Norma Jeane Mortenson was the dumb blonde sex symbol of acting. Better known by her stage name, Marilyn Monroe she was born on June 1st in 1926, and died suddenly on August 5 in 1962. Monroe was the third child of Gladys Pearl Baker, and nothing is known about her biological father. Baker had two children from a previous marriage who her husband had taken in the divorce, and Monroe did not even know she had siblings until years later. Baker married a second time, but they also divorced shortly after she became pregnant with Monroe by another man. Baker was both mentally and financially unprepared to raise a child, so she placed Monroe with a foster family. At first Monroe's mother lived with the family, though she had to move to find work. She would visit her daughter on the weekends. Though the foster family wanted to adopt Monroe, her mother was able to regain custody of her for a short time before having a mental breakdown and being committed. Monroe went back into the system shortly thereafter.

4 Steve Jobs - Orphan Story

Most well known for his work with Apple, Steven Paul Jobs was born on February 24th, 1955, and died on October 5th, 2011. An engineer, designer, businessman, and entrepreneur, Jobs was both the CEO and co-founder of Apple, Inc. which is most famous for its computers, phones, and tablets. Along side the other co-founder of Apple Jobs is seen as one of the pioneers of microcomputer revolution in the 70's and 80's. His biological father Abdulfattah Jandali is the son of a self-made millionaire and a traditional housewife. His mother was Joanne Carol Schieble, and they met at the University of Wisconsin. Her family did not approve of the relationship because Jandali is a Muslim. They became pregnant with Jobs in 1954, and though they wanted to keep the baby Schieble's family objected to them getting married, and as abortion was illegal adoption was their only option. Schieble left Jandali to have Jobs in the states, and did not involve him in the process. He was adopted by Paul and Clara Jobs, only after Schieble made them promise that her son would attend college.

3 Frances McDormand - Almost Orphan

Frances Louise McDormand was born on June 23rd, 1957. She is one of few American preforms to receive what is known as the Triple Crown of Acting, being the possessor of a Tony Award for her work in the Broadway play Good People (2011), an Academy Award for her performance in Fargo (1996), and an Emmy Award for Olive Kitteridge (2014). Not much is known about the first year of her life with the exception that she was adopted by a couple originally from Canada, Noreen and Vernon McDormand. Her adoptive father is a pastor, and McDormand has said that her biological mother may have been a member of his congregation. She has two siblings, both of whom are adopted. Her parents had no biological children.

2 Babe Ruth - The Great Orphan

An American Major League Baseball player whose career spanned twenty-two seasons, George Herman Ruth Jr. was born on February 6th, 1895, and died on August 16th, 1948. Known commonly as Babe, his nicknames also included "The Bambino" and "The Sultan of Swat" he began his career with the Boston Red Sox, though he is best known for playing in the outfield for the New York Yankees. Born in Baltimore to parents George Herman Ruth Sr. and Katherine Schamberger, Ruth was one of seven children, though he and his younger sister Mamie were the only two to survive past infancy. Many details of his childhood are unknown, though he was sent to an orphanage and reform school for boys at age seven. His mother died when he was twelve, and he was allowed by the school to attend her funeral, though it appears this may have been one of the only times he was allowed to leave before becoming an adult. He rarely, if ever, had contact with his father after his placement at the school, as it was a violent incident at his father's saloon that placed him there in the first place.

1 Eleanor Roosevelt - First Orphan Of The World

Anna Eleanor Roosevelt is best known for being the longest running First Lady of the United States (she served from March of 1933 to April of 1945), because her husband FDR was the only American President to be elected for four consecutive terms in office. In addition to being the First Lady, she was also a diplomat and activist in her own right. President Harry Truman  called her "The First Lady of The World" in reference to the achievements she made as a human rights activist. A niece of President Teddy Roosevelt, Eleanor was born in Manhattan in 1884 to parents Elliot Bulloch Roosevelt and Anna Rebecca Hall. She preferred being called by her middle name from an early age onward. Her mother passed away from diphtheria on December 7th, 1892, and her younger brother Elliot Jr died of the same disease the following summer. Her father became an alcoholic confined to a sanitarium and died on August 14th 1894 after jumping out a window. Surprisingly, he survived the initial fall but died of a seizure as a result of his injuries.  After the deaths of her parents Eleanor was raised in the house of her maternal grandmother.

Sources: Wikipedia.org, Biography.com