Chef Aarón Sánchez learns how his great-great-grandfather Rafael, who was once the wealthiest cattle owners in Northern Mexico, fled north to the United States among more than 890,000 Mexicans to avoid the revolution.

When the award-winning chef Ming Tsai's paternal grandparents Stephen Tsai and Lily Li fled the Chinese Communist Revolution, Stephen took a book with him that traces the family genealogy back to the year 891 A.D. Professor Gates' team visited China to try to confirm this oral history of the Tsai family genealogy.

Celebrity chefs Tom Colicchio, Aaron Sanchez and Ming Tsai discover family members who have shaped their lives -- and America’s cuisine.

Benjamin Jealous discovers his family's first freed ancestor, a courageous man named Peter Morgan, who -- through hard work and scrupulous saving -- managed to purchase his own freedom in 1859.

Khandi Alexander's ambitious Grandfather met a tragic end when he was purposefully burned while working as a distiller at a rosin factory -- what amounted to a workplace lynching.

Documentary filmmaker and patriotic American Ken Burns discovers an incredibly surprising fact about his Revolutionary War-era ancestors -- they were loyalists, devoted to the Union Jack!

Actress, playwright, and professor learns of her courageous ancestor, a conductor along the Underground Railroad. With the help of the Finding Your Roots research team, Henry Louis Gates, Jr. was able to relay details about this inspirational hero, a freed slave risked his life to help others on the path to freedom.

Ken Burns, Anderson Cooper and Anna Deavere Smith are three iconic American storytellers who have spent their lives chronicling the lives of others all the while knowing almost nothing about their own family history:

TV journalist Anderson Cooper discovers a surprising fact about his Civil War era ancestors, and must reconcile with his family's dark past.

Henry Louis Gates, Jr. uncovers basketball star Rebecca Lobo's ancestral immigration papers, revealing a surprising turn of events in the Lobo family line.

With the support of his diverse extended family, Yankee captain Derek Jeter knew from an early age that all he wanted to be was the shortstop for the New York Yankees.

In this clip from Episode 2, tennis champ Billie Jean King, who knew very little about her beloved grandmother's past, is able to read a family Bible containing a detailed written genealogy.

Three of America's greatest athletes -- Derek Jeter, Billie Jean King and Rebecca Lobo -- whose determination and love of sports were deeply shaped by their families, were all cut off from their true origins.

Thanks to Professor Gates' research, Stephen King learns an enlightening fact about his Southern ancestors' journey.

Three guests who know almost nothing about their fathers’ histories: Stephen King’s father walked out on the family when he was only two years old, and never returned; Courtney Vance wants to learn more about his true roots after the tragic suicide of his father, a foster child who never knew the identity of his biological parents; and Gloria Reuben’s father was 78 years old when she was born.

Henry Louis Gates, Jr. traces Courtney B. Vance's fascinating family line back to a runaway slave turned Union Army soldier. Finding Your Roots with Henry Louis Gates, Jr. Season 2 premieres Tuesday, September 23 on PBS (check local listings).

Henry Louis Gates, Jr. reveals evidence about actress Gloria Reuben's 5th Great-Grandmother, an incredibly rare discovery that connects her family line back to Africa.

Finding Your Roots host Henry Louis Gates, Jr. shares a story from his family history.

Henry Louis Gates, JR. invites you to share your own family history on the official Finding Your Roots website.

Linda Chavez learns about her ancestors who were Pueblo.