Did You Know It's Legal to Marry Your First Cousin in Colorado?

On July 23rd radio station Kool 107.9 FM Western Colorado's Greatest Hits, had a brief article listing the states where you can marry a cousin.  Here is the introduction:

The phrase "keeping it in the family" can mean something a bit different in Colorado and 18 other states in the US as it is legal to marry your first cousin. Before the Civil War, marriage to a cousin was legal in all states according to Wikipedia.

We're not just talking about a second cousin removed by marriage either. Marrying your first cousin in Colorado is entirely legal in the state. Think of your mom's brother's kid. Yep, you could legally marry them in 19 states.

Celebrities Who Married Relatives

I don't know why this popped up in my e-mail now, but back in 2017 The Wrap had an article about celebrities who married a relative.  Some of these are so distantly related that it's probably absurd to refer to them as cousin marriages, but there are some good examples.

1) Albert Einstein, a German theoretical physicist, married his cousin Elsa Einstein.  Their mothers were sisters, and their fathers were first cousins, so they were even more closely related than a regular cousin couple.  They did not have any children of their own, but Albert raised her daughters from a previous marriage.

2) David Lean, an English film director, married his cousin Isabel Lean and they had a son.

3) H. G. Wells, an English writer, married his cousin Isabel Mary Wells, but they didn't have any children.

4) Charles Darwin, an English naturalist, married his cousin Emma Wedgwood and they had 10 children.

5) Greta Scacchi, an Italian-Australian actress, was in a relationship with her cousin Carlo Mantegazza and they have a son together.

6) Edgar Allan Poe, American writer, married his cousin Virginia Eliza Clemm Poe, but they didn't have any children.

7) Jesse James, American outlaw, married his cousin Zerelda Mimms and they had 4 children.  She had the same first name as Jesse's mother.