Did You Know Kit Harington’s Ancestor Invented Flushing Toilets?

The title Kit Harington: King of the Loos doesn't quite roll of the tongue. But it should. It turns out that Game of Thrones star is a distance ancestor to one John Harington who was a poet and an inventor. The British innovator used his creativity and resourcefulness to invent one of the most important items in modern civilizations. You use it, I use it— he invented the flushing toilet in 1596 for Queen Elizabeth I. Kit confirmed this bizarre fact in an interview with Elle magazine that covered a myriad of comments including what makes him cry (flying), and when he lost his virginity (he as 13ish and wanted to "get the monkey off" his back), and his dream role Sesame Street ("I'd be quite starstruck by the puppets"). But beyond those delightful Kit tid-bits, let's talk more about the toilet. Kit told the magazine that the rumor he is related the toilet inventor was "100 percent true. It's called 'the John Harington.'" As a (great) follow-up question, the interviewers asks if that's why people refer to bathrooms or the loo as "the john." Kit confirms that yes this is true, which is weird because I thought it came from "Jon Snow," star of Game of Porcelain Thrones. Don't you just love some good toilet trivia?