I met an older relative on genealogy.com's forum, who sent me all of her research. It really helped a lot. I haven't discovered anyone who is well known, but I did find some really fascinating information about my family.
One thing I learned is that my great-great grandparents came to the USA from Germany, they brought some plants from their vineyard, grapes, and pears that are still sold in the USA today. It's a lot of fun making discoveries.