Ah, Mitch McConnell. He's a household name.

The man who's the longest serving Republican senator was named one of TIME's 100 most influential people in 2019 and has recently acquired the controversial nicknames "Moscow Mitch" and "Massacre Mitch."

But, despite his fame, there may be a few things you didn't know about Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell.

Here's a free one — his name isn't Mitch. It's Addison. Addison Mitchell McConnell Jr.

He was born in Sheffield, Alabama, to Addison Mitchell McConnell and Julia Shockley on Feb. 20, 1942.

He has a law degree from UK

And the University of Kentucky College of Law is proud, too.

"Senator McConnell has long been a great friend to our law school," David Brennen, dean of the college, says on the school's website.

"Given his long list of legislative accomplishments," Brennen writes, "McConnell’s selection for inclusion on this distinguished list of leaders is well deserved and no surprise at all.”

McConnell got his political science bachelor's degree from the University of Louisville in 1964 with honors. He graduated the University of Kentucky with a law degree in 1967.

More:McConnell's campaign suspended from Twitter for posting critic's profane video

He had polio as a child

In 1944, McConnell had polio at age 2. TIME reports that he couldn't walk until he was 5 yeas old.

In 1990, during a short TV commercial, McConnell used his experience with polio to advocate for affordable heath care.

“When I was a child and my dad was in World War II, I got polio," he said. "I recovered, but my family almost went broke. Today, too many families can’t get decent affordable health care. That’s why I’ve introduced a bill to make sure health care is available to all Kentucky families, hold down skyrocketing costs and provide long-term care.”

Read:Protester calls for harm to McConnell, sparking Twitter feud and call to police

He used to be called the Deal Maker

Before he earned a reputation as an obstructionist, McConnell used to be known for making deals.

A 2011 TIME story entitled, "Let's Make a Deal" shows a side of McConnell that's both patient and also asks the question, "What are we going to do for the country?"

The TIME article said, "When McConnell wants to deal, the Senate is miraculously transformed from a parking lot to a drag strip" suggesting it was the Kentucky senator who was able to spur a whole room into motion.

Back then, he was the Senate minority leader.

He's a descendant of slave owners

July census data showed that two of McConnell's great-great-grandfathers — James McConnell and Richard Daley — owned at least 14 slaves in Limestone County, Alabama. All except two of those slaves were women.

McConnell has spoken out against reparations in the past and said people alive today aren't responsible.

"I don’t think reparations for something that happened 150 years ago, when none of us currently living are responsible, is a good idea,” he said in June. "We’ve tried to deal with our original sin of slavery by fighting a civil war, by passing landmark civil rights legislation. We’ve elected an African American president."

McConnell also spoke out after it was reporter that his ancestors owned slaves.

"I find myself once again in the same position as President Obama," McConnell said in July. "We both opposed reparations, and we both are the descendants of slave-owners.”

He worked with Gerald Ford

McConnell was the deputy assistant attorney general for Gerald Ford, the 38th U.S. president.

Ford was president from 1974 to 1977, succeeding Richard Nixon after the Watergate scandal.

Ford was the nation's first unelected president. When he took office, he said, “I assume the presidency under extraordinary circumstances…. This is an hour of history that troubles our minds and hurts our hearts.”

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