Arthur Currie connection to Michael Currie
Sir Arthur William Currie was a military leader for Canada in World War I and "is generally considered to be among the most capable commanders of the Western Front, and one of the finest commanders in Canadian military history."
Given that Michael Currie and Sir Arthur share the same family name, Michael sometimes is posed the question: are he and Sir Arthur closely related?
The short answer is no.
Since they are both humans of European descent, their Most Recent Common Ancestor (MRCA) was a European who lived sometime after 1400. Since they both have ancestors from the British Isles, likely the date can be brought forward to at least 1600. However, it is currently unknown who the individual was or any other details. It is most likely that this individual is too far into the past to be known with records currently available.
Michael's great-great-grandfather John Currie arrived in Canada on 8 June 1883 from Scotland.
Sir Arthur's grandfather John Corrigan fled religious strife in Ireland by emigrating to Canada in 1838, converting from Catholicism to Methodism, and changing his name to "Curry". (Arthur changed the spelling of his last name from "Curry" to "Currie" at age 22 in 1897.)
John Corrigan settled in Middlesex, Ontario upon arriving in Canada, and his children and grandchildren mostly remained there. Michael's mother's father's father's family was from that area, so it's possible there is some other connection, but not via the last name.
More details
Michael's last name originates from John Currie, a Scot born in Galashiels, Scotland. His family business was operating textile machinery, and so he immigrated to Canada, arriving 8 June 1883, to work the wollen mills of Almonte, Ontario. His youngest son Alex settled in Winnipeg, and Alex's son Jack settled in Thunder Bay. Jack's son Ron remained in Thunder Bay, and had Michael.
Arthur Currie was born to William Garner Curry and Jane Patterson on 5 December 1875 at farm near the hamlet of Napperton, Ontario, just west of Strathroy. He was the third in a family of eight children and grew up on the homestead of his paternal grandparents, John Corrigan and Jane Garner. Currie's grandparents had emigrated from Ireland in 1838 to escape religious strife, and upon their arrival in Canada they had converted from Catholicism and Anglicanism to Methodism, changing the family name from Corrigan to Curry. Arthur Currie modified the spelling of his surname from Curry to Currie in 1897.
Thus, Michael's patrilinial roots in Canada date from 1883 via Scotland, whereas Sir Arthur's date from 1838 via Ireland. (45 years earlier)
Middlesex possibilities
Because John Corrigan settled in Strathroy-Caradoc, in Middlesex county, it's possible that some of his descendants married into the other side of Michael's family, via William Newman, who also lived in Middlesex. William Newman's wife was Mary Hillier - was she the grandchild of John Corrigan? It seems no. However, it's possible that the Newman and Hillier families interacted with the "Curry" family while they lived in the same rural community of Middlesex in the decades from 1838 to when Currie left for Victoria, BC in May 1894, and when William Newman left for Winnipeg in 1906.
Timeline
John Currie -> Alex Currie -> Jack Currie -> Ron Currie -> Michael Currie
John Corrigan -> William Garner Curry -> Arthur Currie
February 1807 - John "Old John" Corrigan born in Ballycastle, County Mayo, Ireland
1838 - John and his wife emigrate from Ireland to escape religious strife, and upon their arrival in Canada they had converted from Catholicism and Anglicanism to Methodism, changing the family name from Corrigan to Curry.
1846 - John Currie born in Galasheils, Scotland
1 July 1846 - William Garner Curry born in Ontario.
5 December 1875 - Arthur Curry born in Napperton, Middlesex County, Ontario, to William.
8 June 1883 - John Currie immigrates to Canada.
1889 - Alex Currie born.
May 1894 - Arthur quarrels with his teacher in Ontario and moves to BC
1897 - Arthur changes his family name from Curry to Currie
June 1914 - Alex gets married
31 July 1914 - Currie embezzles $10,000 earmarked for his troops' uniforms to avoid bankrupcy from his Victoria real estate debts
4 August 1914 - War is declared
October 1914 - Currie sails overseas with his brigade, spending the winter training in England
February 1915 - Currie and troops sent to France
17 April 1915 - Currie and troops are assigned a trench at Ypres
22 April 1915 - Germans use poison gas on Currie's troops at Ypres. Following the battle, Currie was promoted to Major-General and given command of the entire First Canadian Division.
10 June 1915 - Jack Currie born
1918 - Arthur Currie is knighted
1920 - Sir Arthur is named President of McGill University
30 November 1933 - Sir Arthur Currie dies
5 October 1947 - Ron Currie born to Jack
8 June 1982 - Michael Currie born to Ron