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 Thursday, October 08, 2009
Genealogist Finds Michelle Obama's Slave Ancestor
Posted by Grace
Family Tree Magazine contributor Megan Smolenyak Smolenyak and The New York Times have uncovered documents revealing first lady Michelle Obama's great-great-great-grandmother, a slave named Melvinia. Through probate records, photographs and local histories, the sleuths have pieced together a picture of the life of Melvinia, who labored on farms in Georgia and South Carolina, and her first son, Dolphus—Obama's great-great-grandfather—who became a carpenter and owned his own business in Birmingham, Ala.
The story is absolutely fascinating. You can learn more about it in The New York Times, in ABC's news report, and make sure you watch the below video from Roots Television.
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Friday, October 02, 2009
Genealogy News Corral: September 28-October 2
Posted by Diane
It's Friday, and that means it's time to rustle up some genealogy news:
- Got St. Louis-area ancestors? Consider subscribing to Genealogy and House History News, a free monthly e-mail update listing additions to the Missouri History Museum's Genealogy and Local History Index (click the “Sign up for the E-mail List” link). If you find a relative, you can order a photocopy of the record.
- FamilySearch has added a few more databases to the Record Search Pilot, thanks to its hard-working indexing volunteers. You can search indexes and view images of Protestant church records from France (1612-1906).
The 1920 US census index (but not record images) was added for Mississippi, Montana, New Jersey and South Carolina.
You can browse images of church records from Italy, Slovakia, Argentina and Mexico (these indexes are still being processed). To find records associated with the place your ancestors lived, click Browse our Record Collections on the Record Search home page, then click an area of the map.
- Happy third birthday to RootsTelevision! The free genealogy TV Web site shared a list of its most popular videos, several of which relate to family history happenings that broke into “mainstream” news. See the list on the Og Blog.
My trusty colleagues Allison and Grace will post while I'm sneaking in some vacation next week. I might chime in from afar, or I might be too entranced by autumnal loveliness to make it happen. We'll see.
FamilySearch | International Genealogy | Libraries and Archives | Videos
Friday, October 02, 2009 7:20:23 PM (GMT Daylight Time, UTC+01:00) 
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Thursday, June 18, 2009
See Great Depression, WWII Videos on Archives' YouTube Channel
Posted by Diane
Look for the National Archives and Records Administration (NARA) to launch a YouTube channel tomorrow (June 19) in conjunction with its 75th anniversary celebration.
We should see some fascinating footage released over the coming weeks: videos documenting the “space race” and Moon landing, a series on NARA’s presidential libraries, US Department of War WWII reels, and Department of the Interior Great Depression footage.
Tune in tomorrow at www.youtube.com/USNationalArchives (the channel isn't available quite yet).
Libraries and Archives | Videos
Thursday, June 18, 2009 9:37:38 PM (GMT Daylight Time, UTC+01:00)
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Tuesday, June 16, 2009
Rocky Mountain Genealogy High
Posted by Diane
Our adventurous editor Allison Stacy traveled to the Family History Expo in Loveland, Colo. (north of Denver), June 12 and 13, where she ran the Family Tree Magazine booth.
Visitors could take advantage of show specials on CDs, a drawing for our State Research Guides and Passport to Europe CDs, and free magazines and handouts.
Unique at the Expo was a Blogger Bistro and Twitter Café, where attendees could use workstations and watch conference events on a big-screen tv. Read what the designated “Bloggers of Honor” had to say at Arlene H. Eakle’s Genealogy Blog, HistoricalTownMaps (Bernie Gracy), Becky’s Grace and Glory (Becky Jamison) and Family Tree Climbing (Sarah Strong).
You also can watch video interviews from this and other Expos here and see the schedule of upcoming Family History Expos here.
The Embassy Suites Hotel and Conference Center, Allison reports, is brand-new, convenient and super-nice (and, she was told, one of only two places in Colorado to serve buffalo fries).
The Rocky Mountains were tantalizingly close.
Genealogy Events | Videos
Tuesday, June 16, 2009 2:06:56 PM (GMT Daylight Time, UTC+01:00)
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Friday, May 08, 2009
"Today Show" Visit Ellis Island, Statue of Liberty
Posted by Diane
The "Today Show" broadcast today from Ellis Island and the Statue of Liberty in New York Harbor. The Ellis Island video features a “walk-through” of immigrants’ experiences with host Meredith Vieira and Save Ellis Island director Judith R. McAlpin. Here’s the video.
Another clip shows the anchors’ also climbed inside the Statue of Liberty to announce the crown will re-open to the public July 4. Read and watch on the Today Show site.
Also read our article (from the November 2008 Family Tree Magazine) about the immigrant hospital on Ellis Island.
immigration records | Videos
Friday, May 08, 2009 3:00:02 PM (GMT Daylight Time, UTC+01:00)
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Tuesday, April 28, 2009
Scare Tactics Throughout History
Posted by Grace
This swine flu is nothing new—and neither is the panic. A 1976 outbreak was described as "the epidemic that never was." The flu itself killed only one person, but hundreds were injured or killed by a vaccine the government came up with. ( Read the whole story here.) About a third of the US population was vaccinated, perhaps thanks to scaremongering public service announcements like these:
Click here for answers to all your swine flu questions. Thanks to Sally Jacobs for the video link!
Social History | Videos
Tuesday, April 28, 2009 5:40:40 PM (GMT Daylight Time, UTC+01:00)
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Friday, April 24, 2009
Genealogy News Corral, April 20-24
Posted by Diane
Here's our roundup of the week's genealogy news bits: - The New England Regional Genealogy Conference is now underway in Manchester, NH. If you're in the area, stop by today or tomorrow to take classes, check out the exhibitors and participate in the Ancestors Road show.
- Subscription records site WorldVitalRecords.com enhanced its record image viewer to let you view newspaper images at up to 200 percent (before the most you could get was 100 percent). You also can print the zoomed record, save images to your computer and share images with friends and family.
- Roots Television (genealogy tv you watch online) is bringing back the Down Under series, which has genealogists discovering intriguing stories about tombstones and those who’ve passed on.
- FamilySearch online indexing volunteers reached a big milestone this week, transcribing their 250 millionth historical record. Record #250 million was part of Nicaragua civil registrations, extracted by three online indexers from Nicaragua, Guatemala and Honduras.
FamilySearch Indexing, begun in January 2006, now has more than 100,000 volunteers worldwide typing away.
- This also from FamilySearch: Its expanded the Knowles Collection, a free database of Jewish records from Britain, to 40,000 names. You can download the database in GEDCOM or Personal Ancestral File format from FamilySearch’s Jewish resources page.
- Update: Ancestry.com has change its Ancestry.com blog to disable commenting on posts once they've reached two weeks old. That's so staff can "track all comments in a more timely manner and reply as needed." See more on the Ancestry.com blog.
FamilySearch | Genealogy Events | Genealogy Web Sites | Videos
Friday, April 24, 2009 8:06:38 PM (GMT Daylight Time, UTC+01:00)
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Monday, April 20, 2009
Can Genealogy Web Sites Make it Easier to Cite Sources?
Posted by Diane
Wouldn’t it be great if you could find information about your ancestor on a database site such as Ancestry.com, FamilySearch or Footnote, and just click to add the ancestor information and a properly formatted source citation to your genealogy software? Mark Tucker, the software architect who blogs at Think Genealogy, says the technology exists to make this happen. He created a video to prove it. It sure looks simple: On a sample Web site he'd set up, Tucker clicks a "quick citation" link next to digitized pages from a family history book. Then, switching back to his RootsMagic 4 software, he shows how the source citation and information about his ancestor has been automatically exported to the software. (Tucker says this also could work in Family Tree Maker 2009 and Legacy
Family Tree 7.) At the end of the video, he encourages you to contact database companies you use to encourage them to adopt this easy method of source citation. You also can take a survey about your source citation needs.
Genealogy Industry | Genealogy Software | Videos
Monday, April 20, 2009 1:34:15 PM (GMT Daylight Time, UTC+01:00)
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Friday, April 10, 2009
Genealogy News Corral: April 6-10
Posted by Diane
Here's a roundup of news bits from this week: - UK-based subscription site FamilyRelatives redesigned its Web site to make it easier to find databases. Changes include a simpler look and new menu that categorizes databases geographically. Records come from Australia, England, Ireland and a few from the United States (US records are free to registered users), with Canada, Wales, Scotland and New Zealand collections to come.
A FamilyRelatives subscription costs 30 pounds (about $44) per year. Many records are also available on a pay-per-view basis. See more details on Eastman’s Online Genealogy Newsletter and some screen shots on Genea-Musings.
Genealogy Web Sites | Historic preservation | Videos
Friday, April 10, 2009 7:44:47 PM (GMT Daylight Time, UTC+01:00)
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Thursday, March 26, 2009
America's Next Top Immigrants
Posted by Grace
What do modeling and genealogy have in common? Absolutely nothing—until last night, when the girls of " America's Next Top Model" did a photo shoot at Ellis Island as very fashionable immigrants. Watch this season's girls impersonating new arrivals in the video below:
Genealogy fun | Videos
Thursday, March 26, 2009 2:00:00 PM (GMT Standard Time, UTC+00:00)
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Tuesday, January 20, 2009
Morphing the Presidents
Posted by Diane
If you want to see a cool blend of technology and history—or you want to remind yourself what Millard Fillmore looks like—watch this video. It's kind of a visual representation of the transfer of power: The video seamlessly “morphs” images of the 44 presidents from George Washington all the way up to Barack Obama. It's set to “Boléro” by Maurice Ravel.
Videos
Tuesday, January 20, 2009 5:43:44 PM (GMT Standard Time, UTC+00:00)
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Monday, September 29, 2008
Technology in Plain English
Posted by Allison
With the online genealogy world embracing “Web 2.0,” you’re probably hearing a lot of related terminology that might confuse you a bit. Actually, I know you’re hearing it, because we use it on this blog and in the magazine—and since I’ve only learned about these things through writing about them, I’m going to go out on a limb and guess that many of you would enjoy some accessible-to-the-average-person explanations of newfangled Web technology. Enter the CommonCraft Show, which offers—you guessed it—“explanations in plain English.” On its YouTube channel, you’ll find short videos demonstrating social networking, Twitter, wikis, blogs and other online trends. I stumbled across CommonCraft’s RSS in Plain English video on the RootsMagic blog, and was pleasantly surprised at how well the videos convey the concepts in a way that’s accessible to anyone—and even entertaining. Here's the RSS clip for your enjoyment:
Videos
Monday, September 29, 2008 8:43:26 PM (GMT Daylight Time, UTC+01:00)
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Friday, August 29, 2008
Family Tree Magazine Expert Talks Roots on the Today Show
Posted by Diane
The " Today" show hosts have been showing off their roots all week in a genealogy series. This morning, Family Tree Magazine contributing editor and resident Photo Detective Maureen A. Taylor was in a spot with Al Roker, answering viewers’ research questions. See if you can spot the cover a familiar-looking genealogy magazine!
We've posted a video of Maureen's second segment with Meredith Vieira on the Photo Detective blog.
Research Tips | Videos
Friday, August 29, 2008 6:44:43 PM (GMT Daylight Time, UTC+01:00)
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Monday, August 25, 2008
"Today" Traces Hosts' Roots
Posted by Diane
If you want your genealogy researched for free but your past is too checkered to run for political office, there’s always the “Today” show host chair. The show is again airing a series on tracing its hosts’ roots. Today we saw snippets of Meredith Vieira’s family history in Portugal’s Azores islands. On a genealogist's dream journey, Vieira visited the islands and found ancestors’ birth records, discovered family homes, met cousins and joined in the Festa do Espirito Santo (Festival of the Holy Spirit). You may get jealous, but watch the video all the same—it was inspiring. At the end of the segment, Vieira thanks several people, including our own contributing editor Maureen A. Taylor, who did genealogical research for the "Today" producers. Readers who share Vieira’s Portuguese ancestry—or have roots in neighboring Spain—can get research help in the June 2004 Family Tree Magazine ( available from our Back Issue store). Also see the Portuguese Genealogy Home Page and LusaWeb.
International Genealogy | Videos
Monday, August 25, 2008 4:17:45 PM (GMT Daylight Time, UTC+01:00)
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Monday, August 04, 2008
Let the Games Begin!
Posted by Grace
Genealogy fun | Oral History | Social History | Videos
Monday, August 04, 2008 6:48:15 PM (GMT Daylight Time, UTC+01:00)
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Monday, July 28, 2008 Wednesday, May 28, 2008
Go Behind the Scenes As Genealogist Searches for Next-of-Kin
Posted by Diane
Roots Television has launched a new show about the role genealogists can play in finding the families of unclaimed bodies at morgues across the United States. “Unclaimed Persons” is a genealogical "CSI." It follows professional researcher Megan Smolenyak Smolenyak’s work on the case of one deceased man, presenting clues through interviews with his acquaintances and coroner’s office staff. No plot spoilers here; you’ll have to see for yourself how it ends. A separate video gives more information on Smolenyak’s research. "Unclaimed Persons" also shows you the beginning of another case you might be able to help solve—and maybe we’ll see how that one ends in a future episode.
Genealogy Web Sites | Videos
Wednesday, May 28, 2008 2:13:05 PM (GMT Daylight Time, UTC+01:00)
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Monday, May 19, 2008
Video: Sneak Peek at the Midwest Genealogy Center
Posted by Diane
While in Kansas City last week for the National Genealogical Society conference, we ventured a few minutes down the highway to Independence, Mo., where we were lucky enough to get a peek at the Mid-Continent Public Library’s genealogy branch and its soon-to-open Midwest Genealogy Center. Around the beginning of June, the 12,000-square-foot genealogy branch will move its overflowing resources into the 52,000-square-foot genealogy center. But you'll get an insider’s peek at both facilities—and learn what you can look forward to after the move—in our short video. (Note the genealogy branch will close May 27 through June 1 while staff members pack and unpack.) And you’ll see why the library’s genealogy collection makes it one of the July 2008 Family Tree Magazine’s Libraries to visit Before You Die.
Libraries and Archives | Videos
Monday, May 19, 2008 8:13:46 PM (GMT Daylight Time, UTC+01:00)
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Monday, April 28, 2008
Delving into DNA
Posted by Allison
No matter how much experience you have in genealogy, you're always a beginner with some type of research or resource. Right now, I'm a newbie at genetic genealogy: I took my first DNA test last week. If you're contemplating diving into your own gene pool, watch this video of my experience to learn what you're in for:
Genetic Genealogy | Videos
Monday, April 28, 2008 3:15:59 PM (GMT Daylight Time, UTC+01:00)
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Tuesday, April 08, 2008
Video: Making Genealogy Fun for Kids
Posted by Diane
So last week I took a quick trip out to San Diego to talk on the morning news about genealogy for kids and Family Tree Magazine’s partnership with Tamagotchi. With the latest version of Tamagotchi's digital pets, kids can raise “Tama” families and trace their pets' family trees—which presented an excellent opportunity to help kids learn about their own family trees in a fun way. They can get human genealogy tips in Tama Generations’ Family Center and on our Family Tree Kids! site. For more on Tamagotchi trees and how kids can research their own families, watch the video (remember, I woke up before the crack of dawn) on San Diego's NBC affiliate Web site. 
Genealogy for kids | Genealogy fun | Videos
Tuesday, April 08, 2008 1:49:01 PM (GMT Daylight Time, UTC+01:00)
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Friday, February 29, 2008
Making a Protective Book Box
Posted by Grace
If you're lucky enough to have inherited a family bible or diary from one of your ancestors, you've probably wondered just where you should keep it. You can read all about how best to keep old diaries and books in the May issue's "Preserving Memories" column. The article includes many resources for purchasing archival materials, but for the crafting-inclined, we've created a demonstration of how to make a built-to-order protective book box. Click here to download a PDF with instructions, and you can watch a step-by-step demonstration on our YouTube channel!
Genealogy fun | Historic preservation | Videos
Friday, February 29, 2008 3:51:00 PM (GMT Standard Time, UTC+00:00)
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Monday, February 11, 2008
Family History Expo Slide Show
Posted by Allison
For those of you who couldn't make it to the Family History Expo 2008 in St. George, Utah, last weekend—and those who want to relive the fun—watch this slideshow of images from the event:
Genealogy Events | Genealogy fun | Videos
Monday, February 11, 2008 10:05:09 PM (GMT Standard Time, UTC+00:00)
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Sunday, February 10, 2008
News and Notes from the Family History Expo
Posted by Allison
The first day of MyAncestorsFound’s Family History Expo 2008 saw a flurry of activity in the exhibit hall—here at the Family Tree Magazine booth, I barely had a moment to catch my breath. But today I had the opportunity to cruise the hall and learn about new developments in the industry. The buzzword for this event has been “New FamilySearch”—referring to the highly anticipated revamp of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints’ genealogy Web site, which is scheduled to go public in early 2009. Several classes focused on how the new system works, and what it means to genealogists. Developers from AncestralQuest, PAFInsight and RootsMagic genealogy software gave demos on how their programs will “sync” with the New FamilySearch. Here’s a snapshot of other news: - Newcomer FamilyPursuit is a Web-based family tree program that aims to make it easy for families to collaborate on recording and researching genealogy. It’s currently in a public beta phase—you can get sneak peek at its features on the Web site, or sign up to become a tester.
- Milennia Corp. is preparing to release version 7 of its Legacy Family Tree software in March. The new edition will add wall charts and source templates, among other features
- GenealogyBank, the subscription Web site for historical newspapers, government records and primary documents, is adding hundreds of Hispanic newspapers to its collection.
- Ancestry DNA, the genetic genealogy arm of data megasite Ancestry.com, will be adding surname groups this spring, along with groups for different geographic locations and haplogroups.
- Add Family Tree and Me to the list of companies offering decorative family tree charts. Owner Shirlene Dymock aims to provide designs elegant enough to display in your living room—see samples of the layouts, backgrounds and frames online.
- Online genealogy TV channel RootsTelevision has now posted all the episodes of both PBS “Ancestors” series. You’ll also be able to catch interviews from the Expo on RootsTelevision.
- Podcaster Lisa Louise Cooke was also busy doing interviews during the Expo. Among the conversations to be featured in upcoming episodes: Richard Black of the Godfrey Memorial Library, Kathy Meade of Swedish church records Web site Genline, and presenter Kathryn Lake Hogan speaking about immigration resources. Visit Genealogy Gems for details on subscribing to this free online radio show.
- Speaking of Swedish records, Meade tipped me off to a recent news story on genealogi.se about a reinterpretation of Swedish law that would allow more-recent church records to be digitized and posted online—shrinking the 100-year waiting period to 70 or 85. Watch this blog for announcements on where and when those records may become available to you.
FamilySearch | Genealogy Events | Genealogy Industry | Genealogy Software | Genealogy Web Sites | Videos
Sunday, February 10, 2008 4:08:17 AM (GMT Standard Time, UTC+00:00)
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Tuesday, December 11, 2007
Looking for one's own Peeps
Posted by Grace
The Birmingham Public Library posted this too-cute video about a little guy's genealogy quest:
Genealogy fun | Libraries and Archives | Videos
Tuesday, December 11, 2007 9:37:39 PM (GMT Standard Time, UTC+00:00)
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