The Royal Scots Dragoon Guards:
In Scotland the word Hogmanay is used to describe the New Year’s Eve celebration on December 31. The holiday is so important in Scotland that it tends to eclipse Christmas and gifts are given and received on New Year’s Eve. The custom of Hogmanay was mentioned in the Elgin, Scotland, records as “hagmonay” and is believed [...]
Here’s a shout-out to 23andMe for not only making their information more interesting for genealogists this past year but also for their interesting research in personal genetics. They have an improved relative finder tool and have made groundbreaking research discoveries, thanks to members contributions in their study of the genetics of Parkinson’s Disease. It will [...]
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On December 29, 1990, four hundred people held an Indian spiritual ceremony at Wounded Knee, South Dakota, marking one hundred years at a mass grave where Sioux Indians were mowed down by federal troops. More than 200 of those who attended the event arrived on horseback after completing a 175-mile journey that began in Fort [...]
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To make sure that Ancestry.com met customer requirements, they asked users what they could do to make their research goals better. Based on the response, they put together a list of 12 improvements Ancestry will implement in 2012 as follows: “1. Announcing the 1940 U.S. Federal Census — the 72-year wait is over! The long-awaited [...]
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FamilyTree.org has published a series of articles from several contributors with technical tips for genealogists and family historians. I’ve included 30 to give you an appreciation of what’s included with a link to many more. I have read some, but not all, of the articles and when you delve in you’ll understand—it’s extensive. It’s a [...]
Continue reading about A fantastic line-up of technology tips for genealogists and family historians
Charles Dickens wrote A Christmas Carol in 1853. It’s the story about the redemption of a miserly character Ebinezer Scrouge and, Tiny Tim, the crippled son of his is clerk Bob Cratchit. Although it was written in the mid 1800s, story supports an ageless message and not only as a reminder for personal reflection but has [...]
Continue reading about The original manuscript of “A Christmas Carol” by Charles Dickens
If you’ve been researching your family tree you’ll understand the kind of connection you make with your ancestors. They become real people who lived real lives and how they handled with the cards they were dealt. The more you find out the more you want to understand how they lived and felt about special occasions [...]
For years it has been said that the shroud of Turin is a fake, now scientists have found evidence that it could after all be authentic. And, let’s face the fact that we will always have the believers, the non-believers, those who want it to be a fake no matter what, and those who are [...]
Starting on the 25th of the Jewish month of Kislev, Hanukkah is a Jewish holiday celebrated for eight days and nights. It coincides with late November or late December on the secular calendar. This year Hanukkah begins at sundown today December 20.. It all began in 168 B.C.E. when the Jewish Temple was seized by [...]
Continue reading about Happy Hanukkah! The message and the miracle of the oil
From various historical sources, Oliver Cromwell (25 April 1599 – 3 September 1658) is thought to be one of the most controversial figures in British history. Cromwell was considered a regicidal (murderer of a monarch) a dictator by some and a hero of liberty by others and his almost genocidal activities against Catholics in Scotland [...]
Continue reading about British National Archives records reveal Christmas was once canceled
I’ve been aware of the rising cost of eBooks and have always thought that publishers would find a way to finagle higher prices. And, after reading a report on an article written by The Wall Street Journal, describing how eBook buyers would soon find that the cost of an electronic version of a book would be [...]
It’s almost time for the RootsTech again. So, what is RootsTech? It’s a conference for genealogists who meet to find cutting edges solutions and discover the latest technologies to enhance their research experience. On the techies side developers will gain information to produce innovative applications. RootsTech has something for everyone even if you’re a newbie [...]
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Hot on the heals of my article yesterday titled, Social Security Death Index (SSDI) no longer available to the public about the denial of access to SSDI, I’m passing along worthwhile commentary published on Dick Eastman’s, Eastman’s Online Genealogy Newsletter, Genealogists are Losing Access to SSDI, Mostly Due to Misinformation, detailing a very interesting point of view regarding this loss [...]
Tonight’s episode of CSI: Crime Scene Investigation is airing the episode Genetic Disorder and the murder of a genealogists found in the home of a team member. The crime lab in Las Vegas works feverishly to solve the case and will reveal a dark family secret. The story follows the usual twists and turns and the [...]
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I had this article prepared and ready to go yesterday and it’s almost old news by now, but still front-page information. A significant change has been made by the Social Security Administration (SSA) that will change the amount of information available to the public on the SSA’s Death Master File starting around 1936 with the [...]
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Beware! this blog post reflects my personal opinion… Reports are now hitting the airways about serious bugs in Amazon’s Kindle Fire tablet and, as described in a New York Times article, it’s less than a blazing success. The device has been marketed as an alternative to the iPad and I’ve never thought that was a [...]
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The film adaption of Michael Morpurgo’s book War Horse is planned for release in the UK on January 13th of next year. It’s a World War I tale set in 1914 and is the story of Joey, a young and beautiful bay-red horse with a distinctive cross on his nose sold to the army. With [...]
Continue reading about Ancestry.co.uk. partners with Disney to promote War Horse movie release
With millions of records being created every day, we are mostly aware in age of digitization that records can disappear a lot earlier than in the paper world. It’s been a difficult transition to get our minds to accept the inevitability of a paperless society and especially difficult for a government bureaucracy that survives on [...]
Continue reading about Washington State budget cuts impacts substantial electronic records retention
It’s not easy to trace Irish ancestors, I can attest to that. An interesting new Facebook page “How to Trace Your Ancestors” has just been launched to lend a hand to people around the world to find their Irish and American ancestors. The page is a how to on tracing your family history with tips, [...]
I received information today about an update for the Windows version of Family Tree Maker 2012. I’ll hasten to add that although updates are normal for new versions of any software on the market this one is significant because of the features we purchased in the 2012 version. There’s quite a list of improvements and [...]
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More than 400 Navajos served as top-secret Code Talkers in the military during World War II. At a time when the best cryptographers fell short of the mark, these modest people successfully contrived the most ingenious and successful code in military history and it completely baffled the Japanese. The unbreakable code played a central part [...]
Continue reading about Inspiring interview: World War II Navajo Code Talker Chester Nez
I received the following poem from one of my LinkedIn Groups and decided to share this amusing and perceptive illustration, which demonstrates the enthusiasm for researching family history and how it just grabs you… “Grandma and the Family Tree Author: unknown There’s been a change in Grandma, we’ve noticed her of late, She’s reading history [...]
When budget cuts are deemed necessary, public libraries and library systems are at the top of the list. It’s hard to understand why, because libraries are an important resource for not only borrowing and research, but also for those who need help to find a job, update their resumes, or send an online job application—most [...]
Continue reading about Texas budget cut eliminates a regional library system
Ancestry. com the worlds largest online family history resource has released two million North Carolina World War II Draft Cards in commemoration of the seventieth anniversary of Pearl Harbor on December 7th as follows: “In remembrance of the upcoming 70th anniversary of the attack on Pearl Harbor marking the entrance of the United States into World [...]
If you’re visiting an airport, shopping mall or retail store, you probably look for a freestanding directory to figure out where you are or ask an employee, which often is less than helpful. To put the power in your hands, Google has released Google Maps 6.0 so that you can easily figure out where you [...]
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If you own a smart phone you’ll probably be dismayed to learn that you, along with over 100 million others with a smart phone, have a pre-installed tracker. According to the Fox News article most major carriers do this. Trevor Eckhart, an Android security developer, during a security demonstration yesterday showed how software developed by [...]
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From the Society of Genealogists (UK): “The IGRS has issued the following press release and I have to say the the Society of Genealogists most definitely shares their worries: The Irish Genealogical Research Society (ITGRS) is concerned that a so-called merger of the National Archives “into” the National Library could diminish these vital heritage services. [...]
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