Roots Television | Megan's Roots World

Genealogical Round Up, February 19

Wow! Thanks to all the kind mentions we've been getting the last few days, we're up to 529 members!

Unclaimed Persons

If you'd like to help, please either visit www.unclaimedpersons.org to learn more or go directly to our group here on Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=1057803118&ref=name#/group.php?gid=24101365049&ref=ts. We have 493 volunteers at the moment. Perhaps you can help us get to 500! More importantly, we've solved 44 cases since last June.

Sadness, reality attach themselves to unclaimed persons list - News 24/7

Searching for relatives of unclaimed dead

www.contracostatimes.com

Free Genealogy, Family History Videos on Roots Television

Have to do see this the next time I'm in the area.

Angel Island center for immigrants reopens - USATODAY.com

Video re: James R. Fenwick, Sailor on USS Monitor

If you're like me and enjoy history mysteries -- or if you're a Civil War buff -- check out this video about the attempt to identify the skeletons found in the turret of the USS Monitor. You'll have to turn to BBC's timewatch to see the whole thing (look for the episode called The Iron Coffin), but you'll see a few highlights here.

The amazing thing to me is that -- with only about a month for research -- it was possible to learn some things about James R. Fenwick that had been missed all these years. I especially enjoyed speaking with his great-niece in Scotland who had heard of a family member who went to America, but had no clue what had become of him. With something on the order of 60,000 books on the Civil War, I didn't think there was much new to discover, but I was definitely wrong about that!

Genealogical Round Up, February 12

24-7 Family History Circle » RootsTelevision Contest

Where our future is headed. Time to start getting smart about it.

Gene Expression: Personal genomics, Pinker, 23andMe, Counsyl, etc.

Loved this. Thanks for posting, Laura and Cyndi.

Lost Generation

Check out this contest to win an autographed copy of In Search of Our Roots by Henry Louis Gates, Jr.!

Roots Television | Og Blog: In Search of Our Roots Contest!

See you in Marion, IN. I think this will be the fifth year in a row I've spoken in Indiana!

DNA Seminar in Marion Indiana May 30, 2009 - Featuring Megan Smolenyak

Check out this line up of talks at Pratt Library in Baltimore, MD! I have the opportunity to speak there a year or so ago and had a great time. If you're anywhere in the area, you'll want to consider putting one or more of these talks in your schedule!

Genealogy and Ethnic Heritage

Wow, props to Highmark Blue Shield. Half a million for 150 oral histories.

Highmark donation aids anniversary effort - PennLive.com

My heart goes out to this family. 140 years of family history gone -- and likely because of some arsonist.

Family history lost - Local News - News - General - The Advertiser

Getting excited about this as I'm a participant -- as is my physician!

Gene Sherpas: Personalized Medicine and You: Coriell Goes Live!!!

Cool exhibit shedding light on Japanese-American family history.

Riverside museum exhibit to chart Japanese-American experience | Inland News | PE.com | Southern Cal

Remember doing this local news segment, but didn't know there was an article until a gentleman mentioned in it contacted me!

www.ksl.com

Makes me sort of wistful. If only I had the time! Interesting find, Paula!

Coloring Fun for Adults

You can't make this stuff up.

BBC NEWS | Asia-Pacific | Malaysian twins spared death row

FBI seeks to match DNA of unidentifed bodies in Mexico - On Deadline - USATODAY.com

I've kind of figured that this would be one of the fall outs of our current economic situation. If this describes you and you're into genealogy, be sure to check out www.RootsTelevision.com. Plenty of free videos for your enjoyment!

More turning to Web to watch TV, movies - CNN.com

Unclaimed Persons is looking for volunteers to step into the role of Case Administrator. Please consider it!

Unclaimed Persons

Obama's Multi-Cultural Roots Interesting in Any Language

The day after Barack Obama's inauguration, the New York Times published an article by Jodi Kantor about the "we are the world" aspect of the extended Obama family:

Nation’s Many Faces in Extended First Family

I was fortunate enough to get a fleeting mention in the article, making a few remarks about Michelle Obama's roots. And I always get a kick out of watching something I've played even a tiny role in popping up around the globe. Here, then, is the same article in:

Spanish (Argentina)

Polish

Turkish

Talking Roots with Robin Roberts

I get to do a lot of fun sleuthing, such as the time I got to look into the roots of Robin Roberts of Good Morning America.

She wasn't that excited about the prospect until she walked in the footsteps of one of her ancestors, a woman who had lived in West Virginia back in the mid-to-late 1800s. It also surprised her to see her Roberts line traced back to the 1790s. If you've got a few minutes, check out this video.

Genealogical Round Up, February 5

Jean Douillette is my kind of person!
A Lakeville woman spends years cataloging every grave in town, from 1711 to 2003, for her book - The

I'm a customer and fan of findmypast.com, but capping is uncool. This sounds like one of those policies that has the potential to affect many in order to address the activities of a few.
GENEALOGE: Findmypast.com has an amateurish and greedy attitude

Wow! A circa 1914 immigrant via Ellis Island celebrates her 102nd!
From Ellis Island to Palm Harbor, a woman's journey to 102nd birthday - St. Petersburg Times

I don't think this is a huge surprise, but it's still pretty cool. Many contemporary Icelanders likely have maternal cousins in Scotland and Ireland.
Stories from our foremothers: deCODE publishes an unparalleled genetic snapshot of Iceland 1000 year

Ja Rusyn Byl, Jesm i Budu

Randy gave Unclaimed Persons a shout-out, too! Join us here on Facebook if you're interested in putting your genealogical sleuthing skills to especially good use!
www.geneamusings.com

I bet the US version of the series will increase their sales as well. Americans have roots everywhere, and based on another article I saw recently, we tend to subscribe to services in our ancestral homelands.
Who do you think you are? Family history series expected to boost Scottish web company - Scotsman.co

This article appeared in the LA Times about a week ago. Nothing new here for those of us into genetic genealogy, but they come up with a non-paternity event estimate of 4%. Probably not too far off the mark -- historically, that is -- not for contemporary times!
Search for Kincaids reveals saints and sinners

Could this mean easier access to PA vital records or is that too much to hope for?
Pinellas Genealogy Society: Pennsylvania “Right to Know” law goes into effect

Sounds like an interesting book!
Fugitive slave's narrative given new life - Inside Bay Area

I'm not surprised. Are you??
Family tree craze spreads its roots - Scotland on Sunday

Wow.
mbd.scout.com

No need to say anything.
KCK family learns the fate of a relative who died in 1944 in WWII - Kansas City Star

This is the project I have the honor of finding soldiers' families for.
Dedication marks search for Korean War MIAs | Stars and Stripes

Great news for those of us with Irish roots! This is going to be SOOOO helpful!
Scottish Genealogy News and Events (SGNE): MAJOR Irish genealogy news - BMD indexes online

ISOGG Newsletter January 2009

Two more WWII soldiers go home. Great work, Sharon!
DefenseLink News Release: Missing WWII Soldiers are Identified

Sounds like an interesting read!
DNA Solves Switched at Birth Mystery ... After 57 Years

Seriously cool interview with George Church. Among other things, he says, "Someday we'll have a complete pedigree of the entire human population. And everybody will be connected to everybody on a huge family tree, like Google maps." He also remarks -- and I agree -- that more folks are interested in the ancestry side of things (as opposed to the medical) at the moment. That may well change, but I think it's an accurate statement now.
Is DNA Mapping in Your Entrepreneurial DNA? - Entrepreneur.com- msnbc.com

Brave new world time. Maybe the scariest part is, "Dogs are actually harder to clone than people."
S. Fla. Couple Gets First Commercially Cloned Dog - News- msnbc.com

Genealogy's finally going network! It's about time!
NBC adds 'Think' to spring slate - Entertainment News, TV News, Media - Variety