Blog Content
-
Kool-Aid
Oct 23
Everyone remembers Kool-Aid, and may still drink it today. It was one of the first drinks that were successfully marketed to kids. Not unlike the grilled cheese sandwich, Kool-Aid went on to appeal not only to children but also adults. It began with a grocer’s son, Edwin Perkins, who became intrigued by the efficiency and many flavors of Jell...
-
Surviving during the Civil War
Oct 21
Our ancestors – not just the ones in the military – but those at home – North or South side, had to survive those four years of war at home (1861-1865). It was not easy, some areas suffered more than others. Here are some of the problems during wartime and how our ancestors tried to make the best of what was happening. With the needs of t...
-
California Expands Consumer Protections for Genetic Testing
Oct 21
23andMe knows you care about privacy, and they have been working hard to deliver other promises of transparency and choice, even beyond your experience at 23andMe. 23andMe is excited to share that California recently enacted a new law to protect consumers’ genetic data privacy. 23andMe has worked hard with the Coalition for Genetic Data P...
-
President Lincoln and others Hair Picture
Oct 19
There is a very unusual art piece held in the Onondaga Historical Associate (OHA) in Syracuse, New York – one very few people know about. Its name alone is strange “The Hairy Eagle”. As was once popular in the late 1800s, it is artwork made of human hair. Not just anyone's hair but that of President Abraham Lincoln, wife, Mary Todd Lincoln, ...
-
New Relationship Diagram on MyHeritage
Oct 19
MyHeritage has Introduced a New Relationship Diagram. When you add people to your family tree, their relationships to you are calculated automatically. The relationship is then shown anywhere on the MyHeritage site where the names of your site members and people in your tree appear. In the past, you would see the relationship listed for tha...
-
Coloring Books
Oct 17
The first coloring books were created to teach aristocrats how to paint. The books were made using woodcuts or copper plates, so they were expensive to produce and not usually made for children. However, the invention of the lithograph changed all that. With cheaper production costs, the first children’s coloring book, The Little Folks’ Painti...
-
Sunglasses
Oct 15
Everyone has today at least one pair of sunglasses and in many parts of the nation, a person needs several pairs, including the prescription lens. The first mass-manufactured sunglasses were done in 1929. Those early glasses were sold by Sam Foster on the Atlantic City, New Jersey boardwalk. People loved how the glasses protected their eyes at the...
-
23andMe Provides Equity and Inclusion for People with Disabilities
Oct 14
23andMe’s CEO and Co-Founder, Anne Wojcicki, signed a letter, along with dozens of CEOs, making a commitment toward advancing equity and inclusion for employees and customers with disabilities. The move deepened 23andMe’s ongoing commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion through participating in the Diversity Equality Index. The in...
-
Female Ancestors Using the Thimble
Oct 13
A thimble is a small pitted cup worn on the finger that protects it from being pricked or poked by a needle while sewing. The Old English word þȳmel, the ancestor of thimble, is derived from Old English þūma, the ancestor of the English word ‘thumb’. It was Queen Elizabeth I is said to have given one of her ladies-in-waiting a thimble set ...
-
FamilySearch Completes Massive Microfilm Digitization
Oct 12
FamilySearch, a genealogy company that is provided as a service by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, has completed the digitization of a massive microfilm collection. This effort makes billions of historical genealogy records freely available online. According to Family Search, it is a milestone 83 years in the making. Family...
-
Sliced Bread
Oct 11
We all take for granted everyday things that in fact are not that old. A good example is the ability to purchase from a store a loaf of bread already sliced and packaged. Sliced bread was first manufactured on July 6, 1928, at Frank Bench’s Chillicothe Baking Company in Chillicothe, Missouri using the machine invented by Otto Frederick Rohwed...
-
Tiffany Girls
Oct 9
The famous Tiffany lampshades and other popular items designed and made by Tiffany took many workers to make. Using the finest materials and the popular Art Nouveau movement of the beginning of the 20th century his works consisted of art unto themselves. Many people have owned one or more Tiffany pieces. Girls were hired to work with the fine g...
-
Ancestry Appoints Executives to Propel Family History and AncestryDNA
Oct 9
Ancestry, the global leader in family history and consumer genomics, announced it has named former Amazon and Facebook executives to its leadership team. Brian Donnelly, formerly head of Diagnostics and Genomics at Amazon, has been named Senior Vice President and General Manager of AncestryDNA, and Ashish Nayyar, Facebook’s Senior Directo...
-
Flip-flops
Oct 7
Another item associated with summertime and being on vacation at the beach or lake are flip-flops. Now residents of Florida who have summer almost year-round, wear flip-flops all the time. But most everyone else, these types of shoes are limited to certain places and times. So the beginnings of flip-flops go back to ancient Japan in Asia. Tradi...
-
Sand Pails
Oct 5
With Summer over and Fall just beginning, one item traditionally used by your ancestors over the years also gets put away for the season. A fun activity has been trips to the lake or beach. One popular item to bring was the American sand pails. The making of sandcastles, forts, walls with a pail filled with sand was a great activity. Here is how i...
Search Blog
Search Surnames
More Resources
Genealogy 101
The study of birth, marriage and death records to discover family relatives. more »
Genealogy Dictionary
Definitions for the most common terms and expressions for the field of Genealogy. more »
Genealogy Site Reviews
Reviews of top genealogy and family tree sites, with feature comparisons. more »
