Blog Content
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Inventions that Benefited Your Ancestors in the 1930s
Jun 11
Yes, the 1930s were defined because the United States and the world had to deal with the Great Depression of the 1930s. Life was hard for many but there were many events and items that existed in the 1930s that gave pleasure to your ancestors. Include some in your family history. During the 1930s, it was an era of inventions and innovation. Thi...
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Teenage Fads of Years Ago
Jun 9
The 20th Century is known for teenager fads – when young people in their teens loved to try new and adventurous things. Here are a few examples over the years that you or an ancestor did as a teen. In the 1910s the newest personal item was the Kodak or Brownie camera. Especially girls loved to have a photo of their friends or places they visi...
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NIH Study Finds Potential Biomarker for SIDS
Jun 9
A study was published on the National Library of Medicine website that was titled: “Butyrylcholinerase is a potential biomarker for Sudden Infant Death Syndrome”. The study was undertaken to evaluate BChE activity in infants and young children who had died from SIDS. Mayo Clinic explains that Sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS) is the...
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Lucite Jewelry Styles
Jun 7
A very popular material for fashion jewelry starting in the 1930s was 'Lucite'. So you may have examples of such jewelry handed down or know which ancestors loved wearing this style. Lucite is an acrylic resin created by DuPont in 1937. It is a very lightweight material and inexpensive to make compared to other plastic material such as Bakelite...
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MyHeritage Updated Their Census Helper
Jun 7
Just before the release of the 1950 U.S. Census in April 2022, MyHeritage released the Census Helper, a tool that scans your family tree and complies list of your relatives who are very likely to be found in census records. In the initial release the Census Helper calculated a list of family members to find in the newly released 1950 U.S. cens...
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Life in U.S. in the 1970s
Jun 5
From the early 1970s to now in 2022, it has been half a century. You or many of your relatives and ancestors lived during those years. Some of the common items people used or had included: free-standing pay phones with rotary dials in stores, gasoline stations, and street corners. There was no 911 emergency service either. Instead, you called the ...
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Things Your Great Grandparents Had You Don’t
Jun 3
Today we think of our ancestors as not having the modern advantages such as hot water, electricity, central heating and instant messaging with a computer. Rather they did have their own advantages not seen today. One common advantage was that many generations lived in the same house or next to each other. This provided additional help, emotiona...
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FamilySearch Webinars For June 2022
Jun 3
Enjoy free genealogy webinars in June 2022 provided by the FamilySearch Family History Library in Salt Lake City, Utah. This month’s impressive line-up of online classes includes a 2-day series on Welsh genealogy, two specific classes on Chinese research, one session for Spanish speakers entitled La Investigación genealógica en Sudam...
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Barbie Fashion
Jun 1
One special toy for girls for decades has been the doll 'Barbie'. It was started by Mattel in March 1959 and was designed by Ruth Handler. One item many people may not have known that the full name for Barbie is Barbara Millicent Roberts and she is 11 1/2 inches tall. Barbie was named after Ruth Handler's daughter, Barbara, and later the male doll...
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23andMe Has A Study About Long COVID
Jun 1
In what is among the largest studies of long COVID to date, researchers at 23andMe confirm that it disproportionately impacts women, and being diagnosed with depression or anxiety is associated with more than a two-fold increase in risk for the condition. The study also found that about half of those with persistent symptoms are experiencing ...
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These Jobs No Longer Exist
May 31
As you go through US Federal or state census records you will come across jobs held by your ancestors that just do not exist any longer in America. So here is a look at some such jobs gone forever. Gandy Dancer is a slang term used for early railroad workers. Before machines became capable of laying and maintaining railroad tracks, that work...
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Memorial Day – May 30, 2022
May 29
This is a Federal holiday in the United States. The purpose is to mourn the U. S. military personnel who have died while serving in the military branches. Memorial Day is observed on the last Monday of May. In prior years, from 1868 to 1970 Memorial Day was always on May 30th. After the end of the American Civil War, a special day was observed ...
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Purdue University Announces TS Genetics Study
May 28
Researchers at Purdue University have been working to find a cure for Tourette syndrome since the neurological disorder was first documented in 1885. Purdue University’s progress in that work in recent years is now being rewarded with a $2.6 million grant from the National Institute of Mental Health for further TS research. Mayo Clinic ex...
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Oldest Standing House in NYC
May 27
It may be hard to believe in New York City, still, today is the Wyckoff House, which is currently the oldest standing building. It dates back to at least 1652 and was occupied by the Wyckoff family for centuries. Imagine, only a few decades after the Pilgrims, English settlers, who came to North America on the Mayflower and established the Plymout...
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Bill To Protect African American Graves Failed
May 26
The Black Heritage Trail website provides information about the African Burial Ground Memorial. It is located on Chestnut Street in Portsmouth, New Hampshire. The cemetery was actively used into the late 1700s, when the area west of Chestnut Street was part of the undeveloped outskirts of Portsmouth. As the town flourished and developed ...
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