Celebrities

What the Family Tree of Tim Kaine Has in Common with Downton Abbey

By |2016-08-04T13:35:12-04:00August 4th, 2016|Celebrities, Family History, Immigration, Research|

No sooner had Hillary Clinton announced Tim Kaine as her running mate than articles on his roots began to appear – mostly about his inherent Irishness. But what else was there to learn?

Hillary Clinton’s Celtic Roots

By |2016-07-27T12:49:57-04:00July 27th, 2016|Celebrities, Family History, Human Interest, Immigration, Research|

When it was announced that Hillary Rodham Clinton would be inducted into the Irish America Hall of Fame in 2015 for her work on the Irish peace process, it was inevitable that I would explore the branches of her family tree, but it wasn’t the first time. Having delved into her roots in years past, I was familiar with the basics, but when I took a deeper dive into the Welsh portion of her heritage, I discovered that it’s rather surprising that Hillary Rodham Clinton exists at all.

5 Things You Didn’t Know about Melissa McCarthy’s Family Tree

By |2016-07-14T12:55:48-04:00July 14th, 2016|Celebrities, Family History, Human Interest, Research|

Easily one of the most popular and reliable box office performers today, actress, comedian, producer, and now fashion designer Melissa McCarthy has a lot to be proud of. Following a string of hits, she’s now part of the long-anticipated Ghostbusters dream team of Leslie Jones, Kate McKinnon, and Kristen Wiig. While they’re all ghostbusting, I thought I’d do a little ghost-searching – that is, for the ancestors who populate McCarthy’s family tree – and here’s what I learned.

Genealogy Roundup, July 6

By |2016-07-06T12:16:07-04:00July 6th, 2016|Celebrities, Genealogy Roundup|

This week's Roundup explores the Barack Obama Plaza in Moneygall, Ireland, a project which was one of the largest single investments in a decade in Ireland’s Midlands region and has become the main job provider for the village, as well as the largest employer for miles around.

Genealogy Roundup, June 29

By |2016-06-29T10:27:36-04:00June 29th, 2016|Celebrities, Family History, Genealogy Roundup, History, Human Interest|

In this week's Roundup, check out the story of a "quiet and self-effacing" Marine who chose to stay silent about his role in the 1945 flag raising on Iwo Jima, quirky and interesting stories about microfilm and time capsule homes, more on VP Biden's visit to Ireland, and more . . .

Lin-Manuel Miranda’s Revolutionary Ancestors

By |2024-09-18T15:55:22-04:00June 27th, 2016|Celebrities, Family History, History, Human Interest|

In climbing the branches of Lin-Manuel Miranda's family tree, I found myself following the trail of an early nineteenth century, interracial love story, peppered by war and rebellion, all interwoven with a decades-long struggle to outrun slavery that began in Virginia and ultimately unfolded under a handful of flags even though most of it occurred in one place – Nacogdoches.

Genealogy Roundup, June 15

By |2016-06-15T10:17:01-04:00June 15th, 2016|Celebrities, Genealogy Roundup, History, Human Interest, Research, Videos|

This week: Explore a mystery mansion for sale in London, watch a suspense trailer for the New York Public Library (somebody had fun making this and it's fun to watch, too!), TLC announces that Who Do You Think You Are? will return for a ninth season, and much more . . .

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