Why didn’t people smile in old photographs? It wasn’t just about the long exposure times. – Why our ancestors didn’t smile in photos (and it’s not just because they had to be still)

Meet the First and Last Immigrants Who Passed Through Ellis Island – Annie & Arne: First and Last through Ellis Island

Reluctantly Practicing the Art of the Obituary – Suspect this might resonate with a lot of genealogists.

‘I didn’t think it was possible’ – This piece is about one of the soldiers I researched for the Army, and his nephew – one of the most enthusiastic family members I’ve reached out to in a while – is right about DNA. Y-DNA in this instance had died out going back more than 200 years. Fortunately, there were other options.

How Britain’s ‘brown babies’ were hidden away: the secret history of the first mixed race orphanage – I’ve been gently fascinated with this topic ever since one of my Army cases was for a “brown baby” from Germany (sadly killed in Vietnam). Had to go to court to find his bio family, but managed to do so. So many unacknowledged pockets of our collective history.

Image: thumbnail from CBS News video

The post Genealogy Roundup, November 13 appeared first on Megan Smolenyak.

Tim Walz’s family hails from Wexford, as 159-year-old grave shows link to village – So this has a paywall that I’m afraid I can’t help with, but for those who might be interested.

Image: screenshot from The Guardian video

The post Genealogy Roundup, October 2 appeared first on Megan Smolenyak.

Genealogy Songs – For anyone who’s playing with Suno, I’ve got a playlist of (AI-generated) genealogy songs I’d be happy to add yours to if you send me the link.

‘Dolly Parton & Family: Smoky Mountain DNA – Family, Faith & Fables’ Set For Release November 15 Via Owepar Entertainment – Who’s up for a 4-part docuseries and companion album on Dolly Parton’s roots (coming in November)? I love that the producer is a cousin – that person in the family who’s the go-to for family history. #genealogy

The post Genealogy Roundup, June 19 appeared first on Megan Smolenyak.

Photo credit: DPAA

P.S. Maybe worth mentioning that this was a seriously challenging case, and that he is at least the 70th soldier I’ve had the privilege of researching who has been identified.

Unsettling Ancestry.com Report Informs Man Genghis Khan Descended From Him – (The Onion, so please don’t take this seriously!).

The Peasants – Those with Slavic roots might want to watch “The Peasants” based on Nobel-winning book. Intense, but familiar.

Top Photo Credit: MitchellShapiroPhotography under Creative Commons license

The post Genealogy Roundup, March 27 appeared first on Megan Smolenyak.

Photo Credit: A24 via YouTube

The post Genealogy Roundup, January 11 appeared first on Megan Smolenyak.

The story behind Paul McCartney’s “Magic Piano” – Hey, Beatles fans! Check out this article about Paul McCartney’s magic piano by my friend Brendan Farrell!

The Amazing Women in Stephen Colbert’s Family Tree – On his (recent) birthday, celebrating the ancestors who brought us the amazing Stephen Colbert!

TJ Holmes interviews Megan Smolenyak about her research on President Obama’s Irish roots – Continuing to share some of the videos I’ve unearthed during my decluttering, and given that Sunday, May 23rd, will be the 10th anniversary of meeting President Obama when he went to Ireland to explore his roots, this seems a good time to share this fun interview with TJ Holmes leading up to it.

Top Photo Credit: Steve Evans under Creative Commons license

The post Genealogy Roundup, May 19 appeared first on Megan Smolenyak.

If you haven’t already, please complete your census! And genealogists, here’s a chance to share your heritage with future descendants!

Just a reminder that if you’re self-isolating/social distancing (if so, thanks! you’re awesome!) and find yourself a little bored, I’ve got a bunch of genealogy videos here.

Emergency! Everybody to Get From Street! – Living in COVID-19 world. (Remember this oldie but goodie?)

Getting Frontline Workers PPE – Want to help medical personnel get PPE (personal protective equipment)? Or do you know a facility that needs PPE? Here’s how to help.

Photo Credit: The Madill Record | VIRIN

The post Genealogy Roundup, March 25 appeared first on Megan Smolenyak.

The Family Tree of Pharrell Williams and Why He Almost Didn’t Exist – Several weeks ago, I posted to ask folks help me get from 900 to 1,000 subscribers on my YouTube channel, and ya’ll responded like crazy! I’m now up to 1,271 subscribers, a 41% increase!

I know it’s out of sight, out of mind, so I’ve decided to periodically post a particular video to give y’all an idea of what’s on there.

This one – about Pharrell Williams’ roots – is one of my favorites. For one thing, he loved it! For another, it showcases one of those pockets of American history that many don’t know about – the American Colonization Society and the (partially successful) effort to send “free blacks” (i.e., those who secured their freedom before Emancipation) in America to Liberia. Nat Turner is also a factor in this tale about an intriguing ancestor of Pharrell’s, Ambrose Hawkins.

I hope you enjoy it, and if you do, please consider sharing it. Thanks!

Ancestry to lay off 6% of workforce because of a slowdown in the consumer DNA-testing market – First 23andMe and now Ancestry. Tough days for the genetic genealogy market.

Griffis: Happy birthday, Mr. President! – Some kind words from Joan Griffis who has been writing about genealogy for as long as I can remember. I think we first connected way back when my first book was published!

Genetic Family Reunion: DNA Reveals Alex Haley’s Scottish Roots – Thought I’d share this trip down genetic genealogy memory lane from my YouTube channel. Alex Haley’s nephew DNA testing. Cool update: Even though this was 11 years ago, Chris Haley and his cousin June Black remain close and just recently got together in London. Family is family!

The post Genealogy Roundup, February 13 appeared first on Megan Smolenyak.

Family speaks out after WWII soldier is identified – Welcome home, Pfc Gerald F. Wipfli. (Another one of my soldiers who was laid to rest recently)

I often trip across articles about the soldiers whose cases I’ve worked on, as I did with Pfc Gerald F. Wipfli who was buried this past weekend. But what’s unusual in this instance is that his family did a traditional obituary even though he gave his life decades ago. Lovely. I wish all families would do this.

‘South Park’ to Skewer White Oppression, Genealogy Sites – Well, I guess this was inevitable. Warning: do NOT watch the video unless you can handle salty language and other cringe-inducing aspects.

As I mentioned a few months back, “Genealogy Roadshow” began in Ireland, came to the US, and now has crossed back the Atlantic to the UK. And now they’re casting. So UK genies, here’s where to apply, if interested.

Photo Credit: Tim Evanson under Creative Commons license

The post Genealogy Roundup, September 27 appeared first on Megan Smolenyak.

Good idea! – Crowd-funding for historic preservation

Cllr McGahon excited ahead of visit of Vice President Joe Biden – Well, things have come full circle. Some of you might know that VP Joe Biden is visiting Ireland in a few weeks to explore his roots so a number of articles are starting to appear on the topic – but this one caught my eye because my research on his heritage includes an article from 1850 from this same newspaper, the Dundalk Democrat!

Snapshot USA: 1950 Census Enumeration District Maps – Only 6 years to go . . .

You Can Become a U.S. Citizen at Mount Rushmore or Yosemite – I’ve been to one of the naturalization ceremonies on Ellis Island!

TLC Renews ‘Who Do You Think You Are’ and ‘Long Lost Family’ – There will be a season 9 of ‪#‎WDYTYA‬!

NYPL Milstein Suspense Trailer – Oh, the gems I’ve found at NYPL The New York Public Library! Who says genealogy isn’t dramatic?!

Born on the Same Day: a smart approach to exploring the extraordinary in every life story – Contemporary genealogy show of sorts in UK . . .

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