Genealogy Roundup, January 18
This week: Commemorating the 125th anniversary of Annie Moore and Ellis Island, a hoard of gold found inside a donated piano, two genealogy-themed TV series to air soon, and much more!
125th Anniversary of Annie Moore and Ellis Island
On January 1, 1892, 17-year-old Annie Moore from Cork, Ireland became the first immigrant to ever arrive at Ellis Island, so both Annie and Ellis Island celebrated their 125th anniversary on January 1, 2017. Now is an especially relevant time to reflect on the Annie Moores in our own family trees – those pioneers who made a leap that so drastically altered the trajectories of their descendants’ lives for the better.
Genealogy Roundup, January 4
In this week's Roundup: A tribute to Annie Moore on the 125th anniversary of her immigration to the U.S., explore Fort Washington, encouragement to dig into family roots, and more.
Genealogy Roundup, October 19
In this week's Roundup: an ancient cemetery, an in-depth conversation with Bruce Springsteen, and the Ellis Island Family Heritage Awards.
Genealogy Roundup, October 5
This week: old wedding photos recreated, preserving the smell of history, raise a glass at 10 of the remotest bars on the planet, the cave where Nat Turner hid, and more.
Tim Kaine Ancestral Samplings
I recently took a peek into the family tree of Tim Kaine in a piece that combined a big-picture perspective with a mini-saga of the Kaine branch. During the course of my research, though, I came across other random tidbits of interest, so thought I’d share them clustered by branch of the family tree.
What the Family Tree of Tim Kaine Has in Common with Downton Abbey
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
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
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.
Joey From Scranton – Vice President Biden’s Irish Roots
Given Vice President Biden's forthcoming trip to Ireland to explore his roots, I thought this would be a good time to re-share an article I'd previously written about his ancestry. Enjoy!