Traveling can bring any family closer together, but imagine an RV camping trip that connects your family to past generations and the places that populate your family’s history. The comfort and convenience of an RV can be a great motivator for families to take a trip to travel back in time. Here are our best Read More
Barry is a veteran genealogist who took an AncestryDNA test to help confirm his decades worth of research. However, an average research day turned into a life‑changing event when he discovered a parent‑child match. It was more than three decades ago that Barry drove his pregnant friend to the hospital. What he never suspected was the Read More
While it’s not uncommon for details on various censuses to conflict, in the case of Liv Tyler’s Elliott ancestors, one such conflict hinted at hidden ancestry. While census records for George Elliott consistently recorded him as white, his father Robert Elliott was listed as mulatto in the 1870 census. Was this just an enumerator’s error Read More
After working with a genealogist, and making a whirlwind trip to Greece, John Stamos discovered his orphaned grandfather, Ioannis (John) Stamatopoulos, was only a baby when he lost his father to violence. With the help of experts, John learned the circumstances behind his great-grandfather, Vasilios’, death, and the struggles that his great-grandmother, Georgitsa, faced raising Read More
Ancestry has surpassed 4 million customers in our DNA database! We’re proud to remain the largest consumer genetic testing company. Here are some fun facts about AncestryDNA: From January to April 2017, AncestryDNA genotyped 1 million people. So, on average about two people took a DNA test every time there was a marriage in the United Read More
Forget the bored tour guide with the memorized lines, and leave those dog-eared guidebooks behind! Are you ready for an epic tour through Ireland with an expert who can answer specific questions about your ancestors and the lives they led? For 11 days in late October, about 25 lucky travelers will have the opportunity to Read More
Motown legend Smokey Robinson grew up in Detroit, “Motor City”, and he remembered his maternal grandmother fondly, but he knew nothing about his maternal grandfather. Fortunately, his mother Flossie’s death certificate gave us both her parents’ names. His grandmother, who he knew as “Rivers”, was actually Ella Mae Warr. Unfortunately, his grandfather had the far Read More
Every family has a story, and often those stories are passed down from generation to generation. But what happens when a family’s story is not passed down? This proved to be the case with Jessica Biel, who recently uncovered a missing element to her Biel line’s story. Jessica grew up without knowing much about her Read More
The end of the American Civil War presented many difficult issues to resolve in regards to how the states and individuals previously in rebellion were to be treated. Among the more controversial of these issues was the treatment of soldiers who had served the Confederate cause. Although the United States government provided pensions for Read More
Although many countries have more renters than homeowners, owning a home is a cornerstone of the American dream. The Homestead Act of 1862, the introduction of the 30-year mortgage, and the GI Bill are all among the milestones that brought home ownership within the reach of millions of Americans. Today, more than 63.5 percent of Read More
