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FREE WWI Genealogy Records on MyHeritage.com (Just in July!)
To commemorate 100 years since WWI, MyHeritage has granted free access to various record collections from now through the end of July. Were your 
ancestors among those who fought? Learn more about their service by searching hundreds of thousands of WWI military records.
Enjoy FREE access to these collections until the end of July:
Silver War Badge Recipients, 1914 – 1918
British Soldiers Died in the Great War, 1914 – 1919
The National Roll of the Great War, 1914 – 1918
Ireland’s Memorial Records, 1914 – 1918
Royal Navy and Royal Marine Casualties, 1914 – 1919
De Ruvigny’s Roll Of Honour 1914-1924
Distinguished Conduct Medal Citations 1914 – 1920
British Officers Taken as Prisoners of War, 1914 – 1918
Victoria Cross Recipients, 1854 – 2006
You can also search all their military collections in one go.
Discover the wartime roles your relatives played in our online record database of WWI military records. This free offer ends July 31, so start your search today!
Genealogy Gems Podcast Episode 169: Blast from the Past–Episode 14
Genealogy Gems Podcast Episode 169 has been published–and it’s a blast from the past! I’ve re-published original Genealogy Gems episode 14, inspired by a passage from my grandmother’s journal: a list of the silent films she saw that year and the actors who starred in them.
Just like today, the stars who light up the silver screen were mimicked and followed for fashion trends, hair styles, decorating ideas, and moral behavior. Understanding who the role models were at the time gives us a better understanding of the cultural influences of the era. Films are NOT primary resources, but they certainly paint a picture of life at any given time in history.
In this episode, I find out more about the silent movies my grandmother catalogued in her diary, and how they molded a generation. You’ll catch a glimpse of the silent movie era and how it was an integral part of your ancestors’ lives. You’ll also learn how to find silent movies to watch for yourself!
German Newspapers in America: Read All About Them!
Do you have German roots in the U.S.? Have you ever looked for them in newspapers?
The folks who run Chronicling America, the most comprehensive free collection of digitized U.S. newspapers, have published a new article on historical German newspapers. Here’s an excerpt:
“For decades, Germans were the largest non-English-speaking immigrant group in America. Between 1820 and 1924, over 5.5 million German immigrants arrived in the United States, many of them middle class, urban, and working in the skilled trades, and others establishing farming communities in the West. Their numbers and dedication to maintaining their language and culture made Germans the most influential force in the American foreign-language press in the 1880s – the 800 German-language newspapers accounted for about 4/5 of non-English publications, and by 1890, more than 1,000 German newspapers were being published in the United States.” (Click here to read the whole article, which includes fascinating facts about how they retooled OCR technology to read Fraktur.)
Chronicling America currently includes 23 German-language titles from 9 states. You can search German newspapers in America (or other foreign languages) by going to the Advanced Search page. Under Language, select German (or another language):
Are you interested in learning more about newspaper research, online or offline? Read Lisa’s How to Find Your Family History in Newspapers, available as an e-book or in print. Or ask for it at your local library (if they don’t have it, they may be willing to purchase it–librarians are always looking for new titles their patrons want).
