Adoptees Reunited with Birth Families: TV Special on TLC
A new one-hour TV special, Long Lost Family, will air on TLC on Sunday, March 1 at 10:00 pm EST /9:00 pm Central in the U.S. Here's the storyline about two adoptees reunited with birth families, from a press release from TLC: "Hoping to find their biological families,...
What you need to know about Google Earth Pro
On January 28, 2015 Google announced that Google Earth PRO is now available for FREE! Not just a free trial. Google is allowing everyone to get a free key to Google Earth Pro! In the past the software fee was hundreds of dollars. But now you can get Google Earth Pro...
DNA was a HOT Topic at RootsTech 2015!
Navigating the exhibit hall at RootsTech 2015 was often quite a feat! It was especially crowded around the booths for the two DNA testing companies represented, Family Tree DNA and Ancestry.com. There were people standing around swabbing their mouths, ready to see...
New Interactive Exhibit Brings Family History to the Public: FamilySearch Discovery Center
Wouldn't it be great if you could bring your loved ones to a state-of-the art, museum-quality interactive exhibit that introduces them to their own family history? Now you can! A "prototype" FamilySearch Discovery Center was unveiled yesterday in downtown Salt Lake...
Action-Packed WWII Maps Helped Homefront Families Follow the War
During World War II, millions of people anxiously followed the progress of battles and troop movements that affected their loved ones. Artists and map-makers stepped up to provide colorful, action-packed maps. Toronto artist Stanley Turner was one of these. He created...
NEW! Updated Tips for Using Your iPad for Genealogy
Are you using your iPad for genealogy? Or a tablet computer? You should! There are SO many family history-friendly apps out there! And the list of what you can do with your iPad or tablet just keeps getting longer. That's why I've updated my Premium Video, "Genealogy...
Ancestry Beta Testing Its New Website: Want to See It?
Ancestry.com has spent a year preparing a new website based on a ton of user feedback. They're just about ready to introduce it! According to a media rep, the "new and improved Ancestry experience...makes it easier for anyone to discover and tell the rich, unique...
Genealogy Edu-tainment! Celebrity Interview, Bestseller for Book Club, DNA Chat and More!
Are you ready for a hearty dose of genealogy edu-tainment? It's all there in the newest episode of the free Genealogy Gems podcast: a genealogy television celebrity, a best-seller for our new Genealogy Gems Book Club title and an industry insider peek at Ancestry's...
Waiting for WDYTYA 2015? Get Your Fix Here Until March
According to TLC the new season of Who Do You Think You Are? (WDYTYA) will launch on Sunday, March 10, 2015 instead of in February as originally announced. Need a genealogy tv fix until WDYTYA 2015? Watch several U.K. episodes on YouTube for free: a preview special...
Find Genealogy Apps with the FamilySearch App Gallery
Do you ever wonder whether you're missing something when you browse iTunes or Google Play for genealogy apps? Well, FamilySearch has created a space JUST for family history apps: The FamilySearch App Gallery. According to a FamilySearch press release, the gallery...
Irish Genealogy: Find Your Poor Ancestors in Ireland
Have you ever heard of the "Irish Reproductive Relief Fund?" That name made me wonder what it was all about (and I was totally wrong). It was actually a program ahead of its time, and its records can help you trace your hard-working, poverty-stricken Irish ancestors....
Are You Smarter Than An 8th Grader–From 1895?
In years past, a five-hour graduation exam was required for eighth graders (around 13 years old) in many U.S. states. It made me wonder: are questions they asked still relevant today? How well would we score? Are we smarter than an 8th grader from 120 years ago? A...
Evernote for Genealogy: Use a Research Checklist Template Like This One for Australian Family History
Do you use Evernote for genealogy, or are you planning to? Why not try a research checklist template? Genealogy Gems listener Michelle Patient sent us a link to her Evernote template for family history research in Australia and New Zealand. Better yet, she gave us...
RootsTech / FGS 2015: Free Sessions at Our Booth and PRIZES!
Back by popular demand! After fabulous response last year, Genealogy Gems will once again be sponsoring "Outside the Box Sessions," a series of FREE mini-presentations at Booths 1240 & 1242 at RootsTech 2015. Our popular sessions help you think outside the box...
Social Network Your YDNA with Surname Projects
Family history organizations and studies based on individual surnames have been around for years. They are now integrating YDNA research into their efforts. Use surname projects to enhance your paternal DNA research! Surnames are the flagships of our genealogical...
Family Tree Builder for Mac! New Genealogy Software for Mac
Mac users now have their own version of the popular free Family Tree Builder software offered by MyHeritage.com. Says Daniel Horowitz at MyHeritage.com, "It's free to download, easy to use and includes all of the main features of the windows version!" "There have been...
DNA Matches: What You Can Do with All Your Genetic 4th Cousins
(Update 2020) When genealogists take an ancestry DNA test, they are looking for more than just their ethnicity results. They are also very interested in receiving information on other people who have tested who closely genetically match them. They want to know who the...
“When You Are Fostered, You Don’t Know Who You Are:” Scottish Birth Siblings Reunited
Recently we announced our featured book title for the first quarter of 2015: Orphan Train by Christina Baker Kline. A major theme in this book is what happens to a child's identity when he or she is separated from parents and kin. With this story fresh on my mind,...
