Family destiny or coincidence?
Is it coincidence or are some families destined to have similar unlucky events happen to them across generations?
Earlier this week a cruise ship, the Costa Concordia, ran aground and sank off the coast of Italy.
While a tragic event for all involved, reports have started coming in about one passenger, Valentina Capuano, and the bad luck she now shares with an ancestor.
In a strange twist of fate, Capuano’s grandmother was a passenger on The Titanic, which hit an iceberg 100 years ago on its maiden voyage from Southampton to New York.
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Genealogy News: North America, 10 January 2012
Welcome to 2012! The genealogy conference schedule is just beginning and there is lots of news about the programs, presenters and events.
MyHeritage will be at both RootsTech (February 2-4, Salt Lake City) and at Who Do You Think You Are? LIVE! (February, London UK). Stay tuned for more information about both events.
TELEVISION
Of course, all of us interested in family history are looking forward to the new season of the US version of Who Do You Think You Are?, with the celebrity lineup just announced.
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Genealogy News: North America, 27 December 2011
For the last-of-2011 edition of the North American Genealogy News, here are some interesting items.
Included are the US Securities Exchange Commission’s definition of a family member (who would have thought the SEC was interested in family history?), the 2011 list of the 100 most popular boys’ and girls’ names, a Canadian “living” village, changes to the Social Security Death Index and more.
Defining the family
For those who think that governments are not interested in genealogy, note that the US Securities Exchange Commission has now defined family members, in connection with a new rule requiring hedge funds to register with the SEC if they manage other people’s money.
Read the definition here:
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Ellis Island: 57 years later
On November 29 - 57 years ago- the greatest monument to a proud history of American immigration was closed. I am talking, of course, about Ellis Island.
The Great Hall
During a 2008 trip to New York, I visited Ellis Island (I’m from the UK) with my family.
Many visitors to New York take the ferry to the Statue of Liberty for that iconic photograph. Fortunately, we had the foresight to remain on the ferry and visit Ellis Island. It was worth it.
Although the architecture of the Main Building (now the Immigration Museum) does hint that Ellis Island comprises an important part of American history, it isn’t until one enters The Great Hall that you realise the sheer number of immigrants that Ellis Island handled. It is very substantial - to anyone’s eyes! Continue reading "Ellis Island: 57 years later" »
“Kindness” Gene Discovered
Photo: www.latexsens.com
It is always interesting to find studies like these.
It seems that we are increasingly keen to understand how humans act and how we interact with our family, our friends, strangers and even our animals.
We stumbled upon an interesting article on Yahoo News , which says that scientists at the University of Oregon have found that "kindness" could be caused by certain genetic traits and that those traits are recognizable to outsiders at a glance.
"Our findings suggest even slight genetic variation may have tangible impact on people's behavior, and that these behavioral differences are quickly noticed by others," said lead author Aleksandr Kogan, a postdoctoral fellow at the University of Toronto.
The study observed a group of people who had different types of genes (G, AA, AG, GG) in the rs53576 DNA sequence of oxytocin receptor gene (OXTR). This is interesting as oxytocin is sometimes called the “love hormone” as it promotes closer links with other people and other social behaviours.
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News from MyHeritage Australia – 16 November 2011
This is a guest post by Shauna Hicks.
Shauna is a professional genealogist, former archivist and librarian who has been researching her own family history since 1977.
She is also a MyHeritage member.
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Genealogists for Families
The Genealogists for Families project established by Brisbane genealogist Judy Webster in October, is big news in Australian genealogy circles.
Since first gaining popularity in Australia, genealogists from around the world have joined the project and are helping to further publicise it.
What’s it all about? In a nutshell, a team of genealogists and their families have joined together to help families in low-income areas. The project slogan is We care about families (past, present and future).
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News from MyHeritage Australia – 19 October 2011
This is a guest post by Shauna Hicks.
Shauna is a professional genealogist, former archivist and librarian who has been researching her own family history since 1977. She is also a MyHeritage member.
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As always, much has been happening in Australian genealogy circles, so let’s get straight into it:
I have recently been looking at the State Records NSW (SRNSW) pilot project which will place online (free) digital copies of their microfilmed shipping lists.
While the microfilm is fairly accessible at major libraries and genealogical societies, it is fantastic to be able to see these microfilms at home without having to travel anywhere. Also, you don’t have to worry about anyone else wanting to use the microfilm reader! Although the quality is not the same as if the lists had been digitised from the original, the lists are still quite easy to read. It would be useful if other archives would undertake similar projects.
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Genealogy News: North America – 17 October 2011
This week's topics include an unusual free webinar, Google+, Canadian databases and resources, a Massachusetts genealogical journal, resources in Minnesota and Oklahoma and more.
There are many resources available on almost any family history topic. If you are frustrated at not being able to find what you want, or need help understanding what you have found, that may be a signal to join your local genealogical society.
Newcomers are welcome at all societies, where experts are interested in helping you. Remember that all of us were newcomers at some point regardless of our current skill level. We have all been in the same place as you, and we were assisted by experts who answered those "silly questions" we were hesitant to ask.
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Genealogy News: North America – 10 October 2011
This week's edition focuses on new records at FamilySearch.org, a California conference deadline, the National Black Genealogy Summit, Who Do You Think You Are? new US season lineup, Canadian news and more.
Let us know which resources you like, which you have used, your experiences. We value your opinions and comments.
New Records
FamilySearch.org sends out a weekly update of new records added to its database. This week's collection includes an addition of seven million record images, covering Austria (1537-1888), Belgium (1795-1920), Canada (1800-1900), Czech Republic (land records, 1450-1850), Spain (1241-1950), various US states, as well as five million for the Philippines (1945-1980).
Southern California Genealogical Society Jamboree Deadline
If you would like to speak at one of the best regional genealogy conferences in the US, the deadline for proposals is fast approaching - October 13.
Continue reading "Genealogy News: North America – 10 October 2011" »
Solar Challenge: Technology for future generations
The 2011 World Solar Challenge is about to commence on October 16 and people around the planet will be keeping an eye on the 37 teams from 21 countries as they traverse the sun-drenched outback of middle Australia to see who has built the world’s most energy efficient solar vehicle.
The competition - made famous by the 1990 movie “Race The Sun,” featuring American actress Halle Berry - is run between Darwin in the north of Australia to Adelaide in the south, a journey of over 3000km.
It features research teams from some of the world’s most famous universities and companies all looking to use the unique conditions of the course to test their work in a real-world environment.
While the goal of the event is to be the first team to arrive in Adelaide, the true objective of the competition is to promote research into solar-powered cars and, more generally, sustainability.
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