

Presidential Connections: MyHeritage.com user finds family relationship to former Argentinian president, Juan Peron
-
by Aaron ·
- July 28, 2010
- · User Stories
A little research, curiosity, and patience can turn a family history hobby into a fascinating series of discoveries.
Such was the case with Juan Domingo, a MyHeritage.com user from Argentina. He took the time to speak to us last week.
Juan’s interest in genealogy went from casual to more serious when he got an inkling that he was a relative of the former Argentinian president, Juan Peron. By building his tree – through talking to relatives and conducting documentary research – Juan went on to discover that the former president was a descendant of his grandfather’s brother. He told us about the relationships surrounding the discovery:
“My grandfather Anibal Enrique Peron was responsible for trading posts around the region. Position given by General Peron personally came through him, because of the confidence they had in each other, the relationship of faith and trust. My father is the godson of the President’s wife, Evita, and it made a difference because problems around the birth needed constant attention, which was expensive.
“Evita was the one who asked my grandmother in person to name her her son as the former president Juan Domingo Peron, since she and the general could not have children. That’s why my father also carries the same name as the general.
“My life changed since my parents decided to name Juan Domingo Peron as well in 1978. In full military style the de facto government banned many things in those days, in fact in those years 30,000 people disappeared. My parents risked their lives and mine by fighting to name me as the former president. I think I was lucky that the government was focused on preparation for the World Cup in 1978, but I can’t be sure.”
Juan began his research with MyHeritage just a few months ago. With all the information he has collected he built a modest tree of 50 members. In addition to discovering more about his family’s presidential links, he’s been able to contact and learn more about relatives from other regions of the country. “I found the site easy to use,” said Juan. “The interconnections you can find through Smart Match open a lot of doors.”
On his ancestors, Juan Domingo said “The Peron family came from the island of Sardinia, until my great-grandfather Mario Tomas Peron travelled to Argentina in 1831. He married a lady called Anna McKenzie Hughes, the daughter of British immigrants. Their son, Thomas Liberato Peron (1839-1889) became the grandfather of the future President, as well as himself becoming a Professor of Chemical and Forensic Medicine.”
Juan also had some comments on the general state of genealogy in Argentina. “It’s quite tough here, because we are a melting pot for which in most cases the relatives got here by boat.” He urged people to be persistent, however: “Do not give up; you may think your research is getting nowhere when in fact you’re on the edge of a discovery.”

Thanks to Juan Domingo for sharing his with us. If you want to share a story from Spain or Latin America, please email ania@myheritage.com
More from User Stories

3% DNA Match Leads Woman to Reunite With Long-lost Father
Susana Boggs, a 50-year-old doctor’s assistant from Richmond, Texas, was raised without a father. Though her mother never spoke about it, there was a family friend named Nano who sometimes came to Susana’s birthday parties, and her sister suspected that he might have been...

Treasured Holiday Traditions: Announcing the winners of the #MyHolidayHeritage Challenge!
For the last two weeks, entries from the #MyHolidayHeritage Challenge poured in from all across the globe. Though this year’s holidays will likely look a bit different than years prior, many of your family holiday traditions will continue to flourish. Thank you all for...

The Surprising History of “Jingle Bells”
If someone asked you to name the first Christmas song that comes to mind, you’ll very likely answer “Jingle Bells.” The cheerful classic has become a universally recognized icon of Christmas, right along with Santa Claus, wreaths of holly, and the colors red, white,...

French Man Discovers Half-Sister in Texas and Finds Their German Roots
With many people around the world stuck at home last spring, many turned to genealogy and began delving into their roots. Gian Carlo David-Faliva, a 74-year-old MyHeritage user from France, jumped on the bandwagon and started to dig deep into his family’s past, with...

A Holiday Surprise: Descendants Get 100-Year-Old Holiday Cards From Their Ancestors
Oh the joy of receiving personalized Seasons Greetings from family and friends! This stalwart tradition of connecting with loved ones around the holidays may have evolved over the years, but the sentiment to share holiday cheer has endured. Still looking to spread holiday joy...

MyHeritage Helps German User Track Down a Jewish Family’s Descendant to Make a Long Overdue Apology
MyHeritage enables millions of users to discover their past and empower their future, and we have played a part in many incredible stories. Recently, a German MyHeritage user, Thomas Edelmann, spoke with us and requested help. His motive? To make a long-overdue apology. Today,...

MyHeritage Reunites Daughter with Father Who Didn’t Know She Exists
When Seraine Danner was 7 years old, she learned something earth-shattering: that the man she had known to be her father, wasn’t her biological father. After almost 10 years of searching, a DNA match on MyHeritage finally led her to her birth father, and...

Half Siblings Reunite After Over 80 Years Thanks to MyHeritage DNA!
Torsten Simander, 85, from Stockholm was born to a single mom on March 15, 1934. After living for 7 years with his grandparents, he was then raised by his mother Lisa and stepfather. At a young age, Torsten learned that his father was a...

DNA Match Leads Woman to Uncover the Past Her Grandmother Was Too Traumatized to Tell
First-generation Canadian Stephanie Gustys has always had an interest in family history. As the child of a British immigrant mother and a Lithuanian refugee father, she’d always had a natural curiosity about their origins. But finding information about them wasn’t easy: she had no...
Horoscope@Email
December 21, 2010
Men have always been on a quest for love. Finding the true partner is never ending. Man has employed the help of witchcraft, and every conceivable ways just to find that elusive perfect partner in life. Some or a growing number have turned to astrology and the horoscope. Can it finally find the best partner and make things better?
uk horoscopes