Genealogy and Family Issues
Below are genealogy and family history news stories related to family issues. Click on the links for the full articles.
Germany Bans Genetic Genealogy Tests - Germany has passed a law that bans all direct-to-consumer genetic tests. Although the new law does not appear to be directly written to ban at-home genetic genealogy tests, one consequence of the law is that people in Germany will no longer be able to order genetic genealogy tests online...[More]
Cache of Benjamin Franklin Letters Discovered - Benjamin Franklin was one of the founding fathers of the United States and a noted politician, political theorist, author, scientist and diplomat. His writings are valued for their clear, concise style. Recently, a very large and previously unknown cache of his letters (47 in all) was discovered in the British Museum...[More]
Evolution of UK Families - The UK Office for National Statistics released a fascinating study that examines social trends in the UK. The focus of the study was the evolution of the UK family. Some of these trends will have a direct impact on genealogy...[More]
Inbreeding of Spanish Royalty - A new genealogy study has just been released examining the inbreeding of Spanish royalty during the Hapsburg dynasty. The Hapsburgs ruled Spain for 184 years until the death of King Charles II in 1700. Charles II was a physically and mentally impaired imbecile who was the product of generations of inbreeding...[More]
Roots Author Alex Haley Had Scottish Ancestry - The late Alex Haley, author of the popular novel Roots, really did have Scottish ancestry. His nephew Chris Haley took a DNA test in 2007 and results showed that Alex Haley had a Scottish ancestor who likely lived in the 1600’s or 1700’s. Alex Haley is perhaps best known for inspiring a whole generation of African Americans to trace their genealogical roots...[More]
Waterford Wedgwood Emerges from Bankruptcy - Waterford Wedgwood, the celebrated crystal and ceramic tableware maker, has emerged from bankruptcy with a new lease on life and a radically different approach to business...[More]
Why Immigrants Change Their Name - A common problem in genealogy is tracing people who have changed their name. This occurs most often when someone immigrates to another country...[More]
Geronimo’s Descendant Sues to Recover His Bones - What does the Apache leader Geronimo, George W. Bush and a secretive society at Yale University all have in common? According to Harlyn Geronimo, the great grandson of Geronimo, the secretive Yale society known as the Order of Skull and Bones that George W Bush belonged to has some of his great grandfather’s bones and he wants them back...[More]
Long Life Runs in Families - Genealogists know long life tends to run in some families. However, no one has ever been able to provide a satisfactory explanation to this phenomenon. Scientists have now finally come up with a reason...[More]
Genetic Testing of Galileo’s Eyes? - Genetic testing has been a great boon to genealogists who want to trace their family history. Now Italian and British scientists want to use it to potentially rewrite history...[More]
Waterford Wedgwood Goes Bankrupt - Many genealogists are familiar with Waterford Wedgwood, the maker of fine crystal and luxury ceramics...[More]
Your Family Tree Can Determine a Baby’s Gender - Many studies have been conducted over the years to determine what factors influence the gender of a baby...[more]
A Very Interesting Definition of Spouse - There has been much discussion during the last few years over the definition of marriage and what constitutes a spouse...[more]
Cemetery Goes Green - Here is the genealogy question of the day: what is green, takes up a lot of space, can be found in most major cities, and is increasingly being thought of as an underutilized resource?...[more]
Does the US Census Undercount? - As the US gears up for the next census in 2010, questions continue to linger over the accuracy of the last census conducted in 2000...[more]
From Doubledecker Buses to Doubledecker Graves - Gravesites are an important resource for genealogists who are searching for their ancestors...[more]
How Accurate are Genetic Ancestry Tests? - Genetic ancestry tests have become popular with genealogists wanting to know where their ancestors lived...[more]
A Long Lost Family Reunion - Family reunions are an excellent means of renewing ties with family members that have not been seen for a long time, sometimes for a very long time...[more]
Did the Vikings Settle Scotland and Ireland? - English history is ripe with tales of Viking marauders raiding and plundering the English countryside...[more]
Identical Twins Swap Roles as Adults - Many families contain identical twins and family lore often revolves around how these twins swapped places with each other when they were children...[more]
A Diamond is Forever and So Are Your Ancestors - Diamonds are common heirlooms that are often passed down from generation to generation because of their sentimental and economic value...[more]
California Licensing Genetic Testing - California has become the first jurisdiction in the world to require companies to be formally licensed before they can offer genetic testing directly to consumers...[more]
How to Change Your Family History with Photos - Tracing your family history through old photos is about to get much more difficult for future generations...[more]
