The genealogy discovery program “Who Do You Think You Are?” returns tonight on the TLC network. The program, co-sponsored by Ancestry.com, is now in its ninth season, having begun in 2010. The new season runs Sundays at 10 p. m. until late April. Check your local listings. The program will feature the following celebrities whose genealogies will be researched and discussed: Jessica Biel, Julie Bowen, Courteney Cox, Jennifer Grey, Smokey Robinson, John Stamos, Liv Tyler, and Noah Wyle, as announced at press time, subject to change.
The program has been popular. It shows people the ins and outs of research, starting with what they know already about their roots, and going from there into research at local and national repositories and even some overseas. Most usually find surprises about their ancestors. Previous shows can be found online at tlc.com or on DVDs.
Ellis Island celebrates 125 years
Ellis Island is marking 125 years as the "Gateway to America." The immigration facility, now a national park near the Statue of Liberty in New York harbor, opened on Jan. 1, 1892 and closed in 1954. You can search for information about immigrants who passed through there to a new life in America at libertyellisfoundation.org. Go to the "Passenger Search" area to see if you can find your ancestor or person of interest.
It is now felt that people's surnames were not changed on arrival, as once widely thought, but might have been garbled or otherwise wrongly interpreted due to passenger lists created in Europe. As with any research, one should try all spelling variations, use what the family has on hand, and seek help if needed. Stephen Morse has a great website that facilitates researching this site, see stevemorse.org. He has a lot of great ways to find people and it might be best to go there first. Morse's website has many other great shortcuts to research in a lot of different areas.
Canada at 150
2017 marks the 150th anniversary of the Confederation of Canada and it is pulling out all the stops to celebrate. If you think you might have Canadian roots, this would be a good year to research and learn more about them. See Canada.pch.gc.ca or search for Canada 150. For research see the Library and Archives of Canada at bac-lac.gc.ca. "In Search of Your Canadian Roots," by Angus Baxter, is an old standby, available at genealogical.com and elsewhere. Many people with roots in the northern states that border Canada often have ancestors who lived in both countries, so if you have someone from that area, it's worth taking that into account.
About the Author
