Megan Smolenyak Smolenyak’s Roots World

17 year old Annie Moore was the 1st immigrant to arrive at Ellis Island 1/1/1892 (seen above with her brothers)

Melissa Etheridge and her French-Canadian ancestry to feature in "Who Do You Think You Are?" She's in Quebec filming now.

Those of you on Pinterest might be interested in this board I have on Orphan Heirloom Rescues.

© Scukrov | Dreamstime.com - Three Red Wine Bottles In Wood Case Photo

As I write this, I'm waiting for a case of wine. If not for a delivery hiccup, this would be a complete surprise, but I was forewarned by the sender this time so the second attempt would not go astray.

The reason for the wine? To thank me for research I did for a friend of one of my cousins. She contacted me last month hoping to track down some maternal cousins to surprise her mother at Christmas, and fortunately, I was able to assist.

Oddly, this is the second time I'm welcoming a case of wine (yes, a case) into my home for poking around in someone's family tree to solve a long-standing riddle, and that got me wondering about the gifts my fellow genealogists have received. I'm not talking about paying clients, and of course, most of us routinely get thank-you emails (I hope!) when we lend a helping hand, but what else has come your way? In addition to the simple satisfaction of using your research powers for good, what's the most unexpected "I appreciate your sleuthing" bonus you've ever received?

Alex Trapps-Chabala began, at age 15, to research his 5th Great Grandfather, Jordan B. Noble, a drummer in Andrew Jackson's militia who played an important role in the Battle of New Orleans. Alex will be attending commemorative events to mark the 200th anniversary of the Battle of New Orleans. While there, he will be presenting information on the life of his ancestor, who gained fame throughout his life both for his music and his role in the history of New Orleans. The grant award will fund copies of records at the New Orleans Public Library to help further Alex's research.

The house that time forgot: Mother and sons keep family home frozen in the 1920s for 70 YEARS with original decoration, food and furniture. – Can't get enough of these time capsule houses!

RIP, 16 men of the USS Monitor - 12/31/1862 – December 31, 2014 marks the 152nd anniversary of the loss of the USS Monitor.

Sean Hayes Traces Roots to Ballylongford, County Kerry, Ireland. More on this here.

Fulmoth Kearney, President Obama's Irish Immigrant Ancestor, Gets a Tombstone

Photo of Barack Obama's Irish Immigrant 3rd Great-Grandfather, Fulmoth Kearney, Discovered–thanks to Fulmoth's great-great-granddaughter, Merlyn White. For more about this, see also this article, which I love, by Sheila Langan of Irish Central!

New Pennsylvania archivist has big task – My kind of archivist and good news for PA! "...at age 10, he was forbidden to enter the genealogy room in his local library So he wrote his congressman and soon received permission to enter."

Julie Chen, Angie Harmon, Sean Hayes & Bill Paxton in upcoming #WDYTYA season. Check out a season preview here.

Incidentally, this is the grandfather that Julie Chen will be exploring on #WDYTYA – definitely an interesting fellow!

For fans of The Voice, here's an interesting look into the roots of Pharrell Williams.

And since he was on The Voice last night as well, here's a peek into the incredibly cool heritage of Bruno Mars.

It's been a while since I posted a video, so I thought I'd share this oldie, but goodie about Flat Stanley researching his family tree at the National Archives and in Colonial Williamsburg and San Francisco. Youngsters in the family might enjoy it.

Childhood friends reconnect after World War II, Japanese internment separated them

Toronto man discovers play is based on his family history ~ Happy coincidence!

How to Avoid Dying Alone With No One to Claim Your Body ~ It seems folks are starting to wake up to the concept of unclaimed persons. Here's another article that borrows from the recent Los Angeles Times article and others.

WWII Love Letters Reveal 3 Soldiers Vying for Same Woman’s Heart

3D Printing Allows Man to Preserve & Replicate a Piece of Family History in Incredible Fashion ~ Sounds as if it takes some doing, but cool idea. Suspect it's in my future. Yours?