VGS Latest News & Tips: 21 October 2016

Today: October 21, 2016

Scandinavian Genealogy SIG Meeting

10:00 AM in the Clearwater Room Sea Breeze Recreation Center
Topic: This month will be an open discussion. Bring your questions to help you get started with your Scandinavian research.

Determining Your DNA Ethnicity Estimate:
Ancestry
"People from all over the world are curious to know where they come from and who has contributed to who they are today. DNA testing can shine some light on those questions though the ethnicity portion of your DNA test results. At AncestryDNA we compare your DNA test to 26 geographic regions around the world we have population data on and then give you your unique ethnicity estimate. Here’s an example:"
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Small and Simple Ways to Celebrate Family History Month: A Cake to Remember:
FamilySearch
"In honor of Family History Month, we’ve compiled a four-part series to share small and simple ways to weave family history moments into present experiences. If you missed it, go back and read “Small and Simple Ways to Celebrate Family History Month: How Do I Love Thee?”
Continue reading... (Part 2)   If you missed Part 1 in this series, click Part 1...

10 Tips To Help You Trace Your Immigrant Ancestor:
FindMyPast
"One particularly intimidating brick wall that many people face when researching their family history is uncovering their ancestor's immigration story.
It can be difficult to know where to start looking through the records to find your ancestors that immigrated to America from overseas, but there are many tips and techniques that you can use to get started searching for your origin ancestors."
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Free Resources for Finding Death Records Online:
Crestleaf
"If you’re on the hunt for an ancestor’s death certificate, you may not have to look too hard. This is because death records can often be some of the easiest types of vital records to find — especially when searching online. These records can also offer up some of the most valuable information and interesting tidbits that often lead to other genealogical discoveries and unknown ancestors to add to your family tree."
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Uninstalling Fonts Probably Won’t Speed Up Your PC or Mac:
How-to-Geek
"You’ve seen it on plenty of PC help sites. “Uninstall fonts to speed up your computer!” Don’t follow this advice–it’s a myth. Uninstalling fonts is a troubleshooting tip for fixing a specific problem, not a general performance tip for speeding up your computer."
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This Day In History: 21 October
1529: The Pope names Henry VIII of England Defender of the Faith after defending the seven sacraments against Luther.
1879: After 14 months of testing, Thomas Edison first demonstrates his electric lamp, hoping to one day compete with gaslight.
1917: The first U.S. troops enter the front lines at Sommerville under French command.
1833 Birthday: Alfred Nobel, inventor of dynamite and founder of the Nobel Prizes

State Timelines:
Even though it is hard to tell what made people move or disappear, these are just a few possibilities.
Georgia:
1837-39: Atlanta settled
1861: Seceded from the Union
1881: Hurricane hits Savannah and Augusta, 700 killed