VGS Latest News & Tips: 3 February 2017

Reminders:
Today: February 3, 2017

British Genealogy SIG Meeting

9:30 AM in the Courageous Room at the Lake Miona Recreation Center

Gen News:

Navajo Nation Library To Digitize 1960s Oral History Archive:

Library Journal
"The Navajo Nation Library (NNL) is working to secure the funding necessary to digitize and catalog thousands of hours of stories, songs, and oral histories of the Navajo people, originally recorded in the 1960s by the Navajo Culture Center of the Office of Navajo Economic Opportunity (ONEO)."
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What To Do Once You Have Your Dna Test Results:

Family Tree Tips
"So you’ve just received your chosen DNA Tests results. Now what? A lot of people don’t realise that you can do a lot more with the raw test results than what is shown on any of the sites that test DNA."
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How to Opt Out of the Most Popular People Search Sites:

Lifehacker

"Genealogy site Family Tree Now made waves when people discovered it can be used to look up almost anyone’s personal information, even if they’d never heard of the site before. Addresses, family members, and known associates are free for anyone to find. Here’s how to protect yourself from Family Tree Now, Whitepages, Spokeo, and other popular free people search engines just like it."

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Tech:

How to Set Up the Luma Home Wi-Fi System:

How-to-Geek
"If your home’s Wi-Fi signal is not the greatest, you might be looking at mesh solutions like the Luma Home Wi-Fi System. Luma consists of multiple Wi-Fi extenders that you spread across your house in order to cover every nook and cranny with an excellent Wi-Fi signal. Here’s how to set it all up and how to configure it to deliver the best Wi-Fi possible all around your home."
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What Is Snapchat?

How-to-Geek
"Unless you’ve been hiding under a rock, you’ve probably heard someone mention the social network/chat app Snapchat. Depending on how you measure things, it’s now more popular than Twitter and Pinterest, with only Facebook and Instagram having more users daily. The difference is that most of Snapchat’s users are millennials and teens, so it’s flown under the radar of a lot of older internet users."
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Education:

Irish Genealogy - Part 6 - Irish Records

Finding Grandpa
"This is part 6 in a series of 9 videos called "Building the Bridge Back to Ireland". Using various websites to find documents that might show where in Ireland your ancestors are from, and where to look once you get "across the pond"."
Watch Video... 11.26 minutes

Conferences:

International German Genealogy Partnership Conference:

IGGP

The website for the International German Genealogy Partnership (IGGP) has just gone live at www.IGGPartner.org.  As of February 1 the registration is open for its first international conference in Minneapolis, July 28-30 on line.  As a VGS member we enjoy the early bird discounted rate of $225 until April 1, but early sign-ups are recommended due to the high interest shown worldwide for this first-ever conference

VGS Latest News & Tips: 13 December 2016

Today: December 13, 2016 (Note date change...)

Mid-Atlantic States SIG Meeting

9:30 AM in the Defender Room at the Lake Miona Recreation Center

Topic: "Maryland Research"

Today: December 13, 2016

Genealogy Writers SIG Meeting

2:30 PM in the Churchill Downs Room in the Pimlico Recreation Center

Tomorrow: December 14, 2016

Irish Genealogy SIG Meeting

10:00 AM in the Osceola Room at the Chula Vista Recreation Center

Genealogy Changed Dramatically in 2016. I Can Prove It:

Clue Wagon
"If you’re wondering why most of your DNA matches don’t have trees or a list of surnames or any of the other standard genealogical icebreakers, I have the answer. It’s because they did DNA first. The fastest DNA growth is at AncestryDNA, and most people who test at AncestryDNA are not genealogists (yet)."
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7 Surprising Genealogy Mistakes Even the Pros Make:

My Canvas
"When just beginning the genealogy journey, there are common pitfalls new genealogist need to watch out for. However, there are mistakes that can catch even pro genealogists unless they are careful. Are you making any of these surprising genealogy mistakes in your family history research?"
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From Day Laborer to Poet: The Struggles of an Italian Immigrant in the City of Dreams:

Ancestry
"When Pasquale D’Angelo arrived in New York in April 1910 from Introdacqua, a mountainous village eighty miles east of Rome in the Abruzzi region of central Italy, he discovered that life in America as a day laborer would not be as easy as he had imagined."
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John Iron Moccasin, The Story of a Sioux Man:

DNAeXplained
"Occasionally, the project administrators of the American Indian project are presented with a rare opportunity to test an individual who is either full-blooded Native or nearly so. Recently, a Native Sioux man, John Iron Moccasin, born Earl White Weasel, stepped forward."
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How to Stop Microsoft Edge’s Pop-up Notifications:

How-to-Geek
"Microsoft is now more aggressively pushing taskbar and action center ads for Microsoft Edge. These are just one of the many types of advertising in Windows 10. Here’s how to make Edge stop nagging you."
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This Day In History: 13 December

1814: General Andrew Jackson announces martial law in New Orleans, Louisiana, as British troops disembark at Lake Borne, 40 miles east of the city.
1951: After meeting with FBI Director J. Edgar Hoover, President Harry S. Truman vows to purge all disloyal government workers.
1972: Astronaut Gene Cernan climbs into his lunar lander on the moon and prepares to lift off. He is the last man to set foot on the moon.
11818 Birthday: Mary Todd Lincoln, wife of President Abraham Lincoln.

State Timelines:

Even though it is hard to tell what made people move or disappear, these are just a few possibilities.
Michigan:
1837: Admitted to the Union
1842: Cooper mining began in Keweenaw Peninsula
1845: State's first iron ore mining began in Negaunee at New York docks
1852: Michigan Central Railroad opened in Chicago

VGS Latest News & Tips: 23 November 2016

Seminar Registrar Mike Garvin taking another reservation.
190 seats have already been sold for this February event.

Identifying Direct Sources to Prove Native American Ancestry:

Ancestry
"There are secrets to success when it comes to tracing Native American ancestry. While many useful resources are now available online, in order to correctly identify your Native American ancestors, you’ll need to combine what you can find online with other direct sources of information:"
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Family History vs. Genealogy: What’s the Difference, Anyway?

Crestleaf
"Whether you’re a novice to the world of family history research or have been working on your family’s story for a while, you’ve undoubtedly heard the terms ‘family history’ and ‘genealogy’ used similarly. While each type of research is beneficial to documenting and sharing your family discoveries, the activities associated with each are not one in the same. However, genealogy and family history research work in tandem when it comes to creating a cohesive family tree."
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Using Biographical Sketches to Engage Family History Readers:

Stories to Tell
"If you want to write a family history that people will want to read, it’s a good idea to think about those potential readers before you begin. What interests and inspires them?"
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Brilling and Bedazzled: Creating New Words:

Verissima Productions

"My family of origin adores words. We did crossword puzzles, word games, Boggle and Scrabble when I was growing up. I was lucky enough to meet and marry someone who is also a lexophile."

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How Three Brave Sisters Defended Their Family’s Home in the Irish Land War:

Irish Central
"The O’Halloran sisters – Annie, Honoria and Sarah – lived with their parents and their brothers, Patrick ad Frank, in Bodyke, Co. Clare. They were the tenants of Colonel John O’Callaghan, who would become notorious by the end of the Land War."
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The Best Web Browsers for Speed, Battery Life, and Customization:

How-to-Geek
"Let’s be honest: Modern web browsers are all pretty solid. Even Microsoft Edge is much better than older versions of Internet Explorer. But we believe Google Chrome is still the best web browser for most people."
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This Day In History: 23 November

1785: John Hancock is elected president of the Continental Congress for the second time.
1909: The Wright brothers form a million-dollar corporation for the commercial manufacture of their airplanes.
1921: President Warren G. Harding signs the Willis Campell Act, better known as the anti-beer bill. It forbids doctors to prescribe beer or liquor for medicinal purposes.
1804 Birthday: Franklin Pierce, hero of the American war with Mexico and 14th president of the United States.

State Timelines:

Even though it is hard to tell what made people move or disappear, these are just a few possibilities.
Kentucky:
1800: Louisville population reaches 359
1805: Aaron Burr began plans for a southwestern empire
1815: First New Orleans to Louisville steamboat

VGS Latest News & Tips: 15 January 2016

Today: Friday, January 15, 2016

Scandinavian Genealogy SIG Meeting

10:00 AM in the Clearwater Room Sea Breeze Recreation Center

Joining Your Family’s Native American Tribe:
Ancestry
"80 percent of Native American families became disconnected from each other and from their people over the years. So questions about how to become a member of a tribe are common."
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Researching Swedish Documents:
Ancestry
"There are many exciting challenges when researching your family history in Swedish documents. At Ancestry.com, key data such as names and gender is often indexed and therefore easily accessible through our search pages for each Swedish language database. However, the records are in Swedish and you will naturally get the best results if you search keywords, occupations, and place names in Swedish. There is often a wealth of information available in the images of the original documents that can help you pinpoint your ancestors or learn about their lives and families. We have provided some basic tools on these pages that can help you as you work in Swedish records."
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New Family Search Collection: Alaska, Vital Records, 1816-1959:
FamilySearch
"Index and digital images of birth, marriage, death and divorce records from Alaska. This collection is being published as images become available. Currently almost 78,000 records have been added to this FREE collection.
Search now...

Just How Much Is Cancer Due to Your Genes?
NBC News
"About a third of all cancer cases can be blamed on inherited genes, a giant study finds. It's the biggest and longest study yet done to examine the family links to cancer and it finds that certain types of cancer seem to have very strong genetic links — testicular cancer and melanoma, especially. The overall findings are not a big surprise.
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Are You Who You Think You Are? And Other DNA Surprises"
The Greenville Sun
"If you are interested in family genealogy, chances are you’ve considered having your DNA screened. Millions have, and people are submitting their DNA to a variety of companies every day.  DNA Is Not Magic!"
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Google Brings 1916 Rising to Life with Virtual Tour of Dublin Landmarks:
Irish Examiner
"Dublin Rising 1916-2016 will be narrated by actor Colin Farrell and featuring exhibitions from six prestigious cultural institutions. As well as bringing viewers worldwide to parts of Dublin synonymous with the Rising, the interactive Google Street View tour also offers unique access to important historical and cultural resource material."
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Today In History: 15 Jan 2016
1624: Riots flare in Mexico when it is announced that all churches are to be closed.
1913: The first telephone line between Berlin and New York is inaugurated.
1919: Peasants in Central Russia rise against the Bolsheviks.
1823 Birthday: Mathew Brady, Civil War photographer.

VGS Latest News & Tips: 3 August 2015

Sisters Separated in Childhood Reunited with AncestryDNA:
Ancestry.com
"Long-lost sisters, Connie and Delores were separated at a young age with Delores being adopted by their birth mother’s parents and Connie being adopted by an unknown family."
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The Jamestowne Chancel Burials:
Vita Brevis
"The recent announcement of the (probable) identification of the remains of four men buried under the chancel of the first parish church at Jamestowne, Virginia – first discovered in 2010 and unearthed in 2013 – has now made the front page of The Wall Street Journal and appeared in other leading news outlets. While not the first Englishmen to die in the nascent American colony, they were nearly so, probably interred in Virginia soil in 1608 and 1610, more than a decade before the Mayflower arrived on American shores; these men were certainly among the colony’s founders."
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The New Ancestry: Feature Update
Ancestry.com
"It has been just over a month since we introduced the new Ancestry website, designed to transform how you can discover and tell your family story. Over the last month, we have been listening to your suggestions for how to make the new site even better. We’ve been working hard to incorporate your feedback to improve the ease and effectiveness of the new site."
Continue reading to see what's new...

Windows 10 Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ):
Microsoft
If you have any questions about the new Windows 10 and if it's really free or how do I install it or when will I get it, I think this link will give you all the answers.
Get the answers...

Proving Native American Ancestry Using DNA:
DNAeXplained
"The reasons vary, and not everyone wants to prove their heritage in order to qualify for some type of assistance.  Some want to find their tribe and join to reclaim their lost heritage.  Some want to honor their persecuted and hidden ancestors, undoing some of the wickedness of the past, and some simply seek the truth.  Regardless of why, they are all searching for information lost to them."
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This Day In History:
1492: Christopher Columbus leaves Spain on his voyage to the new world.
1805: Mohammed Ali becomes the new ruler of Egypt.
1911: Airplanes are used for the first time in a military capacity when Italian planes reconnoiter Turkish lines near Tripoli.
Birthday of the Day:
1926: Tony Bennett, singer ("I Left My Heart in San Francisco").