American Family Stories
What if your ancestors witnessed one of America’s defining moments? Discover stories that connect personal family histories to the events that shaped the United States.
While the World Watched the Moon Landing, They Were There for the Armstrongs
In July 1969, the eyes of the entire world were glued to their television screens. But the eyes of MyHeritage user Bob Kreienkamp, then a young video camera operator for the TV station WIMA in Lima, Ohio, were laser focused through a viewfinder on a modest front yard in Wapakoneta, Ohio.
My Ancestor Was Wounded at Gettysburg. The Nurse Who Treated Him Became the Love of His Life
On a sweltering July 2 in 1863, my ancestor Bill Thompson was toiling away on a 36-mile march in the high heat and humidity of a Maryland summer day. Bill was stepping into his destiny.
My Ancestor Helped Build San Francisco, Saw Gold Discovered, and Brought Alfalfa to Utah
In 1844, my 3rd-great-grandfather, Isaac Goodwin, and his family heard the missionaries from the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, often called the Mormon Church.
My Gravely Wounded Ancestor Woke to Find Abe Lincoln Praying and Begging Him to Live
I had been researching the Houghtons, looking through some family history books, when I found a page about my great-great-grandmother, Helen Houghton Robinson, her parents, and her siblings.
A Son Lost at Gettysburg, Preserved in a Haunting Photograph
In 1863, my husband’s great-great-grandfather James Fulton Hoge and his wife, Eliza, welcomed their ninth child, Beverly Lacy Hoge.
My Great-Uncle, an Iowa Farm Boy, Made History as an Award-Winning Aircraft Designer
My great-uncle, Clayton Folkerts, was born in Wellsburg, Iowa, in 1897 and moved to the Bristow, Iowa area around 1900.
Captured in the Civil War, Shipwrecked on the Sultana — and Somehow My Ancestor Made It Home
The story of my great-great-grandfather, Wilson S. Tracey, has been passed down through our family for generations. Through family stories, military records, photographs, and historical accounts, we have been able to preserve the remarkable journey of a young Ohio farmer who endured war, imprisonment, and one of the greatest maritime disasters in American history.
I Come From an Unbroken Line of Men Who Helped Establish and Defend America
My 5th great-grandfather, Captain Joseph Cole, Jr. (1750-1826) traveled from Ulster County, NY, with his wife Remember Cole, other relatives, and families to far western Virginia in 1775-6.
My Dad Survived Pearl Harbor and Fought in the Pacific in WWII
Known to his family as “Shad” after the Shadow radio show, my father, Alfred Ridge, was the youngest of five children born to Irish immigrants.
My Dad Survived Some of World War I’s Fiercest Battles and Lived to 104
My father, Clarence E. Ohmann, was born in 1894 and lived to the ripe old age of 104. He was from a hard-working and respected farm family, and had intended to homestead on a farm in North Dakota, leaving in 1915 for Amidon. But then World War I happened.
My Ancestor Fell at Gettysburg. These Were His Last Words to His Parents
My great-great-great-uncle, CPL George H. Meginnis, was 22 years old when he sat down to write to his parents in the summer of 1863.
The Jewish Legacy Hidden in My Mayflower Line
I am an actuary by training. I do this work because I am deeply interested in it; I love learning about history and science, so exploring my own genealogy checks a lot of boxes for me.
My Ancestor Survived the Civil War and Wrote It All Down in His Diaries
As a family historian, you dream of uncovering a primary source so vivid it brings the past directly into the room with you. For my family, that dream is a reality.
From 1637 to America 250: A 400-Year Legacy Proven in Ink and Parchment
As we look toward the America 250 celebrations, our nation is collectively reflecting on what it means to be American. For some, history is found in textbooks.
Less Than a Mile Apart: How Two WWI Foes Became Family in America
When I joined MyHeritage four months ago, I was looking for a platform that could help me break through the walls I kept hitting on other genealogy sites.
My Ancestor Answered the Lexington Alarm and Helped Build a New Nation
My 5th great-grandfather, Norman Seaver (1734–1787), lived through the birth of the United States and served in the Revolutionary War.
The Spark That Kept the Revolution Alive: How My Ancestor Deceived the British on Christmas Night, 1776
As we approach the historic 250th anniversary of the United States, I find myself looking at my family tree with a completely new perspective.
My Dad Defended Pearl Harbor. 63 Years Later, He Finally Let the Tears Come
It was early 1940 and my dad Eddie Maruszewski and a few friends saw that New York State was looking for people to fill positions in the NYS National Guard.
The Real Uncle Sam: The Family Behind the American Icon
Every American recognizes the image of Uncle Sam: the stern face, the white beard, the star-spangled top hat, and the finger pointing straight at you. But have you ever stopped to wonder where he came from?
The Real Mario: The Family Story Behind a Global Icon
Everyone knows the iconic video game character Super Mario. But did you know that he was inspired by a real person?
Polish Mushroom Farmer Discovers He’s Related to American Civil War General and Other Famous People Through MyHeritage
My name is Ireneusz Nawrot, and I live in the Greater Poland Voivodeship, a beautiful region in western Poland.
Reuniting a Purple Heart Medal with a War Hero
August 7 marks National Purple Heart Day. The Purple Heart is a U.S. military medal awarded since 1917 to those either wounded or killed while serving in the U.S. military. Its precursor, the Badge of Military Merit, was established by George Washington in 1782, and was a heart made out of purple cloth.
She Discovered That Tennessee Whiskey Brewer Jack Daniel Was Her 3rd Great-Uncle
Linda Pickle, a dedicated family historian from California, was stunned to discover that she shares a close family connection to one of America’s most iconic figures: Jasper “Jack” Daniel, founder of the world-famous Tennessee
I Discovered My 3rd Great-Grandpa Was a General Who Helped Shape American History
Over the years, I’ve explored both my own ancestry and that of my late husband. Like many people who enjoy genealogy, I built folders full of names, documents, and notes. But in recent years, I slowed down. Life has a way of filling up, and honestly, I thought I had uncovered most of what there was to find.
Steve Doocy of Fox & Friends Discovers He’s Related to the First 3 Presidents of the United States
In honor of July 4th, MyHeritage explored the family history of Steve Doocy, host of Fox & Friends, and surprised him with information about his connection to the first 3 presidents of the United States: George Washington, John Adams, and Thomas Jefferson.
A Bittersweet D-Day Love Story Comes Full Circle as Brothers Find Each Other After 70 Years
The upcoming 80th anniversary of D-Day is an opportunity to reflect on the colossal impact that day had on our world. It’s also a good opportunity to note the stories of those for whom D-Day served as a catalyst on a much more personal scale.
Channeling My Inner Sam Bass: I Discovered My Ancestor Was a Famous Outlaw
When I was a kid, my mom bought a mock-up of an old-style “WANTED” poster from the Old West. The outlaw on it was Sam Bass, a train- and stagecoach-robber who died on his 27th birthday during a bank-robbery attempt in Round Rock, Texas.
The Three Stevens Brothers: An Extraordinary Transatlantic Bond Formed in Memory of a Fallen D-Day Soldier
Since the end of WWII, a beautiful and incredible friendship has connected the family of Sylvie Laillier, a French user from Normandy, and an American family from Pennsylvania that sent 3 sons to fight in the war.
Greeted by Lady Liberty: The Story Behind an Incredible 1955 Immigration Photo
Since its dedication on October 28, 1886, the Statue of Liberty has stood at the gateway to the United States as an icon of freedom and hope for people all over the world.
