In April 2023, MyHeritage added 20 historical record collections and 16 million historical records from the U.S., Australia, Canada, Ireland, Norway, and Scotland. The collections include baptism, marriage, death, obituary, census, military, school, business, and naturalization records. 

The full list of newly-added records is quite lengthy and can be viewed in the MyHeritage Blog at: https://blog.myheritage.com/2023/05/myheritage-adds-20-historical-record-collections-in-april-2023/.

Footprints left on a beach. Air breathed in a busy room. Ocean water.

Scientists have been able to collect and analyze detailed genetic data from human DNA from all these places, raising thorny ethical questions about consent, privacy and security when it comes to our biological information.

The researchers from the University of Florida, who were using environmental DNA found in sand to study endangered sea turtles, said the DNA was of such high quality that the scientists could identify mutations associated with disease and determine the genetic ancestry of populations living nearby.

They could also match genetic information to individual participants who had volunteered to have their DNA recovered as part of the research that published in the scientific journal Nature Ecology & Evolution on Monday.

“All this very personal, ancestral and health related data is freely available in the environment and is simply floating around in the air right now,” said David Duffy, a professor of wildlife disease genomics at the University of Florida.

Environmental DNA has been obtained from air, soil, sediment, water, permafrost, snow and ice cores and the techniques are primarily being used to help track and protect endangered animals.

Human DNA that has seeped into the environment through our spit, skin, sweat and blood could be used to help find missing persons, aid in forensic investigations to solve crimes, locate sites of archaeological importance, and for health monitoring through DNA found in waste water, the study noted.

However, the ability to capture human DNA from the environment could have a range of unintended consequences — both inadvertent and malicious, they added. These included privacy breaches, location tracking, data harvesting, and genetic surveillance of individuals or groups. It could lead to ethical hurdles for the approval of wildlife studies.

You can read more in an article by Katie Hunt published in the CNN Health web site at: https://www.cnn.com/2023/05/15/health/human-dna-captured-from-air-scn/index.html.

We always say, never start a blogpost with the words, 'We are delighted to announce that'.

So, in true time-honoured fashion, we are thrilled to release a list of all the rolls and charters digitised as part of our Medieval and Renaissance Women project. There are 25 rolls and 219 charters in total, in addition to the 93 manuscript volumes that we announced in a previous blogpost. The Medieval and Renaissance Women project has been made possible thanks to generous funding by Joanna and Graham Barker.

The seal of the Empress Matilda, between 1141 and 1142: Add Ch 75724

Here begins the list. This may take some time, but it's worth it, we promise. From the top... The will of Sibylla Frances of Dunwich. A confirmation by Sybilla of Kaversfeld, widow of Hugh Gargate, to Bicester Priory of land in Stratton. An acknowledgement by Marie, abbess of St Stephen’s Abbey, Soissons, to the Knights Templar of Mont-de-Soissons. A sale by Katherine von Solmesse and Salentin, lord of Isenburg, her husband, to Baldwin, archbishop of Trier. A letter of attorney from Ismania, widow of Laurence Berkerolles. A certificate for the safe delivery of Margaret of Anjou to Louis XI of France. A chirograph of Fredescendis, abbess of Maubeuge, granting land to Guarin, abbot of Vicogne…

Actually, why don't you simply peruse the list for yourself? It's great fun, we promise (again)!

Confirmation by Sybilla of Kaversfeld, widow of Hugh Gargate, to Bicester Priory of land in Stratton, early 13th century: Add Ch 10608

You can download the full list of charters and rolls here, with links to the British Library’s Digitised Manuscripts site and the Universal Viewer. There, you'll be able to read these manuscripts in full and for free from the comfort of your own living room. 

PDF: Download Medieval_and_renaissance_women_digitised_charters_rolls_may_2023

Excel: Download Medieval_and_renaissance_women_digitised_charters_rolls_may_2023 (this format cannot be downloaded on all web browsers)

You can read a lot more at: https://tinyurl.com/rjw7twwh/

On April 1, 2022, the National Archives released the 1950 Census (kept confidential for 72 years) online at archives.gov/1950census. See the press release. Anyone, anywhere can search freely—experienced researchers, genealogy buffs, and novices! 

Speak with a trusted expert: Are you a member of the media who is covering the release of the 1950 census records? Upon request, we can share a list of historians, genealogists, and archivists who can provide you with more information for your coverage. Email: public.affairs@nara.gov.

Here is a condensed version of the 1950 Census tabulation picture. In the foreground is a punch card machine. Holes are punched in the card according to a prearranged code, transferring the facts from the questionnaire into statistics. The man operating the machine labeled “140” is running a sorter. This machine sorts cards into any desired classification. The other two machines are tabulators which add up the final results.

1950 Census Release: What's Old?

• Outlined in the Constitution and taken every 10 years since 1790, the census is used to define “We the People" by providing a snapshot of the nation's population.

1950 Census Release: What’s New?

• First time using optical character recognition/artificial intelligence (OCR/AI) for handwriting recognition
• First time using a transcription tool to improve the name index
• First chance to download the entire census in bulk
• First time releasing the census during a pandemic
• First 1950 Census National Archives Genealogy Series on our YouTube channel

Getting Started

• 1950 Census Fact Sheet
• The 1950 Census Records Release
• NARA’s 1950 Census web page 
• Search Census Records Online
• Social Media Kit

Visual Resources

• Selected Photographs
• 1950 Census GIFs
• Blank 1950 Census forms
• 1950 Census PSAs, including “Helping the Census helps Uncle Sam!”
• 1950 Census: Training Filmstrips

NARA Blog Posts

• The 1950 Census is Here! (AOTUS Blog)
• National Archives Publishes 1950 Census Records (National Archives News)
• Preparing for the 1950 Census (AOTUS Blog)
• Please Help NARA Refine the Draft Name Index! (History Hub)
• Volunteers Can Contribute to Nation’s History by Collaborating on 1950 Census Records (National Archives News)
• Census Records: The 72-Year Rule (Pieces of History)
• Public Access to Census Records at the National Archives (Pieces of History)
• Census Records Come to the National Archives (Pieces of History)
• Standout Census Stories: Using the U.S. Census to Solve Adoption Mysteries (National Archives News)
• Standout Census Stories: Familial Connections and Federal Records—The Ties that Bind (National Archives News)
• Standout Census Stories: Who Are You? Using the Census to Add Context to Family Photos (National Archives News)
• Genealogy Series 2022 Kicks Off With “What's on the 1950 Census” (National Archives News)
• Standout Census Stories: An Archivist Untangles Immigration Records Using Leads from the Census (National Archives News)
• Standout Census Stories: Schoel to Samuel to Saul Through Four Decades of Records (National Archives News)
• ​1950 Census on Track for 2022 Release, Despite Pandemic (National Archives News)
• Standout Census Stories: An Archives Executive Discovers His “Huckster” Grandfather (National Archives News)
• Release of 1950 Census Will Increase Access to Records in St. Louis (National Archives News)
• Counting Down Until the Release of the 1950 Census! (The Text Message)
• The Story of the 1950 Census P8 Indian Reservation Schedule (The Text Message)
• Archivist Explores History of 1950 Census Indian Reservation Schedule (National Archives News)

Door-to-door census-taking, April 1950.

View in National Archives Catalog

​Posts from NARA's Experts

View all the 1950 Census posts on History Hub

• Census fun facts
• 1950 Census
• 1950 Census: 20 Tips for Research Success
• Census Enumeration of U.S. Civilians and Military Personnel Overseas, 1790–1950
• 1950 Census: “Your Map is Your Guide—Use It!”
• 1950 Census: Field Enumeration Procedures
• 1950 Census: How the Data Were Used
• 1950 Census: The Official Census Day—April 1, 1950

Useful Links

• U.S. Presidents in Census Records
• Intro to Census Records
• Search Census Records Online
• NARA Fact Sheet

U.S Census Bureau Resources

• Census Bureau Press Kit
• 1950 Overview
• About the Decennial Census of Population and Housing
• Census in the Constitution
• History of the Census

The following is a press release  issued by the U.S. National Archives and Records Administration (NARA):

Washington, DC

On Wednesday, May 17, at 6 p.m., ET, the National Archives, in partnership with the White House Historical Association, presents an evening discussion of the new book Mourning the Presidents: Loss and Legacy in American Culture. Kate Clark Lemay, Acting Senior Historian at the National Portrait Gallery, will lead a discussion with co-editors Lindsay Chervinsky, Senior Fellow at the Center for Presidential History at Southern Methodist University, and Matthew Costello, Vice President of the David M. Rubenstein National Center for White House History. They will be joined by contributors Andrew M. Davenport, Public Historian at the Thomas Jefferson Foundation and Director of the Getting Word African American Oral History Project, and David B. Woolner, Professor of History at Marist College, Senior Fellow and Resident Historian of the Roosevelt Institute, and Senior Fellow of the Center for Civic Engagement at Bard College.

The program is free and open to the public and will be held in the William G. McGowan Theater at the National Archives Museum in Washington, DC, and livestreamed. Attendees should use the Special Events entrance on Constitution Avenue at 7th Street, NW. Metro accessible on the Yellow and Green lines, Archives/Navy Memorial/Penn Quarter station.

Panel Discussion – Mourning the Presidents: Loss and Legacy in American Culture

Wednesday, May 17, at 6 p.m. ET

William G. McGowan Theater, National Archives Museum

Register to attend in person or online; watch on the National Archives YouTube Channel.

Mourning the Presidents brings together renowned and emerging scholars to examine how different generations and communities of Americans have eulogized and remembered U.S. Presidents since George Washington’s death in 1799. The program will be followed by a book signing.

This program is made possible in part by the National Archives Foundation.

About the National Archives

The National Archives and Records Administration is an independent federal agency that serves American democracy by safeguarding and preserving the records of our Government, so people can discover, use, and learn from this documentary heritage. The National Archives ensures continuing access to the essential documentation of the rights of American citizens and the actions of their government. From the Declaration of Independence to accounts of ordinary Americans, the holdings of the National Archives directly touch the lives of millions of people. The agency supports democracy, promotes civic education, and facilitates historical understanding of our national experience. The National Archives carries out its mission through a nationwide network of archives, records centers, and Presidential Libraries and online at www.archives.gov. 

Millennials face digital end-of-life planning

From an article by John Dias published in the CBS News web site:

Millennials were the first digitally-native generation, and now they're some of the first planning for their digital end.

When you think about end-of-life planning, having a well thought out plan for how you want your social media accounts handled may not have been a popular topic in the past. But for millennials, it's a new thought process: Who controls your social media when you're gone? 

"This stuff can out live you in ways that tangible stuff may not," said Mitch Mitchell, associate counsel of estate planning at Trust & Will. "Used to be family photo albums, or tax returns and things you would leave in boxes." 

Facebook was created in 2004, Twitter in 2006, Instagram in 2010 and TikTok in 2016. Nearly 20 years of social media means two decades of information, pictures and videos uploaded for countless to see. 

Millennials have been around for all of it. Which is why Mitchell says some are thinking about what will happen to their digital legacy upon death. 

Many are now designating a particular person to control their social media, called a legacy contact or digital executor. 

You can read the entire article at: https://tinyurl.com/57vhebzt.

From an article Justin Zooby and published in the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) (an agency of the United States Department of Commerce) web site:  

Twenty years ago, scientists mapped more than 90% of the entire human genome. A huge accomplishment involving many scientists, mapping our genes has allowed researchers to better understand inherited diseases and led to many other scientific advancements.  

If a researcher wanted to analyze your DNA, they’d compare you to that single reference genome that’s been in use for years and try to figure out how your DNA is different from that reference.

Last year, we were part of a large international team that finished the last 8% and completed the first human genome. This has enabled insights into previously unexplored parts of the genome, including providing a map of millions of genetic variations, or stretches of DNA that vary from person to person.

But here’s the problem — the composite human genome, while taken from a diverse group of people from all over the world, does not represent the full diversity of human DNA. Even the first “complete” human genome is missing sequences that only exist in some individuals. That can make medical research or testing someone’s genes for diseases a challenge for scientists. This is especially true for people with ancestry from regions of the world that have high genetic diversity — though it affects everyone. 

Say you have an extra copy of a gene that’s not in the reference. That could be missed when comparing your DNA to the standard reference.   

My colleagues and I are helping scientists make a new form of a genome — the pangenome — or “all genome.” The pangenome has been released in a draft version with about 50 people’s DNA, with the long-term goal of having about 350 people’s DNA in the completed pangenome in the next two or three years. It will allow us to understand the full diversity of our genes and advance medical research. 

So instead of researchers comparing one person’s DNA to one standard reference, researchers can compare the person’s DNA to a reference library containing potentially hundreds of diverse people’s DNA. 

You can read the full article at: https://tinyurl.com/b96njehx.

This strikes me as a very useful article for genealogists with old family photographs and modern photos alike as well as for millions of others also with photos that are "less than perfect:"

From an article by Eoin Wiley published in the hongkiat.com web site:

Are you still manually removing image backgrounds using Photoshop or other photo editing tools? Well, you shouldn’t be, at least not anymore. In this blog post, we have compiled a list of the 10 best online tools to remove image backgrounds effortlessly.

These image background-removing tools, with the assistance of AI, are designed to make your life easier, save you time, and help you achieve professional-looking results.

Whether you are a graphic designer, a social media manager, or just someone looking to enhance your images, these online tools will undoubtedly come in handy. Let’s check them out.

The entire article may be found at: https://www.hongkiat.com/blog/remove-image-background-online/.

Here is a list of all of this week's articles, all of them available here at https://eogn.com: 

This is basically an advertisement for a report that sells for high price. (I won't be buying it.) However, the ad has some interesting comments about the current status of genealogy research. 

Unleashing the Power of DNA Testing:

DNA testing has revolutionized the field of genealogy by providing individuals with unprecedented insights into their family history. Unlike traditional genealogical research, which relied on paper records and historical documents, DNA testing allows people to trace their genetic ancestry with scientific precision. By analyzing specific markers in their DNA, individuals can identify ancestral origins, discover ethnic heritage, and even locate long-lost relatives.

DNA testing has gained immense popularity due to its accessibility and simplicity. Various direct-to-consumer genetic testing companies offer at-home DNA test kits that can be easily ordered online. These kits typically involve a simple saliva or cheek swab sample, which is sent to the laboratory for analysis. Within a few weeks, individuals receive detailed reports showcasing their genetic heritage, ethnicity estimates, and potential matches with other individuals who share genetic similarities.

Growing Demand for Genealogy Products and Services:

As DNA testing continues to soar in popularity, a complementary industry for genealogy products and services has emerged. This industry caters to the growing demand for tools, resources, and expertise that help individuals make the most of their DNA test results and delve deeper into their family history.

You can read more at: https://tinyurl.com/suzuv569.