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The research will naturally extend beyond your home and belongings. Chat it up with family and friends. Send emails or letters asking for their family memories.
Family
history research is a big deal these days. You can do so much on
the Internet.
Rootsweb,
The Oldest & Largest Free
Genealogy Site
Ancestry.com
— Find Your Ancestors Now This site is incredible. You can do
a real world of searching – try it out with a 14
day free trial.
Family
Learn - Heart to Heart is not strictly a genealogy site, but
you can build a family tree and use your genealogy information to build
a rich online family history site. The best aspects are how you can
involve as many family members as want to participate and it is truly a
learning experience as you use it. This site also is home to
the Memory Book from MemoryPress
and I am an authorized seller. You can get a discount and create online
and bring to print a beautiful and affordable personal history or
tribute book. Find out more about the MemoryPress
service here.
Genealogy Resources on the Internet
Some of the really fun research sites are those that bring back memories of your favorite music, movies, tv shows and pop culture. Nostalgia is in, especially with so many Baby Boomers.
Another
good site for genealogical resources is the Family Research -
English, Scottish and Irish Genealogy News and Articles. Go here.
Timelines
There
are several software options, or even online resources, to create your
own personal history timeline. This is important so that you can record
your life timeline and compare it with historical occurrences. It
provides a good frame of reference.
Check out Genelines from Progeny Genealogy
or OurTimeLines.com.
Pictures
The site Time
Tales is a treasure trove of great old photographs
submitted by people from around the globe. The pictures have been
discovered in attics, old trunks, at flea markets and elsewhere and are
put on the site as visual reminders of different time periods. Maybe it
will stir a memory or two, and it certainly illustrates the power of a
picture. (Be sure to check out our section on video biographies.)
Music
Classic old time radio shows Old Time Radio
Music charts, top songs, can go back 15 years Billboard.com
If you listened to popular music in the 60s and 70s and need to
identify that song that's going round your head, AllButForgottenOldies.net
lists over 4000 songs from 1960-1975
Movies
The
Internet Movie Database — Want information about
your favorite flicks, actors and directors? If you are a film buff this
is a great resource.
It will certainly bring back memories
The Greatest Years in Movie History
— You have formative and favorite years of your life. So,
too, the "Silver Screen".
Television
TV
Land Online to Re-visit your favorite old tv shows.
Pop Culture
There are a number of places on the web to learn more about pop culture
and pop culture history and trends. Check out Pop
Culture Madness. Another interesting site is the obsessive
journal of quality pop culture: Pop Culture Magazine
This site is a blast!
I even found a site about Supermarket history and
architecture Groceteria. It might not seem that
important, but if you reminisce about the various grocery stores and
supermarkets you've shopped at over the years, from childhood to adult,
it's bound to stir up some interesting memories.
Pull all those memories together with Boomer
Baby!
Are you a "boomer"? If you were born between 1946
and 1964 you are considered a baby boomer. What a great, wild, wacky
generation we are! And here's just the site to bring back some silly,
fun, fanciful and sentimental nostalgia. What makes this web
destination so interesting and fun is you can contribute your memories.
They want to hear about your most memorable TV shows, cars, music,
fashion, toys, vacation destinations and world events.
Toys
Toyadz
is where you'll find a gallery of classic toy and model ads. How many
of these do you remember? From Matchbox to Hot Wheels; Barbie to G.I.
Joe, classic ad campaigns from yesteryear.
History Sites
There are times when you want to compare world history with what was
happening to you or your family and friends. Here's an extensive site
that makes history review fun:World History
The
Biographical
Dictionary will keep you occupied with fascinating short
accounts of thousands of men and women who've shaped our world.
A
Million Lives - This is another amazing
site. They describe their site as "Links to thousands of biographies,
autobiographies, memoirs, diaries, letters, narratives, oral histories
and more. Individual lives of the famous, the infamous, and the not so
famous". There are also plans to upgrade the site. A brand new and
improved Lives, the Biography Resource, should be
online in late 2004. In the meantime, check out many interesting
biographies.
Newsletters,
E-zines & Magazines
Take advantage of the many great magazines, e-zines and newsletters
that can help with your family history knowledge and research. Of
course, we highly recommend our own free e-zine, "Your Life
is Your Story". You get lots of tips, resources and benefits
- go here
for more info.
Family History Products has a good
newsletter. You might also want to investigate magazines like Family Tree Magazine. The Life
Story Writing Network has a good newsletter and discussion
forum.
For
a great listing of some of the best "family-friendly" e-zines on
the Internet be sure to visit My
Favorite Ezines — The most popular family friendly
ezine directory on the internet. Find family friendly ezines here
or list yours at no charge.
No adult or objectional content allowed.
I've previously mentioned the value of the e-book Memorygrabber as a family history tool. The book's primary value is the number of ideas, lists and resources it gives you to literally "grab" those memories buried in the recesses of your mind and put on paper. But, as a bonus, there are several great links to fun cultural websites (in addition to those listed above). More info on Memorygrabber here.
You are going to discover the joy of family history and life story research. Start surfin' the Net and digging through those home treasures…and have fun!
*You
don't have to do all your research now to get started on telling
your life story. Here's your next
step.
Everybody has a story to tell!
Your-Life-Your-Story.com
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Tom Gilbert