2019

On this day in 1942, actress Carole Lombard died in a plane crash at the age of 33. At the time of the tragic accident, Lombard was returning home from a World War II war bond tour. Lombard was born Janice Alice Peters on October 6, 1908 in Fort Wayne, Indiana. At the age of 12, she landed her first on screen role in the silent film, A Perfect Crime. By 16, she had signed her first studio… Read the full story

On January 15, 1919, one of the strangest disasters in history occurred in Boston, Massachusetts when 2.3 million gallons of molasses poured down the streets of Boston, killing 21 people. The tragedy became known as the Boston Molasses Disaster or the Great Boston Molasses Flood. The Boston Daily Globe, January 16, 1919 / MyHeritage SuperSearch The disaster occurred at the Purity Distilling Company facility in the North End neighborhood of Boston. During this time, molasses was… Read the full story

The beginning of a new year is the perfect time to sit down and layout what you want to accomplish in your family history research this year. If you’re having trouble figuring out where to start, here are some genealogy research goals you may want to keep in mind for 2019. 1. Create research plans This year strive to create a research plan before jumping into your tree. With a specific focus in mind, you will be able to better… Read the full story

Happy birthday to Nicolas Cage! Today the actor turns 55. The versatile actor was born Nicolas Kim Coppola on January 7, 1964 in Long Beach, California. His father, August Coppola, was a literature professor and his mother, Joy Vogelsang, was a dancer and choreographer. By the age of 15, Cage had discovered his love for acting. Wanting to distance himself from his famous uncle, director Francis Ford Coppola, he changed his surname to “Cage” after the comic book… Read the full story

On this day in 1886, actress Florence Lawrence was born. Often referred to as “The First Movie Star,” Lawrence holds a unique place in film history as the first actress to have her name used to promote her films. Lawrence was born Florence Annie Bridgewood on January 2, 1886 in Ontario, Canada. Her father. George Bridgewood, was a carriage builder while her mother, Charlotte “Lotta” Dunn, was a vaudeville actress and director of the Lawrence Dramatic Company…. Read the full story