22. World Timeline

 

 

As you chip your way through your family history, building your family tree, you might also think of including some elements of the world history timeline.  Aligning world events with relatives in your family tree will add immensely to the context of their lives. 

 

Think of some of the questions you might come across:

 

1. Where were your ancestors during World War I?
   1. More specifically, where were they when some of the great battles of the war occurred?  Vimy Ridge? Passchendaele? The Somme?
2. Where were they during World War II?
   1. Where were they when Italy surrendered?
   2. Where were they when Japan bombed Pearl Harbor? 
3. Did the Great Famine in Ireland of 1847 influence the emigration of your ancestors to America? 
4. Did your ancestors celebrate Queen Victoria coming to the throne of Great Britain?
5. Who was the President of the United States when your ancestors were born? 
6. What were the headlines on the day your ancestor was born?

 

So many questions that can help you link the lives of your ancestors to the events of the day.  

 

You can find timelines of the world’s salient events online.  Wikipedia is a great source as well as a Google “Search”.    Once you have sourced a specific event, you can include these notes in the family history with a specific individual in your family tree.

 

Newspaper articles are a great source of timeline information. Digitization of newspapers continues around the world, including some ethnic publications.  The headlines of yesteryear were dominant influences in the lives of your ancestors.

 

 

Ron Gilmore

Email:           rvg3@me.com

Website:       https://www.rgenealogy.ca