Ancestry.com Adds Major U.S. Newspaper Birth, Marriage and Death Announcements From 1851 to 2003

PROVO, Utah, Sept. 25 /PRNewswire/ -- Ancestry.com, the world's largest online family history source, today announced the addition of an extensive new collection of birth, marriage and death notices and announcements to its database. Spanning from 1851 to 2003, these vital record announcements feature more than 30 million names obtained from eight major U.S. newspapers in ProQuest® Information and Learning's digital newspaper collection -- ProQuest Historical Newspapers. This collection leverages the long-standing partnership between MyFamily.com, the parent company for Ancestry.com, and ProQuest, a world leader in the collection and distribution of information to researchers, faculty and students in libraries and schools.

The new collection of birth, marriage and death notices, which also includes digitized images, is a key resource for individuals seeking information about ancestors who lived in major metropolitan areas. The announcements were culled from the New York Times, Boston Globe, Los Angeles Times, Chicago Defender (Big Weekend and National Editions), Chicago Tribune, Hartford Courant, the Washington Post and Atlanta Constitution.

"These birth, marriage and death notices reveal more than just names and dates, they offer intricate details to help tell the stories of our nation's celebrities, politicians and everyday people," said Tim Sullivan, CEO, MyFamily.com, Inc, parent company Ancestry.com. "Users can leverage this newly added content to gain more insight into the lives of their ancestors, making their family history research experience more personal and meaningful."

In addition to enhancing family history research, this collection offers a glimpse of American history over the last 150 years with such entries as the 1958 marriage announcement for Massachusetts Senator Edward Kennedy, the 1978 obituary of painter Norman Rockwell, and the 1943 marriage announcement for George H.W. Bush and Miss Barbara Pierce.

The newly added collection is available on Ancestry.com at: http://www.ancestry.com/s26734/t8613/rd.ashx