Celebrity Roots

General Celebrity
General
Celebrity
Barack Obama's Roots
Barack Obama's Roots
Michelle Obama's Roots
Michelle Obama's Roots
Joe Biden's Roots
Joe Biden's Roots
Who Do You Think You Are?
"Who Do You Think You Are?"
Annie Moore's Roots
Annie Moore's Roots
Top Chef All Stars
Top Chef
All Stars
USS Monitor
USS Monitor

Articles By Megan   /   Articles About Megan

Articles By Megan
  • February 23, 2024 - Medium - "Taylor Swift’s Formidable Female Forebears" by Megan Smolenyak
  • October 30, 2023 - Medium - "Meg Ryan’s Rusyn Roots" by Megan Smolenyak
  • October 28, 2023 - Irish America - "Meg Ryan’s Irish Heritage" by Megan Smolenyak
  • October 23, 2023 - Medium - "Meg Ryan’s Irish Heritage" by Megan Smolenyak
  • May 27, 2023 - Irish America - "Manx, Music, Military, Moxie, and a Bit Irish" (Hannah Waddingham) by Megan Smolenyak
  • October 16, 2021 - Irish America - "Barry Manilow is a Limerick Man" by Megan Smolenyak
  • April 21, 2021 - Medium - "8 Things You Didn’t Know about Jon Stewart’s Roots" by Megan Smolenyak
  • March 28, 2021 - Medium - "DNA Confirms Biden Link to Galway" by Megan Smolenyak
  • March 9, 2021 - Medium - "Finding Barry Manilow’s Mysterious Grandfather" by Megan Smolenyak
  • March 3, 2021 - Medium - "Barry Manilow Is a Limerick Man" by Megan Smolenyak
  • February 3, 2021 - Medium - "5 Things You Didn’t Know about Amanda Gorman’s Roots" by Megan Smolenyak
  • November 18, 2020 - Medium - "Biden’s Biden Roots: Westbourne or Huntingdon, England or Maybe Nagpur, India?" by Megan Smolenyak
  • January 8, 2019 - The News-Gazette - "Travel/Ireland | Presidential connections abound" by Vivienne Mackie
  • October 15, 2018 - Medium - "5 Things You Didn’t Know about Andrew Gillum’s Roots" by Megan Smolenyak
  • July 5, 2018 - Medium - "Jimmy Fallon’s Family Tree" by Megan Smolenyak
  • June 8, 2018 - Medium - "A Tribute to Anthony Bourdain and His Wild, Vagabond Roots" by Megan Smolenyak
  • June 7, 2018 - Medium - "7 Things You Didn’t Know about Prince’s Roots" by Megan Smolenyak
  • May 4, 2018 - Medium - "Kanye, Meet Your Great-Uncle" by Megan Smolenyak
  • April 14, 2018 - Medium - "On the Prowl for Bruce Springsteen’s Irish Roots" by Megan Smolenyak
  • March 29, 2018 - Medium - "The Amazing Women in Stephen Colbert’s Family Tree" by Megan Smolenyak
  • March 21, 2018 - Medium - "Why Are Children and Grandchildren of Immigrants So Eager to Keep Immigrants Out?" (Rep. Bob Goodlatte) by Megan Smolenyak
  • March 11, 2018 - Medium - "How Katy Perry’s Irish Ancestress Cashed in on California’s Gold Rush" by Megan Smolenyak
  • February 19, 2018 - Medium - "Why Pharrell Almost Didn’t Exist" by Megan Smolenyak
  • February 10, 2018 - Medium - "10 Things You Didn’t Know about Rachel Maddow’s Roots" by Megan Smolenyak
  • Think Twice Before You Merge Your Family Tree
  • January 29, 2018 - Medium - "The Multicultural Family Tree of Bruno Mars" by Megan Smolenyak
  • January 22, 2018 - Medium - "The Immigrant Ancestors Ann Coulter Wishes She Didn’t Have" by Megan Smolenyak
  • January 18, 2018 - Medium - "Mike Pence’s Immigrant Saga Makes a Case for Compassion" by Megan Smolenyak
  • September 20, 2017 - Huffington Post - "The Louisiana Roots of Leah Chase, Queen of Creole Cuisine" by Megan Smolenyak
  • August/September 2017 - Irish America Magazine Digital Edition [Pages 84 - 86] - "Gold Fever: The Shiny, Shady Past of Katy Perry's Irish Great-Great-Grandmother" by Megan Smolenyak
  • August/September 2017 - Irish America - "Gold Fever: The Shiny, Shady Past of Katy Perry's Irish Great-Great-Grandmother" by Megan Smolenyak
  • August/September 2016 - Irish America Magazine Digital Edition [Pages 72 - 73] - "5 Things You Didn't Know About Melissa McCarthy's Family Tree" by Megan Smolenyak
  • August/September 2016 - Irish America - "Roots: Melissa McCarthy" by Megan Smolenyak
  • August 9, 2016 - Megan Smolenyak - "Tim Kaine Ancestral Samplings" by Megan Smolenyak
  • August 4, 2016 - Megan Smolenyak - "What the Family Tree of Tim Kaine Has in Common with Downton Abbey" by Megan Smolenyak
  • June 27, 2016 - Megan Smolenyak - "Lin-Manuel Miranda’s Revolutionary Ancestors" by Megan Smolenyak

  • Lin-Manuel Miranda with Megan Smolenyak

  • April 21, 2016 - Huffington Post - "Exclusive Video: Molly Ringwald Mines Her Family History on #WDYTYA" by Megan Smolenyak
  • April 16, 2016 - Huffington Post - "Suddenly Amish: Katey Sagal's Roots Journey Takes a Buggy Turn" by Megan Smolenyak
  • April 7, 2016 - Huffington Post - "Sneak Peek: Scott Foley’s Revolutionary and Bewitching 'Who Do You Think You Are?' Journey" by Megan Smolenyak
  • April 4, 2016 - Huffington Post - "Genealogy Is Officially a TV Genre" by Megan Smolenyak
  • April 1, 2016 - Huffington Post - "Aisha Tyler Isn’t Afraid to Dig Deep on Season Premiere of ‘Who Do You Think You Are?’" by Megan Smolenyak
  • March 3, 2016 - Huffington Post - "New Season of 'Who Do You Think You Are?' Launching April 3rd" by Megan Smolenyak
  • October 19, 2015 - Huffington Post - "Ann Coulter's Immigrant Ancestors" by Megan Smolenyak
  • October/November 2015 - Irish America Magazine - "On the Prowl for Springsteen's Irish Roots" by Megan Smolenyak [See Pages 90 - 91]
  • October/November 2015 - Irish America Magazine - "Ancestors of Irish American Celebrities in New Online Catholic Parish Registers" by Megan Smolenyak [See Page 88]
  • October/November, 2015 - Irish America - "On the Prowl for Springsteen's Irish Roots" by Megan Smolenyak
  • August 6, 2015 - Huffington Post - "Alfre Woodard Goes on a Memorable Roots Journey" by Megan Smolenyak
  • July 14, 2015 - Huffington Post - "Season 3 of 'Finding Your Roots' Green-Lighted for January 2016 Return on PBS" by Megan Smolenyak
  • June 28, 2015 - Huffington Post - "Celebrity Genealogy on TV: Who and When?" by Megan Smolenyak
  • June 15, 2015 - Huffington Post - "LeBron James Is Making His Cleveland Ancestors Proud" by Megan Smolenyak
  • May 25, 2015 - Huffington Post - "The Irish Heritage of the Remarkable Anne Meara" by Megan Smolenyak
  • April 20, 2015 - Huffington Post - "Melissa Etheridge's French Canadian British American Spanish Ancestor" by Megan Smolenyak
  • April 16, 2015 - Huffington Post - "Bill Paxton Learns of His Revolutionary Past On 'Who Do You Think You Are?'" by Megan Smolenyak
  • April 6, 2015 - Huffington Post - "Hillary Clinton Family Tree a Wake-Up Call for Genealogy" by Megan Smolenyak
  • Think Twice Before You Merge Your Family Tree
  • April/May 2015 - Irish America Magazine - "Hillary Rodham Clinton's Celtic Roots" by Megan Smolenyak [See Pages 50-52]
  • Hillary Rodham Clinton's Celtic Roots
  • March 26, 2015 - Huffington Post - "EXCLUSIVE VIDEO: Sean Hayes Discovers Family's Criminal Past" by Megan Smolenyak
  • March 19, 2015 - Huffington Post - "EXCLUSIVE VIDEO: Angie Harmon Understands the Power of Walking in Your Ancestors Footsteps" by Megan Smolenyak
  • March 13, 2015 - Huffington Post - "Exclusive Video: Josh Groban Discovering Remarkable and Controversial Ancestor" by Megan Smolenyak
  • March 7, 2015 - Huffington Post - "Who Do You Think You Are? Returns With Julie Chen" by Megan Smolenyak
  • February 9, 2015 - Irish Central - "Everything you ever wanted to know about Stephen Colbert’s 94% Irish roots" by Megan Smolenyak
  • February/March 2015 - Irish America Magazine - "Stephen Colbert: One Last Report (It's Genealogical)" by Megan Smolenyak [See Pages 38-41]
  • Stephen Colbert - One Last Report

  • February/March 2015 - Irish America - "Stephen Colbert: One Last Report (It's Genealogical)" by Megan Smolenyak
  • January/February 2015 - Irish Lives Remembered Genealogy Magazine - "Joe Biden's Irish Roots" by Megan Smolenyak [Pages 20 - 22]
  • December 16, 2014 - Huffington Post - "4 Celebrities Named for 'Who Do You Think You Are?'" by Megan Smolenyak
  • October 13, 2014 - Huffington Post - "The Most Ellis Island-y Celebrity Ever: Tom Colicchio" by Megan Smolenyak
  • October 08, 2014 - Huffington Post - "5 Things You Didn't Know about Anthony Bourdain's Roots" by Megan Smolenyak
  • September 12, 2014 - Huffington Post - "Even First Ladies Have to Deal with Red Tape" by Megan Smolenyak
  • August 26, 2014 - Huffington Post - "How a TV Show Reminds Us How Cool Libraries Are" by Megan Smolenyak
  • June 30, 2014 - Huffington Post - "Was David Duchovny's Family From Ukraine or Russia?" by Megan Smolenyak
  • June 5, 2014 - Huffington Post - "Genealogy on TV: 28 Celebrities and Counting" by Megan Smolenyak
  • February/March 2014 - Irish America Magazine - "Jimmy Fallon Family Tree" by Megan Smolenyak
    [See pages 46 - 50]

    Jimmy Fallon Family Tree

  • February/March 2014 - Irish America - "Jimmy Fallon Family Tree" by Megan Smolenyak
  • October 28, 2013 - Huffington Post - "A Chat with Jim Piddock about HBO's Binge-worthy Family Tree" by Megan Smolenyak
  • August 8, 2013 - Huffington Post - "5 Reasons HBO Needs to Renew Family Tree" by Megan Smolenyak
  • July 15, 2013 - Huffington Post - "Kelly Clarkson in Tears over Link between Ancestor's Sacrifice and President Obama's Inauguration" by Megan Smolenyak
  • May 21, 2013 - Huffington Post - "Celebrity Roots Series "Who Do You Think You Are?" Returns" by Megan Smolenyak
  • May 2, 2013 - Huffington Post - "HBO's Family Tree First of Four Genealogy Series to Air in U.S." by Megan Smolenyak
  • April/May 2013 - Irish America Magazine - "Joey From Scranton — Vice President Biden's Irish Roots" by Megan Smolenyak
    Read this article in Irish America's online Digital Edition [Pages 56-59]
  • April 8, 2013 - Huffington Post - "10 Things You Didn't Know About Jon Hamm's Roots" by Megan Smolenyak
    Jon Hamm and Megan
    Jon Hamm and Megan
    Jon Hamm's thanks for piece about his roots
    Jon Hamm's thanks
    for piece about his roots
  • March 19, 2013 - Huffington Post - "Family Tree Mockumentary Series Coming to HBO & BBC" by Megan Smolenyak
  • February 25, 2013 - Huffington Post - "Hey, Jon Stewart, Your Roots Are Showing" by Megan Smolenyak
  • February 8, 2013 - Huffington Post - "Hey, Prince, Your Roots Are Showing" by Megan Smolenyak
  • January 18, 2013 - Huffington Post - "Martin Luther King Day Could Have Been Michael Luther Branham Day" by Megan Smolenyak
  • November 12, 2012 - Huffington Post - "What Race Is Bruno Mars?" by Megan Smolenyak
  • October 17, 2012 - Huffington Post - "Enough With the Famous Cousins Already!" by Megan Smolenyak
  • October 2, 2012 - Huffington Post - "10 Things You Didn't Know about Rachel Maddow's Roots" by Megan Smolenyak
  • September 28, 2012 - Huffington Post - "Which Countries Could You Be President Of?" by Megan Smolenyak
  • September 2, 2012 - The Huffington Post - "American Dream Family Lore of DNC Keynote Speaker and San Antonio Mayor Julian Castro Rings True " by Megan Smolenyak
  • August 27, 2012 - The Huffington Post - "Families of the Presidential and VP Candidates in the 1940 Census" by Megan Smolenyak
  • July 2, 2012 - The Huffington Post - "Joe Biden's Irish Roots" by Megan Smolenyak
  • May 8, 2012 - The Huffington Post - "10 Things You Didn't Know About Martha Stewart's Family Tree" by Megan Smolenyak
  • April 27, 2012 - The Huffington Post - "Dora Kirby, Beloved Aunt of Bruce Springsteen, Passes" by Megan Smolenyak
  • April 23, 2012 - The Huffington Post - "11th Annual Ellis Island Family Heritage Awards" by Megan Smolenyak
  • April 4, 2012 - The Huffington Post - "Celebrities in the 1940 Census" by Megan Smolenyak
  • March 13, 2012 - The Huffington Post - "Unexpected Irish" by Megan Smolenyak
  • January 12, 2012 - The Huffington Post - "A Peek into Blue Ivy Carter's Past" (Beyoncé and Jay-Z's daughter) by Megan Smolenyak
  • January 9, 2012 - The Huffington Post - "Four Months of Celebrity Roots on Air in 2012" by Megan Smolenyak
  • October 18, 2011 - The Huffington Post - "10 Things You Didn't Know About Josh Groban's Family Tree" by Megan Smolenyak
  • July 18, 2011 - The Huffington Post - "6 Degrees of Separation: Kyra Sedgwick and Kevin Bacon Are Cousins" by Megan Smolenyak
  • June 14, 2011 - The Huffington Post - "Willow Tree: The Roots of Pink and Carey Hart's Baby Girl" by Megan Smolenyak
  • May 30, 2011 - The Huffington Post - "Irish American Barack Obama Heartily Welcomed Home" by Megan Smolenyak
  • May 16, 2011 - The Huffington Post - "What Kind of Name Is Boreanaz?" by Megan Smolenyak
  • May 9, 2011 - The Huffington Post - "Tracing Barack Obama's Roots to Moneygall" by Megan Smolenyak
  • April 22, 2011 - The Huffington Post - "10 Things You Didn't Know About Katy Perry's Family Tree" by Megan Smolenyak
  • April 15, 2011 - The Huffington Post - "2011 Ellis Island Family Heritage Awards" by Megan Smolenyak
  • April 7, 2011 - The Huffington Post - "Sarah Jessica Parker: Who Do You Think You Are?" by Megan Smolenyak
  • March 25, 2011 - The Huffington Post - "Susan Sarandon: Who Do You Think You Are?" by Megan Smolenyak
  • March 7, 2011 - The Huffington Post - "Should David Cassidy Have Let His Roots Show on Celebrity Apprentice?" by Megan Smolenyak
  • March 4, 2011 - The Huffington Post - "Brooke Shields: Who Do You Think You Are?" by Megan Smolenyak
  • February 27, 2011 - The Huffington Post - "Julia Roberts Isn't a Roberts" by Megan Smolenyak
  • February 25, 2011 - The Huffington Post - "Genealogy on TV" by Megan Smolenyak
  • February 23, 2011 - The Huffington Post - "Spike Lee: Who Do You Think You Are?" by Megan Smolenyak
  • February 18, 2011 - The Huffington Post - "Matthew Broderick: Who Do You Think You Are?" by Megan Smolenyak
  • February 9, 2011 - The Huffington Post - "Emmitt Smith: Who Do You Think You Are" by Megan Smolenyak
  • January 31, 2011 - The Huffington Post - "Lisa Kudrow: Who Do You Think You Are?" by Megan Smolenyak
  • December 16, 2010 - The Huffington Post - "Steven Tyler: I've Got a Crush on Steven Tyler's Grandfather" by Megan Smolenyak
  • June 16, 2010 - The Huffington Post - "Betty White: White-Hot in Cleveland or Not" by Megan Smolenyak
  • May 21, 2010 - The Huffington Post - "Bret Michaels: The Rusyn Roots of the Rock of Love" by Megan Smolenyak
  • May 11, 2010 - The Huffington Post - "Annie Moore and Bruce Springsteen: Living the Dream" by Megan Smolenyak
  • April 8, 2010 - The Huffington Post - "You Asked for It, Ricky Gervais!" by Megan Smolenyak
  • March 8, 2010 - The Huffington Post - "Happy St. Patrick's Day, Barry Manilow!" by Megan Smolenyak
  • January 19, 2010 - The Huffington Post - "Celebrity Genealogy Hits Prime Time" by Megan Smolenyak
  • January 11, 2010 - The Huffington Post - "A Brief Roots Tribute to Catherine Eugenia 'Jean' Finnegan Biden" by Megan Smolenyak
  • December 24, 2009 - The Huffington Post - "Playing with DNA: Is Larry David Really 37 Percent Native American?" by Megan Smolenyak
  • December 20, 2009 - The Huffington Post - "Name Game: Celebrities Have Nothing on the Rest of Us" by Megan Smolenyak

Bruce Springsteen
at Ellis Island Family Heritage Awards

Articles About Megan
  • August 21, 2023 - Irish Star - "New mural of Joe Biden appears near his ancestral home after landmark visit to Ireland" by Fionnuala Boyle
  • August 8, 2023 - Irish Star - "Americans tickled by tribute to Obama's Irish roots at Offaly gas station" by Laura Grainger
  • May 8, 2023 - Burlington County Times - "Bruce Springsteen visits his Irish ancestral roots as the E Street Band plays Dublin" by Chris Jordan
  • April 20, 2023 - Irish Central - "You can mock Blarney Biden, but ..." by Tom Deignan
  • April 12, 2023 - GalwayBeo - "Joe Biden's private Galway family" by Jessica Mercer
  • April 12, 2023 - Sky News - "President Joe Biden uses his and Barack Obama's ancestors as examples that Ireland breeds faith and possibilities"
  • April 12, 2023 - The Irish Times - "‘It sure feels like home’: First day of Joe Biden’s visit to Ireland - as it happened" by Laura Slattery and Colin Gleeson
  • April 12, 2023 - MSN.com - "Joe Biden talks of his English roots in Nottingham as he explores Irish ancestry" by Neil Johnston
  • April 11, 2023 - ABC News - "Here's a look at Biden's Irish roots as he visits his ancestral homeland" by Molly Nagle and Sarah Kolinovsky
  • April 11, 2023 - Daily Mail - "The journey of Joe Biden's Irish ancestors - from Counties Mayo and Louth to Scranton: How president's great-great grandfathers left an Ireland ravaged by famine for a new life in the U.S. 180 years ago" by Rob Crilly
  • April 9, 2023 - The Guardian - "A son of Ireland’: how Biden’s Irish roots shape his political identity" by David Smith
  • April 7, 2023 - Independent.ie - "Louth Looking forward to second visit by a US President" by John Mulligan
  • April 6, 2023 - MSN.com - "Joe Biden invited to Galway after genealogist uncovers family ties to the county" by Eoghan Moloney
  • April 6, 2023 - Independent.ie - "Joe Biden invited to Galway after genealogist uncovers family ties to the county" by Eoghan Moloney
  • April 6, 2023 - RTE Radio 1 - "President Biden invited to visit Galway after discover of family links" interview on Morning Ireland
  • April 5, 2023 - Irish Star - "Joe Biden has previously unknown Irish cousins in Co Galway, according to genealogist" by Ferghal Blaney
  • April 5, 2023 - Irish Mirror - "American Late Show host Stephen Colbert discovers his Cavan roots through Twitter" by Sandra Mallon
  • April 5, 2023 - Galway Beo - "Joe Biden’s new Galway roots dug up as US President’s family tracked down before Ireland trip" by Fergal Blaney
  • April 5, 2023 - Irish Mirror - "US President Joe Biden may also have previously unknown cousins in Galway" by Fergal Blaney
  • January 4, 2023 - Cork Beo - "Tonight Show host Jimmy Fallon discovered to have hidden Cork roots" by Thomas Telford & Daire Fitton
  • November 21, 2022 - Independent.ie - "Bruce Springsteen will plant a tree in his great-great grandmother’s home of Rathangan on his next trip to Ireland" by Seoirse Mulgrew
  • October 21, 2022 - The Focus - "Who is Joe Biden’s grandfather, ‘All-American football player’ Ambrose Finnegan?" by Bruno Cooke
  • October 20, 2022 - Kildare Nationalist - "Story Of First Immigrant To Ellis Island Brought To Life In Musical Show by Her Narraghmore Cousin" by Finian Coghlan
  • October 18, 2022 - Irish Central - "Genealogist finds Annie Moore's living relatives" by Sheila Langan
  • June 20, 2022 - RTÉ.ie - "The ties that bind - Bruce Springsteen invited to trace his Irish roots"
  • May 23, 2022 - Irish Central - "On This Day: US President Barack Obama arrives in Ireland for a visit" by Sheila Langan
  • April 3, 2022 - Independent.ie - "Lynne Kelleher meticulously unearths Irish links to the White House in this political work" by Liam Collins
  • April 1, 2022 - The Washington Post - "The first census records of four American presidents — almost" by Philip Bump
  • February 24, 2022 - Upworthy.com - "Melvinia Shields was a slave. Five generations later, her direct descendant became nation's first Black First Lady." by Sethuraman S
  • February 19, 2022 - The Buffalo News - "Deep family ties to John Lewis remain in Buffalo, a city that changed his life" by Sean Kirst
  • November 1, 2021 - Snopes - "Is This a Monument to Michelle Obama’s Former Slave Ancestor?" by Nur Ibrahim
  • October 7, 2021 - IrishCentral - "Police investigate robbery at pub in Ireland founded by Joe Biden's ancestors" by IrishCentral Staff
  • February 23, 2021 - IrishCentral - "Bruce Springsteen and Barack Obama launch new podcast"
  • July 6, 2018 - NBC News - "Fact check: Trump wants Warren to prove her Native American heritage. Could she?" by Jane C. Timm
  • May 19, 2018 - WSB-TV - "Meghan Markle, Michelle Obama trace families to same metro Atlanta town" by Bob D'Angelo
  • May 18, 2018 - The Atlanta Journal-Constitution - "Meghan Markle, Michelle Obama, trace families to Jonesboro" by Bo Emerson
  • December 17, 2017 -  BBC Radio - “BBC Radio 4 Profile: Lin-Manuel Miranda
  • February 22, 2017 - Radio Svaboda - News from Belarus - "The leader of Aerosmith and "elf princess" - descendants Florian Chernyshevich"
  • August 18, 2016 - The Irish Times - "Genealogist finds Tim Kaine also has Irish roots in Cork" by Barry Roche
  • August 14, 2016 - The Sunday Times - "Hopeful Kaine's Irish Roots Cover the Map"
    PDF Read the full article in PDF format.
  • August 6, 2016 - Independent.ie - "US vice presidential hopeful Tim Kaine claims Nth Cork roots"
  • July 1, 2016 - The Guardian - "Lin-Manuel Miranda's ancestry is as multifaceted as Hamilton" by David Smith
  • June 22, 2016 - The Irish Times - "Joe Biden has links to Louth and Mayo, says US genealogist" by Barry Roche
  • June 21, 2016 - BBC News - "Joe Biden: US Vice President returns to his Irish roots"
  • April 22, 2016 - NOLA.com - Times-Picayune - "Prince's ties to Louisiana: Ancestry, and a pair of Hurricane Katrina songs" by Chelsea Brasted
  • March 25, 2016 - New York Times - "When Washington Met Hollywood: At Lunch With Cory Booker and Susan Sarandon" by Philip Galanes
    "Coincidentally, Megan did the research for both of their missing ancestors discussed here."
  • October 18, 2015 - Independent.ie - "He's born in the USA - but Bruce's people are Lilywhites" by Claire McCormack
  • September 11, 2015 - Irish America - "Biden and Colbert's Emotional Late Show Interview" by Adam Farley
  • June 15, 2015 - The Virginia Pilot - "Medal of Honor recipient's story finally comes to light" by Cindy Clayton
  • April 21, 2015 - The Times of London - "Hillary's family tree traced to the valleys" by Will Pavia
  • April 21, 2015 - Daily Mail - "The road to the White House...which began 160 years ago in Ystradyfodwg: Ancestry expert traces Hillary's roots to impoverished mining family from tiny parish in the Welsh Valleys" by Claire Carter
  • April 20, 2015 - South Wales Evening Post - "Hillary Clinton's great gran was from the valleys! US presidential candidate's Welsh roots revealed"
  • April 16, 2015 - PolitiFact - "In Iowa, Hillary Clinton claims 'all my grandparents' came to the U.S. from foreign countries" by Katie Sanders
  • February 5, 2015 - Deseret News - "African-American genealogy: Researchers share stories of joy, fulfillment" by Trent Toone
  • Megan Smolenyak has helped several leaders with their family history work.
  • December 2014/January 2015 - Irish America Magazine Digital Edition [Pages 94 - 95] - "Songs for the Ancestors" by Mary Pat Kelly about Judy Collins
  • October 25, 2014 - The Virginian-Pilot - "The 'Happy' genealogy of Pharrell Williams" by Cindy Clayton
  • Pharrell Williams

    Photo Credit: (Luis Vilches | The Virginian-Pilot)


  • August 2, 2014 - The Post Standard - Syracuse, NY - "Isabel Wilkerson on 'The Decision 2' and LeBron James: Celebrating a 'reverse-reverse-migration'" by Sean Kirst
  • March 6, 2013 - The Argus - "Come to Cooley, Joe!"
  • April 27, 2011 - Irish Echo - "Details of Obama visit still unclear" by Susan Falvella Garraty
  • April 27, 2011 - Galway Independent - "California Galway Girl" by Lorraine Murphy
  • March 5, 2011 - The Jersey Journal - "With Hudson County as a backdrop, TV chefs, stars learn life lessons from their genealogy" by Daniel Klein
  • March 3, 2011 - Medil Reports - Chicago - "Branching out on the family tree" by Leslie Trew Magraw
  • March 3, 2011 - Marian's Roots and Rambles - "Top Chef Genealogist: Megan Smolenyak" by Marian Pierre-Louis
  • April 26, 2010 - UGO Film and TV - "Susan Sarandon Searches For Grandma on TV Roots Show " by WENN
  • May 16, 2009 - Tuscaloosa News - "DNA research finally confirms 'Roots' author's ties to Alabama" (Alex Haley) by Michael E. Palmer
  • April 7, 2009 - USA Today - "DNA testing: 'Roots' author Haley rooted in Scotland, too" by Rita Rubin
  • December 2008/January 2009 - Irish America - "A New Dawn in American Politics" (Obama, Biden)
    PDF Read this article in PDF format
  • October 8, 2008 - Newsweek - "The Man Who Would Be King" (George Washington) by Kurt Soller
  • October 8, 2008 - Reuters UK - "Palin may be related to Princess Diana and Roosevelt" by Ellen Wulfhorst
  • October 7, 2008 - USA Today - "Texan is Washington's kin, and could've been king" (George Washington) by Michelle Roberts
  • September 2008 - Irish Times - "Four Green Fields" (about 2008 U.S. elections)(Obama, Biden, McCain, Palin)
  • September 2008 - Ancestry Magazine - "The Man (or Woman) Who Would Be King" (George Washington)
  • August 29, 2008 - AFP - Google News - "Obama, Biden descended from Irish cobblers: researcher"
  • March 14, 2008 - US Magazine - "It's All Relative - Famous Family Trees"
    PDFRead this article in PDF format
  • October 28, 2007 - New York Post - "Cousins by Dozens"
  • March 13, 2007 - Pittsburgh Post-Gazette - "Sharpton case drives more to find roots on Web site" by Monica Haynes
  • February 26, 2007 - BBC News - "Sharpton slave link to US senator"
  • February 26, 2007 - New York Times - "Sharpton Learns His Forebears Were Thurmonds' Slaves" by Fernanda Santos (registration may be required to read the article)
  • February 26, 2007 - New York Daily News - "Slavery links Al Sharpton, Strom Thurmond" by Austin Fenner
  • February 25, 2007 - Washington Post - "Sharpton's Ancestor Was Owned by Thurmond's" by Robin Shulman
Talk about First Lady's roots available

Photo Credits
Photo of Michelle Obama courtesy of Joe Beine
Photo of Rachel Maddow via Flickr CC






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