Biography and Genealogy

• Biography
• Genealogy

The Biographical Dictionary

Searchable database of over 28,000 notable individuals from earliest times to the present. Short descriptive entries are limited to basic facts (name, dates, nationality, profession, created works, other claims to fame), but this is useful for fast and convenient fact-checking.
http://www.s9.com/biography/index.html

Biographical Directory of the United States Congress, 1774-Present

Despite the title, this database is not organized in the manner of most directories: none of its information can be browsed. In order to use this site, you must go through its search screen and know the last name of a past or present member of Congress. Nevertheless, the information provided is authoritative, clear, and concise.
http://bioguide.congress.gov/

Biography.com's BioSearch

Over 25,000 biographies of historical and contemporary figures. The site includes a search engine and a browsable alphabetical directory of names. Most of the paragraph-length entries are drawn from the Cambridge Biographical Encyclopedia and the Cambridge Dictionary of American Biography.
http://www.biography.com/search/index.html

Chinese Biographical Database

Ambitious database project designed by Marilyn A. Levine, Professor of Asian Studies at Lewis-Clark State College. The database currently contains some 2,500 short biographical entries that can be searched or browsed using several different categories, including name, gender, year of birth and death, main career, and others. The initial source of information for the database is the K. G. Saur Chinese Biographical Archive.
http://exodus.lcsc.edu/cbiouser/

Lives: The Biography Resource

This directory includes links to sites that focus on the lives of individuals or groups of people; sites that contain worthwhile collections of links to other biographical resources; primary biographical source material; and biographical dictionaries. Focuses almost entirely on individuals who are no longer living or whose public life and career are well behind them.
http://amillionlives.com/

World Biographical Index, 7th Edition (K. G. Saur)

Database based on the 7th CD-ROM edition of the World Biographical Index published by K. G. Saur (Germany) contains 2.8 million short biographical entries for eminent individuals who lived in North and South America, Western and Central Europe, Africa, Australia, New Zealand, and Oceania. This edition is also a compiled index to many biographical archives. The entry for each person contains the name, variations of the name, pseudonymes, the years of birth and death or years mentioned, occupation, source quoted (archive, fiche-no and page) and bibliographic information about the sources used.
http://www.biblio.tu-bs.de/acwww25u/wbi_en/

| Top of page |

Beginner's Guide to Family History Research

Excellent introductory guide written by two professional genealogists takes you step-by-step through the research process. The site is organized by "chapters" corresponding to the print version of the Guide. Topics covered include: organizing your family records, federal census records, military records, using libraries and archives, conducting courthouse research, and more. A glossary, bibliography, and related links add additional value.
http://www.arkansasresearch.com/guide.html

Cyndi's List of Genealogy Sites on the Internet

Site originally designed in 1996 as a local resource for the Tacoma-Pierce County Genealogical Society in Washington has since grown by leaps and bounds through the efforts of webmaster Cyndi Howells. Today, this classified, cross-referenced index to genealogical resources on the Internet claims over 82,000 links pointing to genealogical research sites online. The subject index includes over 120 categories, so if you find the directory cumbersome, you can conduct a search using the site's search engine.
http://www.cyndislist.com/

Genealogical Research at the National Archives (National Archives and Records Administration - NARA)

Genealogists make up the largest group of individuals who use the National Archives, and the purpose of this site is to guide you through NARA's resources and the types of information they contain. Although the site is focused on NARA's collections, it includes advice and links that will be helpful to anyone researching family history.
http://www.nara.gov/genealogy/

The USGenWeb Project

The USGenWeb Project is a massive volunteer effort (conducted largely at the county level) to provide internet websites for genealogical research in every county and state of the United States. This central site serves as a gateway to all state and county projects. Volunteers are involved in a large number of long-term undertakings, including the transcribing and posting public domain records (e.g., census records, marriage bonds, pensions, wills, etc.), surveying cemeteries, and digitizing old maps. There are many helpful research tools to be found here.
http://www.usgenweb.com/