Francis Rapin

Since my retirement in 2014, I have dedicated a great deal of time to researching our family and its broader history. I regularly visit cantonal and municipal archives, where I continue to make valuable discoveries. Alongside this, within the “Rapin of Switzerland” association, we created a genealogy workshop and hold an annual session for those interested. Through this initiative, I have introduced many others to MyHeritage and encouraged them to begin their own research.

It was during this work that I came across a story that deeply moved me.

A child found on a windowsill

While conducting research for my family, I was searching through the baptismal records of the parish of Saint-Maurice, whose church is located in Champagne. There, I found an entry that stood out immediately.

“An infant left on the window ledge of the ground-floor corner room of the Saint-Maurice rectory on March 18, 1796.”

An artistic depiction of of Saint-Maurice Church in Champagne, Switzerland, as it looks today

The record explained that the relevant authorities reported the matter to the Bailiff, and their Excellencies replied that the child should be placed in foster care until her biological parents could be found. She was placed with Jean Isaac Vautravers, a master carpenter, and his wife Anne Marie Marguerite, née Pochon, who served as her wet nurse. Baptized on April 24, 1796, the baby was given the name Marie. The Vautravers acted as her godfather and godmother.

In the margin of the baptismal register, I noticed an additional note. It stated that the surname “Saint-Maurice” was given to this girl by decision of the Petit Conseil on February 15, 1812.

Wanting to understand more, I turned to the Cantonal Archives, where I discovered that her story had continued to resonate years after her birth. In 1812, the Petit Conseil took steps to formally record her among the foundlings, but only after carrying out an investigation to confirm her identity. The records trace a series of exchanges between officials — requests for extracts from the baptismal register, details of her placement with the Vautravers family, and confirmation that she was still alive. One document even referred to “the child abandoned shortly after her birth in Saint-Maurice in March 1796,” indicating that her story was known, and must have moved many people at the time. 

The Council decided to give her a surname: “Saint-Maurice,” the place where she had been found. I find it remarkable that such care was taken. Even then, there was a real effort to ensure that she would not remain without an identity. 

Reconstructing her life

From there, I continued my research through parish and civil records to see what became of her.

Marie Saint-Maurice married Nicolas Turin on February 24, 1820, in the church of Saint-Maurice. Together, they began a family, but their life was marked by hardship.

Their first child, born in December 1824, unfortunately died at only 18 days of age.

A record of the death of Marie’s firstborn son on MyHeritage

Less than two years later, in July 1826, Marie’s husband, Nicolas Turin died at the age of 32. Marie had to welcome their second son, Louis Nicolas, to the world without his father just weeks later.

Despite these losses, Marie’s story did not end there. She continued her life in Valeyres-sous-Rances, where she died on June 1, 1851. Her story must have left a mark on the region, as the pastor mentions it in the death register of the Rances parish and refers back to the birth register of the Saint-Maurice parish. There must have been a moment of great emotion during the funeral service.

A life that continued

Through her son Louis Nicolas, Marie’s line continued. He married and had children, though, like many families of that time, they experienced repeated losses in infancy.

The marriage of Marie’s son, Louis Nicolas, to Louise Augustine Décoppet is announced in this 1855 marriage bann on MyHeritage

The family moved between several villages, and over the years, more children were born. One of her grandsons later married in 1893. Life went on.

Why this story stayed with me

What began as a chance discovery during my work on my own family tree became something much more. Marie Saint-Maurice was not part of my lineage, but her story reminded me why I do this work.

From a single note in a register, it was possible to follow her life: from an abandoned infant to a woman whose story was remembered decades later. I find that extraordinary.

The family tree of Marie Saint-Maurice that Francis built on MyHeritage

Every record, every name, every marginal note holds the potential to reveal a life with its struggles, its losses, and its moments of dignity. And sometimes, it reveals something even greater: the enduring human need to belong, to be remembered, and to be given a name.

I am grateful to the Cantonal Archives and to MyHeritage, which allowed me to find and reconstruct the story of this child.

Many thanks to Francis Rapin for sharing this fascinating story with us. If you’ve made an incredible discovery with MyHeritage, we’d love to hear about it! Please send it to us via this form or email us at stories@myheritage.com.

The post A Story Hidden in the Records: The Baby Left on a Windowsill in 1796 appeared first on MyHeritage Blog.

That question drove Maya Geier, Product Manager at MyHeritage, to create a video tribute to her grandfather. Her video inspired Tribute Reel, a new feature that transforms a loved one’s photos into a touching video that celebrates their life.

Tribute Reel animates the scene in each photo into a short 5-second clip and then weaves them together into a single video, complete with music and optional text. This turns treasured memories into a beautiful video you can watch, share, and revisit for years to come. Whether you’re honoring a grandparent on their 90th birthday, creating a centerpiece for a golden anniversary, or preserving the memory of a beloved family member you’ve lost, Tribute Reel creates an engaging, emotional experience that you can share with your family.

Back in 2024 we released LiveMemory, which enables anyone to take an old photo and bring the scene to life, evoking a strong sense of nostalgia. Tribute Reel stirs up the same warm feelings and gentle joy, and builds on that experience by enabling you to celebrate a whole life, not just a single moment. 

Try Tribute Reel now 

Tribute Reel is currently available on the MyHeritage website on desktop and on mobile web browsers. Support on the MyHeritage mobile app will be added in the future. 

Examples 

Example 1

Roberta Estes from DNAeXplained was deeply moved by the following Tribute Reel which features her mother, Barbara: 

Example 2 

Randy Seaver, author of the Genea-Musings blog, was touched by this Tribute Reel featuring his mother, Betty: 

Example 3

Gal Zrihen, Lead Product Manager at MyHeritage, created the Tribute Reel below of her grandfather, Yaakov. 

How it works 

Tribute Reel uses AI to animate a set of photos and simulate the scenes depicted in them realistically. After the photos are uploaded, the AI analyzes each one to determine the best way to reenact the scene. Each photo is then transformed into a 5-second video clip, and Tribute Reel stitches the clips together into a final video. Your original photos in your family site will remain as-is and untouched. 

How to create a Tribute Reel

MyHeritage users can access Tribute Reel from the Photos menu on the website: 

Accessing Tribute Reel from the main menu (click to zoom)

If you’re new to MyHeritage, you can access the feature by visiting the new landing page on myheritage.com/tribute-reel: 

Tribute Reel landing page (click to zoom)

Click “Create Tribute Reel” to get started. If you already have a family tree with some photos on MyHeritage, Tribute Reel will offer suggestions for relatives in the family tree whose video you may want to create. Click on a suggestion or enter the name of anyone whose Tribute Reel you’d like to create (marked below in red). This can be any individual, even if they aren’t in your family tree. 

Tribute Reel: Selecting a person

Click “ADD PHOTOS”.

Tribute Reel: adding photos (click to zoom)

You can use photos that you’ve previously uploaded to MyHeritage where that individual is already tagged, upload new photos, or both. Your video can include between 5 and 15 photos. We recommend using at least 10 to create an engaging video. When you’re finished, click “Done” at the bottom of the screen. 

Tribute Reel: selecting photos (click to zoom)

The next step is to customize the video. First, use drag and drop to sort the photos to reflect the order you want them to appear in the video (e.g., chronological). 

Tribute Reel: sorting the photos for the video (click to zoom)

At this stage, you can add more photos, if you wish. You can add opening text and closing text to personalize the video. At the bottom of the page, the estimated video length is shown, based on the number of photos. When you’re ready, click “Continue”. 

The last step is to customize the video. 

Tribute Reel: customizing the video (click to zoom)

Select a soundtrack to accompany your video from the options provided, or if you prefer, keep it silent. Finally, you can tell Tribute Reel to colorize and enhance all of the selected photos in the video. If you choose that option, it applies only to the video output; your original photos on MyHeritage will remain unchanged. Once you’re done with these selections, click “Create Tribute Reel”. 

MyHeritage will email you as soon as the video is ready. 

Tips for best results

Here are several tips for selecting photos that will yield the best possible video: 

• Choose photos that show a person at different stages of their life, from childhood to adulthood, to give a full sense of their life journey. 
• Include photos with the people dear to them: parents, siblings, a spouse, children, or close friends. 
• Photos depicting a scene or interaction tend to create better animations than posed group photos. Outdoor photos, candid moments, or photos with expressive faces work especially well. 
• Not every video comes out perfectly on the first try. If you aren’t happy with the result, you can replace one or more photos, add more photos, or change the order, and then generate a new video. 

Sharing

Tribute Reels are great for sharing on Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, X, and other social media platforms. We encourage you to share your videos with the hashtags #MyHeritage and #TributeReel. You can download your videos to your computer or mobile device, and share them later however you’d like.

To share your video from the website, click one of the icons below the video player. 

Tribute Reel: Downloading and sharing (click to zoom)

Privacy

Any photos you upload for the Tribute Reel feature will be stored in your MyHeritage account. You can delete your uploaded photos at any time.

The Tribute Reel feature uses technology provided by a third party that does not obtain rights to your photos or to the resulting video. Before your video is generated, we’ll ask for your explicit consent to allow MyHeritage to process your photos for this purpose.

Responsible use

Please use Tribute Reel responsibly. Do not upload trademarked photos, or photos that depict violence, pornography, or any offensive subject matter. Please do not upload photos of military scenes, or scenes with wounded or dead people. Do not share results that may offend anyone, and do not remove the AI symbol from the resulting videos. We thank you for your understanding and cooperation.

Cost

Anyone can create one Tribute Reel for free. To create more videos, a Photo plan or Omni plan is required. The Photo plan provides access to all of the other MyHeritage photo features including MyHeritage In Color, Photo Enhancer, Photo Repair, Deep Nostalgia, LiveMemory, and the Photo Scanner. You can learn more about the MyHeritage Omni plan here. 

FAQ

How long does it take to create a Tribute Reel?

Creating a Tribute Reel can take between a few minutes up to a few hours depending on server load. You’ll receive an email when your video is ready with a link to view it.

Can I create a Tribute Reel for a living individual?

Yes. A Tribute Reel is a beautiful way to celebrate anyone’s life, making it very appropriate as a gift for birthdays and anniversaries of your loved ones. It can also be used to commemorate a loved one who has passed away.

Can I edit the Tribute Reel once it’s ready?

Not at the moment. However, if you want to remove a specific scene from your video, you can generate a new video from the same set of photos, minus any ones you want to remove, and try again. 

When I create a Tribute Reel, who owns the copyright to the video?

MyHeritage doesn’t own the resulting video; it belongs to you. MyHeritage only creates it for you. The same applies to photos you upload to MyHeritage: you own them, not MyHeritage.

Why is there a MyHeritage logo on my Tribute Reel?

There is a watermark of the MyHeritage logo on the bottom left corner of the videos, so that if you share a Tribute Reel, others will know where to find the feature.

Why is there an AI symbol on my Tribute Reel?

The video clips created by Tribute Reel are simulated by AI; they are not authentic videos. As part of MyHeritage’s commitment to responsible AI, an icon labeled “AI” is added to the bottom right corner of all Tribute Reels to distinguish them from authentic videos.

Create a Tribute Reel today! 

Some memories deserve more than a still photo. Tribute Reel gives you a meaningful way to revisit a loved one’s life: to see them move, to bring to life the moments that made them who they were, and to share that experience with the people who loved them too. We invite you to try it today and share the videos with your loved ones.

The post Introducing Tribute Reel: Turn a Loved One’s Photos Into a Heartfelt Video appeared first on MyHeritage Blog.

Many British families were affected by the war in some way. Some ancestors served in the military, while others supported the war effort at home, experienced loss, or lived through the challenges of wartime Britain. Today, MyHeritage makes it easier to explore your family history and uncover these wartime stories through billions of historical records.

Key takeaways of U.K. military genealogy

• VE Day is an opportunity to explore how World War II shaped your family’s history. 
• MyHeritage offers access to billions of historical records that can help trace British military ancestors. 
• Military collections can reveal service details, medals, honors, prisoner of war records, and war memorial information. 
• Historic newspapers on OldNews.com can uncover personal wartime stories, promotions, and announcements. 
• Records such as the 1939 Register can help place ancestors in the wider context of wartime Britain. 
• Building a family tree on MyHeritage can help connect military discoveries with the rest of your family history.

Using indexes to find service records

MyHeritage offers access to extensive military historical records that can help you trace relatives who served during World War II and earlier conflicts. Collections such as “United Kingdom, Royal Navy Ratings’ Service Records, 1853-1928” and “United Kingdom, Royal Marines’ Service Records, 1842-1925” allow users to search for military ancestors by name, birth year, and other identifying details. These collections can reveal when an ancestor enlisted and provide the reference number needed to locate their full service record at The National Archives, where many records can be downloaded for free.

For example, records for Seaman Arthur Leonard Percy, born in Grimsby, Lincolnshire on April 24, 1917, provide details of his naval service during WWII. Historical records on MyHeritage can also help grow your family tree and place your ancestors’ military experiences into the wider context of their lives.

Tracing medals and military honors

Many individuals who served during World War II received campaign medals or military honors. Collections such as “United Kingdom, Index of Merchant Seamen’s Campaign Medals, 1939-1945” can help uncover these achievements. The indexes typically include a person’s name, date of birth, discharge number, and record reference number, along with links to documents held at The National Archives. Another valuable collection is “United Kingdom, Recommendations for Military Honours and Awards, 1935-1990,” which documents recommendations for military distinctions and awards.

One example is Edwin Alan Barlow, a Captain in the Royal Regiment of Artillery, who was recommended for appointment as a Member of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire (MBE) on April 19, 1945.

Victoria Cross recipients

The Victoria Cross, Britain’s highest military decoration for bravery, was awarded 182 times during World War II. Recipients can be researched through the “Victoria Cross Recipients, 1854-2006” collection on MyHeritage. Results may include a recipient’s full name, birth and death details, burial information, photographs, and descriptions of the actions that led to the award.

One remarkable example is Royal Navy Acting Captain Edward Stephen Fogarty Fegen, who had previously served during World War I. At age 49, he was posthumously awarded the Victoria Cross after sacrificing his life to help save nearly all members of his convoy during an attack at sea. Although his body was never recovered, he is commemorated on the Chatham Naval Memorial in Kent.

Record of Edward S.F. Fagen in Victoria Cross Recipients, 1854 – 2006

Discover more about prisoners of war

Prisoners of war often left behind detailed documentation that can provide valuable insights into their wartime experiences. Collections such as British Empire Armies and Other Land Forces – Prisoners of War, 1939-1945 and British Army Prisoners of War Held in German Camps, 1939-1945 contain a wide range of information. These historical records may include a soldier’s name, rank, regiment, army number, prisoner number, internment location, and camp details.

One example is Vernon O’Shea of the Gordon Highlanders, who was held at Stalag VIII-D Teschen during the war.

Remembering the fallen with war memorials

For ancestors who lost their lives during the war, several collections on MyHeritage can help preserve and honor their memory. These include United Kingdom, War Memorials, 1914-1949, British Army Roll of Honour, 1939-1945, and Commonwealth War Graves, 1914-1921, 1939-1947. One entry from the latter collection documents Sergeant Sydney Frederick Osmond of the Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve, who died on April 17, 1943 at age 20.

Attached documents and images include his Graves Registration Report Form and entry in The War Dead of the Commonwealth Register. These historical records reveal additional family details, including the names of his parents, Garland Frederic and Kathleen Ann Osmond, along with his service number, 1391764.

You can explore billions of historical records on MyHeritage to continue uncovering stories like these.

Record of Sydney Frederick Osmond in Commonwealth War Graves, 1914-1921, 1939-1947

Newspapers can reveal hidden stories

Historical newspapers can add valuable context to military research by revealing promotions, awards, casualty notices, and local wartime stories. OldNews.com by MyHeritage includes access to publications such as The London Gazette, the official journal of record for government affairs in the U.K.

For example, an edition published on VE Day itself records that Major G. R. Hawkins retired due to age, while Temporary Lieutenant W. A. Hipwell was promoted to Acting Temporary Major.

Fragment of page of The London Gazette from May 8, 1945 in OldNews.com

Discover more in other wartime records

World War II affected everyday life across Britain, and many additional collections on MyHeritage can help uncover how families lived during the period. The “1939 Register of England & Wales” serves as a substitute for the missing 1941 census and provides a snapshot of households at the outbreak of war. Entries include names, addresses, birth dates, occupations, and marital status. Later updates made by the NHS can also reveal surname changes, including those resulting from marriage.

Other collections can help trace important family events during the war years, including:

• England Births and Christenings, 1538-1975 
• England Marriages, 1538-1973
• England Deaths and Burials, 1538-1991

Together, these collections can help place ancestors’ wartime experiences into context. They may reveal where military relatives served, where prisoners of war were held, what honors were awarded, and how families continued their daily lives during a time of uncertainty and sacrifice.

This Victory Day is an opportunity to discover more about the wartime experiences of your ancestors and preserve their stories for future generations.

FAQs about UK military genealogy

How can I find British military ancestors on MyHeritage?

MyHeritage offers access to a wide range of military historical records, including service records, prisoner of war collections, medal indexes, and war memorial databases. Searching by name, birth year, or location can help uncover details about an ancestor’s wartime experiences.

What military records are available for World War II research?

Collections available on MyHeritage include Royal Navy and Royal Marines service records, military honors and awards, prisoner of war records, Commonwealth war graves, and wartime newspaper collections.

Can I find information about medals and military honors?

Yes. Collections such as “United Kingdom, Index of Merchant Seamen’s Campaign Medals, 1939-1945” and “United Kingdom, Recommendations for Military Honours and Awards, 1935-1990” can reveal campaign medals and official honors awarded during and after the war.

What is the 1939 Register of England & Wales?

The 1939 Register was created at the outbreak of World War II and serves as a substitute for the missing 1941 census. It includes names, addresses, occupations, marital status, and birth dates for millions of people living in England and Wales at the time.

Can I research prisoners of war records on MyHeritage?

Yes. MyHeritage includes collections documenting British and Commonwealth prisoners of war held during World War II. These records may include camp locations, regiments, army numbers, and internment details.

How can newspapers help with military family history research?

Historical newspapers can reveal promotions, casualty notices, honors, retirement announcements, and local wartime stories. OldNews.com by MyHeritage provides access to millions of newspaper pages that can add valuable context to family history research.

What details can war memorial records reveal?

War memorial and Commonwealth war grave collections may include burial locations, service numbers, family member names, military units, photographs, and memorial documentation.

How do I start building a family tree for military research?

Starting a family tree can help organize discoveries and connect military ancestors to earlier and later generations. MyHeritage allows users to build a family tree while exploring related historical records and newspaper collections.

Chloe O’Shea is an English genealogy specialist with an MA in Museum Studies and founder of The Past Revealed. She has authored several books, including Tracing your Staffordshire Ancestors (2025), and is a regular contributor to “Who Do You Think You Are?” Magazine, Family Tree, and Dorset Magazine.

The post Discover Your British Ancestors’ WWII Stories for VE Day appeared first on MyHeritage Blog.

Creating a family tree often involves spending many hours entering small details: names, dates, relationships, milestones. Photos are then added to enrich the family tree. But the details and the photos often don’t successfully capture the richness and beauty of a person’s life story. That’s what makes Family Infographics so special.

Family Infographics uses the power of AI to turn the information you’ve gathered into a meaningful work of art that you’ll be proud to share, display in your home, or give as a gift. It’s perfect for celebrating the life of a loved one, as a birthday or anniversary gift, or in memory of someone you miss. Whether you share it with relatives, print it as a keepsake or simply view it to enjoy a family story in a new light, each Family Infographic offers a powerful way to experience your heritage.

Family Infographics is available on the MyHeritage website on the desktop and mobile browser. It will be added to the MyHeritage mobile app soon.

Try Family Infographics now

How Family Infographics works

This feature builds on AI Biographer, a feature we introduced at the end of 2023 which creates a Wikipedia-style article about the life of an ancestor. Family Infographics take that idea a step further by presenting similar information visually in an infographic, combining text and imagery to show a person’s life story at a glance.

Once you select a person from your family tree, and pick one of the 15 beautiful styles available, the Family Infographic is automatically generated. It is created based on their key life details, as well as information about their parents, spouses, siblings, and children. AI is used to turn all that data into a beautiful image.

The process combines multiple elements. Profile photos are transformed into stylized artistic renderings. Facts such as names, dates, and locations are incorporated into the design. Visual cues are added to reflect aspects of the person’s life, such as where they lived or what they did for a living. All of this is arranged into a structured layout according to the style you selected, centered around the featured individual.

Because the Infographic is based on your existing data, the more complete the information in your tree, the better the results. Adding missing dates, places, life events (especially occupation, education and immigration), and high-quality photos — especially for the featured person, their parents, and their spouse — leads to a richer and more detailed infographic.

How Family Infographics came to be

Family Infographics is the brainchild of our AI concept manager Golan Levi. Looking to gauge its value to our users, he teamed up with Senior Product Manager Itay Sobol to test the concept. First, we created personalized Infographics as a surprise for some of the guests at MyHeritage’s annual Family Day, where employees invite their parents or other relatives to visit our headquarters. The response was immediate and emotional. Then, we created several thousands of Family Infographics and emailed them to some of our users who have used the AI Biographer feature, as a surprise gift, and asked them to share their feedback. Responses were overwhelmingly positive, as was the feedback we got when we brought the concept to our booth at RootsTech 2026.

Family Infographics presented at the MyHeritage booth at RootsTech this year

Based on this response, we decided to build this feature into MyHeritage. Itay and our talented team of designers and developers then developed Family Infographics into an easy-to-use feature that is now available to everyone.

Creating a Family Infographic

Creating a Family Infographic is simple and quick, especially if your tree already has high-quality photos and lots of details about the family member’s life.

To get started, visit myheritage.com/family-infographics (also known as the landing page for this feature), or select Family Infographics from the “Family tree” menu on the navigation bar.

The Family Infographics landing page (click to zoom)

Click “Create now”. Then enter the name of a person in your family tree, or select from among the suggested relatives.

Selecting a person to create a Family Infographic (click to zoom)

You can also create a Family Infographic from the left-hand panel in your family tree (shown below) or from the profile page of the individual under “Additional actions.”

Accessing Family Infographics from the left-hand panel in the family tree (click to zoom)

Select one of the 15 Infographic styles, and click “Continue”:

Selecting a style for the Family Infographic (click to zoom)

Next, review the selected relative’s photo and details, obtained from your tree. This is your opportunity to make some improvements. You can change the photo, edit information, or fill in missing facts. Any changes you make here will be saved to your family tree as well.

Family Infographics: Reviewing and editing details (click to zoom)

Note that the more information you include, the richer and more detailed your Infographic will be. You can create a Family Infographic with just a photo and a few details, but for best results, we recommend including:

• High-quality photos of the individual as well as their parents and spouse(s)
• Dates and places of birth, death, and marriage for the individual and all immediate family members
• Any information you have on the individual’s occupations, education, immigration, residences, and/or military service

When you include details such as places, occupations, and immigration information, your Infographic will be automatically enriched with visual elements and scenes that illustrate them, such as the city where the person was born, the ship they traveled on when immigrating, the factory where they worked, and so on.

After clicking “Continue,” review and edit the information of the featured person’s immediate family members, including photos for the parents and partners.

Family Infographics: Reviewing the details of immediate family members (click to zoom)

Finally, click “Create Infographic.”

Before you create your first Infographic, you’ll need to give your consent.

The Infographic will be ready within a few minutes. There’s no need to stay on the page while it’s being created — MyHeritage will send you an email to notify you when it’s ready.

The email includes a small thumbnail preview of the Infographic. Click the thumbnail or the “View and download” button to view the full-size image.

Viewing the full Family Infographic (click to zoom)

Click “Download” to download it as a high-resolution image. You can also share a link to the Infographic on social media or privately by clicking “Copy link” and pasting it wherever you like.

Sharing and printing Family Infographics

Our beta testers have described family members reacting with great emotion when they saw a loved one’s Family Infographic. We encourage you to share them on social media as well, so others can enjoy the beautiful results and try it out for themselves.

Many users choose to turn their Infographic into a poster, framed print, or canvas to display at home or give as a gift. Family Infographics are generated in high resolution with a 4:3 aspect ratio (landscape orientation). You can print them at home or use a global online printing service such as Vistaprint.

For a perfect edge-to-edge fit, we recommend choosing print sizes that match the 4:3 ratio, such as 24×18” or 40x30cm. However, you can also print on popular sizes like A3, A4, or 16×20”. Just make sure to check the preview on the printing website before checking out to ensure that nothing important will be cut off in the final print.

Examples

Below are a few examples of Family Infographics in the styles available:

The Golden Age style (click to zoom)

The Brushwork style (click to zoom)

The Sketch style (click to zoom)

We’ve also experimented with turning Family Infographics into short animated videos that bring a person’s story to life in a dynamic way. This feature isn’t currently available, but we’re considering adding it in the future. Here’s an example of what it could look like:

Would you like to see us add this capability? Let us know!

FAQs

Can I create a Family Infographic for a living person?

Yes! Family Infographics make a wonderful personalized gift for birthdays, anniversaries, and family reunions. You can generate them for your living relatives too.

Where are my Family Infographics saved, and how can I view them?

All Infographics you generate are automatically saved to your MyHeritage account. You can find them in the “My Photos” section either in the private album named “Family Infographics” or under the name of the specific relative you created the artwork for. You’ll also receive an email with a direct link to view each Infographic as soon as it is ready.

Why is it that sometimes, a face in the Infographic does not look exactly like my relative?

This feature uses AI to generate an artistic representation, and AI isn’t perfect. This may happen if the profile photo in your family tree is in low resolution, or contains multiple people. To fix this, replace the person’s profile photo with a better photo, and generate the Infographic again. Sometimes, it can also be resolved simply by regenerating the Infographic or choosing a different style.

Cost

Anyone with a family tree on MyHeritage can create their first Family Infographic for free.

To create additional Infographics, a MyHeritage Complete or Omni plan is required.

Privacy

Family Infographics are generated using the photos and data in your family tree, and your privacy is fully protected.

The information is used solely to create your Infographic and is not shared with third parties to train external AI models. Your Infographics are saved privately in your account, and you retain full ownership of both your photos and the resulting images.

Please use Family Infographics and all AI features responsibly, and avoid uploading materials that others may find offensive.

Summary

Family Infographics transform information in your family tree into a beautifully designed poster illustrating a person’s life. They integrate photos, relationships, and key life details into a single composition. With Family Infographics, you can share your relatives’ stories with others and turn your research into something tangible, whether as a personal keepsake or a meaningful gift.

Family Infographics reflect MyHeritage’s commitment to leverage the latest technology to help you explore and celebrate your family history in new ways. We hope you enjoy it!

Try Family Infographics now

The post Introducing Family Infographics: Turn a Loved One’s Life Story into a Beautiful Work of Art appeared first on MyHeritage Blog.

While V-E Day marked the end of the struggle in Europe, it was followed by Victory over Japan Day (V-J Day) on August 14, 1945, which signaled the total conclusion of World War II. Millions of American families were forever changed by these events, with ancestors serving on the front lines, supporting the “Arsenal of Democracy” at home, or awaiting the return of loved ones. Today, MyHeritage provides the tools to uncover these American wartime stories through a vast collection of historical records.

Key takeaways of U.S. military genealogy

• V-E Day offers a dedicated time to explore the personal impact of World War II on your American family history.
• MyHeritage hosts billions of records, including enlistment files, draft cards, and casualty lists, to help trace U.S. service members.
• Draft Registration Cards (the “Old Man’s Draft”) can provide physical descriptions and employment details of ancestors.
• Navy and Marine Corps Muster Rolls allow you to track the exact ships and stations where your relatives served.
• Newspaper archives on OldNews.com can reveal local accounts of a soldier’s homecoming, promotions, or even letters sent from the front.

Discovering enlistment and draft records

To start you off on your search, MyHeritage offers the United States, World War II Army Enlistment, 1938–1946 collection. This collection contains over 9 million records that reveal an ancestor’s Army Serial Number, enlistment date, and even their civilian occupation and education level.

Another essential resource is the United States, World War II Draft Registrations, 1940-1947, which covers men born between 1897 and 1921. These cards are a genealogical goldmine, often featuring the ancestor’s handwritten signature, place of birth, and physical characteristics such as height, weight, and eye color. The latter collection contains fascinating example records of men who served America like the Hollywood actor Charles Bronson. Born Charles D. Buchinsky, Bronson enlisted in 1943 and served as a Boeing B-29 Superfortress aerial gunner with the Guam-based 61st Bombardment Squadron, which conducted combat missions in the Japanese archipelago. He flew 25 missions and received a Purple Heart for the wounds he sustained in battle.

First page of draft registration card of Charles Bronson 

Tracing naval and marine service

For those whose ancestors served at sea, the U.S. World War II Navy Muster Rolls, 1938–1949 are invaluable. These records track personnel as they moved between ships and stations, providing a chronological map of their service. You might find details of an ancestor’s presence on a specific battleship during a major Pacific campaign or their transfer to a naval hospital.

Reserve corps

During World War II, the U.S. Army Organized Reserve provided roughly one-quarter of all Army officers. The World War II Reserve Corps Records collection recounts the era between 1938 and 1946 and comprises records of thousands of men and women who enlisted in the United States Army, including the Women’s Army Auxiliary Corps, which was the first U.S. Army unit to allow women to serve in non-combat roles. These servicewomen served as clerks, drivers, and cooks to free up men for combat.

Prisoners of war

During World War II, over between 130,000 to 140,000 U.S. Army and Army Air Forces personnel were captured, with nearly 94,000 of them held in Europe. The collection US World War II Prisoners of War, 1941 – 1946 includes information about U.S. military officers and soldiers as well as U.S. and some Allied civilians who were prisoners of war between December 7, 1941 and November 19, 1946. Using copies of reports from the International Committee of the Red Cross, the records in this collection contain priceless information about captured American servicemen, like serial number, branch of service, grade, race, state of residence, and place of capture.

Honors, awards, and the fallen

Many American service members were recognized for their bravery. MyHeritage includes collections such as United States, Index of Navy and Marine Corps Awards, 1925-1994, which can highlight specific citations and medals earned during the conflict.

For families who lost a loved one, several collections help preserve their memory:

• American Overseas Military Burials, 1917-1974: Documents the service and sacrifice of Americans who served in World War I and World War II, who are interred in American military cemeteries on foreign soil.
• Arlington National Cemetery: Headstones from Arlington National Cemetery, located in Arlington County, Virginia, close to Washington, D.C., are included in this collection. American veterans and a few members of their families have mausoleums and burials in the cemetery. The deceased’s complete name, date of birth, date of death, date of burial, branch of service, and military rank are all included in the records. Section, grave, court, column, and niche numbers are examples of information that may be provided concerning the grave.

Newspapers and daily life

Wartime research isn’t limited to military files. OldNews.com and MyHeritage’s newspaper collections can add rich detail to your family tree by uncovering casualty notices, promotion announcements, or local stories about life on the home front or even after returning to civilian life. These articles often capture the local atmosphere of V-E Day celebrations in American cities, from conga lines in Washington, D.C. to prayers in small-town churches. One example of this are the multiple mentions of Charity Adams Earley, the first African-American woman to become an officer in the Women’s Army Auxiliary Corps and the highest-ranking African-American woman in the army by the completion of the war.

Newspaper snippet mentioning Charity Adams Early on OldNews.com

This Victory Day, take the opportunity to connect your family’s military legacy with the broader story of the United States. By building a family tree on MyHeritage, you can organize these discoveries and ensure that the sacrifices of your “Greatest Generation” ancestors are never forgotten.

FAQs about U.S. military genealogy

How can I find American military ancestors on MyHeritage?

MyHeritage offers access to a wide range of military historical records, including enlistment records, draft cards, and award indexes. Searching by name, birth year, or location can help uncover details about an ancestor’s wartime experiences.  

What military records are available for World War II research?

Collections include Army enlistment records, Navy and Marine muster rolls, military honors and awards, and wartime newspaper collections.  

Can I find information about medals and military honors?

Yes. Collections documenting recommendations for military honors and awards can reveal official distinctions awarded during and after the war.  

What is the “Old Man’s Draft”?

This refers to the 1942 draft registration for men born between 1877 and 1897. It provides a snapshot of men who were recruited at the outbreak of the war, including their addresses, occupations, and birth dates.  

Can I research prisoners of war records on MyHeritage?

Yes. MyHeritage includes collections documenting prisoners of war held during World War II. These records may include camp locations, regiments, and internment details. 

How do I start building a family tree for military research?

Starting a family tree on MyHeritage helps organize discoveries and connect military ancestors to the rest of your family history. You can build your tree while exploring related historical records and newspaper collections. 

Maor Malul started his career at MyHeritage by joining its DNA Support team at MyHeritage at its inception in 2016. An informatics engineer passionate about Sephardic history and culture, he onboards and manages the growing community of contributors at the MyHeritage Wiki. Since 2005, he has been a regular contributor to the Wikimedia movement, having written over 2,000 articles in different Wikipedias (Spanish, English, Portuguese, Ladino, Wayuunaiki, Hebrew) and is currently an advisor to the Affiliations Committee of the Wikimedia Foundation. Apart from being a certified teacher of Ladino, Maor’s short stories have been published on Sephardic magazines and journals and he is working on his first novel, all in this language.

The post Research the History of Your American Ancestors in WWII for VE Day appeared first on MyHeritage Blog.

>>Do you know the meaning of your family name? Search for it MyHeritage last name database

Here are 13 Italian rare surnames considered “endangered” or on the verge of disappearing:

Aguglione

An ancient Florentine name dating back to the 13th century. It derives from the Italian word aguglia (needle or fish spear), suggesting a connection to specialized craftsmanship or the fishing trade. Once a name of note in medieval Tuscany, it has now almost entirely vanished from modern registries.

Aguglione comes from aguglia, meaning needle or fish spear

Bellagamba

Literally translating to “beautiful leg,” this descriptive surname emerged in the regions of Tuscany and Emilia-Romagna. While surnames reflecting physical grace or specific traits were common during the Middle Ages, this particular lineage has become increasingly localized and rare.

Cantarutti

A Friulian name meaning “little singer,” rooted in the Latin cantare. Historically, it likely identified musicians, performers, or those with a prominent role in local folk traditions. Today, it remains concentrated in a tiny number of families, mainly near Udine.

Diotallevi

A poignant example of a theophoric name, meaning “May God raise you.” Historically common in central Italy, it was often bestowed upon foundlings (abandoned children) as a blessing for their future. As naming traditions evolved, this specific surname has become quite scarce.

Incognito

Meaning “unknown” or “unrecognized,” this name was traditionally given to children of unknown parentage. While the concept of anonymity remains culturally significant, the use of Incognito as a formal family surname is rapidly vanishing.

“Incognito” was a name given to children of unknown parentage, such as foundlings

Legista

Specifically noted in records from Caltagirone, Sicily, this name stems from the Latin for “lawyer” or “jurist.” It likely originated with individuals held in high regard for their legal expertise or role in the administration of medieval justice.

Mangiaterra

Meaning “earth-eater,” this name is actually believed to be a corruption of Magnaterra (landholder). Despite its agrarian roots in the South and its connection to the historical importance of land ownership, the surname is now exceptionally rare.

Mangiaterra is likely a corruption of Magnaterra, meaning landowner

Mezzasalma

While it may sound macabre (literally “half a corpse”), it actually refers to a salma, a traditional Sicilian unit of land measurement. It likely identified families who owned or surveyed specific plots of land, yet it survives today only as a rare Sicilian relic.

Prencipe

Derived from the Italian word principe (prince), this name originated in Southern Italy—specifically Campania and Calabria—during the Middle Ages. It likely began as a nickname for someone with noble qualities or a leadership role. While it spread via the diaspora to the Americas and Australia, it remains a symbol of historical social structures in Puglia and the South.

Proietti

Derived from the Italian word proietto (projected or thrown forth), this was a common designation for abandoned infants in the Umbria and Lazio regions. While the general name persists, specific local branches in small villages are reaching the end of their genealogical line.

Scantamburlo

A rhythmic surname from the Veneto region with specific dialectal roots. It likely combines scanta (to avoid) and burlo (a joke or trick), possibly describing a clever merchant or a witty community figure. It is now considered a linguistic and genealogical curiosity.

Vespasiani

Derived from the Roman Emperor Vespasian, this name carries a deep historical weight. Despite its imperial connection and its presence in the central Italian region of Lazio for centuries, it is now incredibly rare outside of a few specific families.

Zappacosta

Rooted in Southern Italy, this name derives from zappa (hoe), identifying ancestral lineages of farmers and agricultural workers. It highlights a history of resilience and hard work tied to the land. While the name spread globally via migration to countries like Canada and the U.S., it has become increasingly rare in its home provinces, now represented by only a few families.

French-born Elisabeth Zetland earned her Ph.D. (with Honors) in medieval history from Paul Valéry University in Montpellier, France. Her ground-breaking original research traced the family trees of Jewish families residing in Florence, Italy in the 15th Century, and enabled Elisabeth to document an economic and social history of Tuscan Judaism between 1437 and 1464. Elisabeth’s research talents and experience, as well as her passion for genealogy, made her a natural fit for MyHeritage when she joined the company in 2011. In 2012 she became MyHeritage’s country manager for French-speaking markets, and since 2016 she has been a full-time member of the MyHeritage genealogy research team. She considers herself addicted to family history and totally devoted to the subject.

The post These Rare Italian Surnames Are on the Verge of Extinction appeared first on MyHeritage Blog.

Search them to discover a family treasure!

Explore the 8 New and Updated Historical Record Collections Added This Month

Collection	Description	Number of Records	Link to Search
Austria, Vienna Catholic Church Births and Baptisms, 1850-1920	An index of birth and baptism records of the Catholic Church in Vienna, Austria, between the years 1850 and 1920.	25,385,864 records	Search collection now
Hungary, World War I Casualty Lists, 1914-1919	An index of casualty lists from Hungary from World War I.	454,554 records	Search collection now
Netherlands, Names & Stories in Newspapers from OldNews.com	An index of records of names, events, and stories, found in newspapers from the Netherlands.	95,629,547 records added for a total of 323,261,966 records	Search collection now
Netherlands, South Holland, Civil Births, 1900-1942	An index of civil birth records from South Holland, Netherlands between the years 1900 and 1942.	184,022 records	Search collection now
Netherlands, South Holland, Civil Marriages, 1900-1942	An index of civil marriage records from South Holland, Netherlands between the years 1900 and 1942.	4,245,091 records	Search collection now
Switzerland, Names & Stories in French Newspapers from OldNews.com	An index of names, events, and stories, found in French newspapers from Switzerland.	12,279,832 records	Search collection now
California Deaths, 1905-1939	An index of death records from California, United States, between the years 1905 and 1939.	2,084,693 records	Search collection now
Florida County Marriages	An index of county marriage records from Florida, United States.	6,028,831 records added for a total of 12,608,469 records	Search collection now

1. Austria, Vienna Catholic Church Births and Baptisms, 1850-1920
   This collection contains birth and baptism records of the Catholic Church in Vienna, Austria, between the years 1850 and 1920. Records typically include the name of the child, the date of birth, the date and place of baptism, the names of the parents and their birth dates, and the names of the paternal and maternal grandparents.
   Search Austria, Vienna Catholic Church Births and Baptisms, 1850-1920
2. Hungary, World War I Casualty Lists, 1914-1919
   This collection contains casualty lists from Hungary from World War I. Records typically include the name of the casualty, year and place of birth, residence place, date and place of death and military information pertaining to the casualty such as rank or unit. Records may also include the casualty’s nationality and occupation, along with the names of their parents and spouse.
   Search Hungary, World War I Casualty Lists, 1914-1919
3. Netherlands, Names & Stories in Newspapers from OldNews.com
   This collection contains records of names, events, and stories, found in newspapers from the Netherlands. The records were extracted from the newspaper articles using advanced AI technology developed by MyHeritage. Records typically include the name of the individuals mentioned, the relationships between the individuals, the newspaper name, the publication place and date, and a snippet of text from the newspaper containing the reference and the full OCR text through the use of MyHeritage’s advanced optical character recognition (OCR). Records may include events such as birth and marriage announcements, obituaries, public achievements, business events, and more. Records often include additional details such as residence, occupation, and associated locations or institutions. Every record includes a useful summary of the article, generated automatically by AI.
   Search Netherlands, Names & Stories in Newspapers from OldNews.com
4. Netherlands, South Holland, Civil Births, 1900-1942
   This collection contains civil birth records from South Holland, Netherlands between the years 1900 and 1942. Records typically include the name of the child, the date and place of birth and the names of the parents.
   Search Netherlands, South Holland, Civil Births, 1900-1942
5. Netherlands, South Holland, Civil Marriages, 1900-1942
   This collection contains civil marriage records from South Holland, Netherlands between the years 1900 and 1942. Records typically include the names of the groom and the bride, their year of birth, their date and place of marriage, and the names of their parents.
   Search Netherlands, South Holland, Civil Marriages, 1900-1942
6. Switzerland, Names & Stories in French Newspapers from OldNews.com
   This collection contains records of names, events, and stories, found in French newspapers from Switzerland. The records were extracted from the newspaper articles using advanced AI technology developed by MyHeritage. Records typically include the name of the individuals mentioned, the relationships between the individuals, the newspaper name, the publication place and date, and a snippet of text from the newspaper containing the reference and the full OCR text through the use of MyHeritage’s advanced optical character recognition (OCR). Records may include events such as birth and marriage announcements, obituaries, public achievements, business events, and more. Records often include additional details such as residence, occupation, and associated locations or institutions. Every record includes a useful summary of the article, generated automatically by AI.
   Search Switzerland, Names & Stories in French Newspapers from OldNews.com
7. California Deaths, 1905-1939
   This collection contains death records from California, United States, between the years 1905 and 1939. Records typically include the name of the deceased, the year of birth, the date and place of death.
   Search California Deaths, 1905-1939
8. Florida County Marriages
   This collection contains county marriage records from Florida, United States. Records typically include the names of the groom and the bride, their date and place of birth, their place of residence, and the date and place of marriage.
   Search Florida County Marriages

Example of what you could find in these records

The new Austria, Vienna Catholic Church Births and Baptisms, 1850–1920 collection includes a record for Alban Berg, the Austrian composer.

Alban Berg was a composer associated with the Second Viennese School and a student of Arnold Schoenberg. His works include the operas Wozzeck and Lulu, as well as the Violin Concerto.

This record is typical of the collection, which provides details such as the child’s name, dates of birth and baptism, and the names of parents and grandparents.

Summary

We hope these valuable collections help you make new discoveries in your family history research. Searching the collections on MyHeritage is free. To view the records or to save records to your family tree, you’ll need a Data, Complete, or Omni plan.

For newspaper collections from OldNews.com, an Omni plan, or an OldNews Pro plan, is required to view the full newspaper images on OldNews.com.

If you have a family tree on MyHeritage, our Record Matching technology will notify you automatically if records from these collections match your relatives. You’ll then be able to review the record and decide if you’d like to add the new information to your family tree.

Enjoy the new collections!

The post MyHeritage Adds 146 Million Historical Records in April 2026 appeared first on MyHeritage Blog.

National events often leave a direct mark on personal history. A change in government can affect where families live, whether they stay or leave, which institutions record their lives, and what documents survive today. For many people with Portuguese roots, the events of 1926 help explain why earlier generations settled in places such as Lisbon, Maputo, Brazil, or the United States, and why their stories can now be traced through historical records.

Key takeaways on the Portuguese coup d’etat

• The 1926 Portuguese coup d’etat marked a major turning point in Portugal’s history, shaping daily life, migration patterns, and the records families left behind.
• For people researching Portuguese ancestors, this period can explain why relatives emigrated, how communities changed, and where to look for historical records.
• Building your family tree with these historical details adds context to names and dates, helping you better understand your family’s story.

The collapse of the First Republic

The Portuguese First Republic, which lasted from 1910 to 1926, was marked by deep instability. Governments changed frequently, public unrest was common, and many people had lost confidence in the system. By the spring of 1926, much of the country was ready for change.

On May 28, 1926, General Manuel Gomes da Costa launched a military uprising in Braga and began a march toward Lisbon. The coup led to the end of the First Republic and opened the way for an authoritarian regime that would shape Portugal for decades. For families living through it, this was not an abstract political event. It affected daily routines, economic opportunities, and the social institutions that influenced community life.

Gomes da Costa cheered by crowds in Coimbra, June 1926

How the coup affected your ancestors

When researching a family tree, 1926 can serve as an important dividing line. Life before the coup and life after it often followed very different patterns.

1. Migration and separation

In the decades that followed, many Portuguese families faced limited opportunities, especially in rural areas. Economic hardship pushed many people to leave home in search of work and stability.

If your relatives left Portugal between the late 1920s and the 1960s, they may have been part of a wider wave of emigration. Some went first to Brazil or North America and later sent for other family members. Others settled in former Portuguese territories or moved between regions before leaving the country entirely. These moves often appear in passenger lists, civil registrations, consular papers, and other historical sources.

2. A stronger military paper trail

Because the new regime placed a strong emphasis on state control and military structure, records connected to military service became especially important. For many young men, military documentation formed a key part of their official identity.

These records can be valuable for family history research because they may include:

1. Physical descriptions, such as height, eye color, or identifying marks
2. Literacy levels, which can offer insight into education and social background
3. Residence details, showing where a person lived at different points in time

For genealogists, this kind of documentation can add depth to an ancestor’s story and help confirm family connections across places and generations.

3. Religious and community life

The years after 1926 also brought changes to the role of the Catholic Church in public life. As the new regime aligned more closely with the Church, parish records often became even more central to documenting community life.

That can matter when tracing Portuguese ancestors. Baptism, marriage, and burial records may become more consistent in some areas after this period. If there is a gap in family documentation during the earlier republican years, later parish records may help reconnect the story.

Finding your family in a tightly controlled society

The decades that followed the coup are often associated with censorship, surveillance, and close government oversight. Yet those same conditions sometimes produced the kinds of records that family historians rely on today.

Authoritarian systems tend to generate paperwork. People often needed permits, official approvals, or character references to travel, work in certain professions, or manage everyday legal matters. Teachers, civil servants, business owners, and emigrants may all have left behind documents that reveal how they lived.

These records can help answer questions such as:

• Where did an ancestor live before emigrating?
• What occupation did they report at a certain point in time?
• Which local institutions shaped their lives?
• How did their family move through periods of political change?

MyHeritage can help researchers explore Portuguese historical records, organize findings, and build a clearer picture of how these larger historical shifts affected individual families.

Why the 100-year mark matters

A centennial is a useful moment to revisit the choices and disruptions that shaped earlier generations.

A great-grandparent who left Portugal in 1928 was not simply moving from one place to another. That person may have been responding to a country entering a new and restrictive political era. Understanding that context can make family history feel more immediate and more human.

As you research Portuguese ancestors, pay attention to the patterns that appear around this period. Notice changes in occupation, location, religious records, and migration routes. A family that began in a village in Minho may later appear in Newark, Sao Paulo, or elsewhere in the Portuguese diaspora. These details help connect national history with the lives of real people.

The 1926 coup changed the course of Portugal’s history, and its effects can still be seen in the stories families uncover today. By exploring Portuguese historical records and preserving what you find in your family tree, you can better understand how your ancestors lived through a defining period of change.

What can you discover in your family’s 1926 story? Start exploring Portuguese family history on MyHeritage and follow the records that bring your ancestors’ lives into focus.

FAQs about the Portuguese coup d’etat

What was the 1926 Portuguese coup d’etat?

The 1926 Portuguese coup d’etat was a military takeover that ended the First Republic and led to decades of authoritarian rule, changing political life and shaping the experiences of Portuguese families.

Why is the 1926 coup important for family history research?

The coup helps explain changes in migration, religion, military service, and daily life. Understanding this period gives family historians useful context for interpreting documents, movements, and major decisions.

Did the coup affect Portuguese emigration?

Yes. Economic hardship, limited opportunity, and political repression encouraged many Portuguese families to emigrate. These movements helped shape Portuguese communities abroad and left records that researchers can trace today.

What records can help trace ancestors from this period?

Useful records include parish registers, civil registrations, military files, passenger lists, passport applications, and other historical records. Together, they can reveal where ancestors lived, worked, traveled, and settled.

Why are military records helpful for Portuguese genealogy?

Military records from this era can include physical descriptions, literacy details, and residence information. These documents often provide personal details that help confirm identity and connect relatives across generations.

How can MyHeritage help with Portuguese family history research?

MyHeritage helps users explore historical records, organize discoveries, and grow a family tree. These tools make it easier to connect historical events with the lives of Portuguese ancestors.

Yan Sandler works in the Marketing department at MyHeritage. A passionate genealogy enthusiast, Yan specializes in Eastern European and Jewish heritage. He enjoys helping others to uncover their roots, turning complex archival fragments into meaningful family stories for researchers worldwide.

The post The 1926 Portuguese Coup d’Etat: How It Shaped Portuguese Family History appeared first on MyHeritage Blog.

Scribe AI, which we recently introduced at RootsTech, is a powerful feature that transcribes, translates, and interprets historical documents and images. Originally born from a MyHeritage hackathon project, it quickly became a big hit in the genealogy world and has received enthusiastic feedback.

If you don’t have the MyHeritage mobile app yet, you can install it now for free. If you already have the app, make sure you update it to the latest version.

What Scribe AI can do

Scribe AI helps you make sense of historical documents and photos that might otherwise be difficult to read or interpret. It can transcribe handwritten and printed text, translate records written in other languages, and analyze visual details to provide historical context and meaningful insights.

For documents, Scribe AI extracts key genealogical details such as names, dates, and places, and can even analyze multi-page records as a single contextual unit. For photos, it estimates when and where they were taken based on visual clues. It can also interpret symbols on gravestones and explain the design and meaning of coats of arms.

By turning hard-to-read or unfamiliar materials into clear, structured information, Scribe AI helps you uncover new details and better understand your family’s history.

Accessing Scribe AI on the Mobile App

There are two ways to access Scribe AI on the mobile app:

From the app menu

On the home screen, shown below on the left, open the app menu by tapping the grid icon (highlighted in green). Tap “Photos” in the app menu shown on the right, and then “Scribe AI” (highlighted in red):

Accessing Scribe AI from the MyHeritage mobile app menu (click to zoom)

On the next screen, tap “Choose image”:

Scribe AI on the MyHeritage mobile app (click to zoom)

Then select the image you’d like to analyze from among your photos on MyHeritage or the gallery on your device.

From your MyHeritage photo gallery

To use Scribe AI on a photo or document you’ve already uploaded to MyHeritage, open the photo on the MyHeritage mobile app, tap the 3 dots on the upper right corner of the screen (highlighted below in green), and then “Get Scribe AI insights” (highlighted below in red):

Accessing Scribe AI from a photo on MyHeritage (click to zoom)

Once you run Scribe AI, the results appear in clearly organized sections, just like on the website version. The first section will be open by default. Scroll down to view the rest of your results.

Scribe AI on the MyHeritage mobile app: Historical context

Tapping on the title of each section expands and collapses it for easier navigation.

Scribe AI results: All sections collapsed (click to zoom)

Once generated, your Scribe AI results will be saved and you can access them at any time. If Scribe AI has analyzed a photo, a “Scribe AI: View insights” button will appear on the lower left corner of the photo viewing screen. Tap it to access the results.

Accessing Scribe AI results for a photo (click to zoom)

Soon, you’ll be able to use Scribe Scribe AI directly on historical records in the app. This functionality is currently available on the MyHeritage website.

Cost

Anyone can use Scribe AI for free on a limited number of images. Further use requires a Complete or Omni subscription. Existing Complete and Omni subscribers of MyHeritage are in luck, as they can use this feature without limits and at no extra cost.

Try Scribe AI on the MyHeritage mobile app

With Scribe AI now available on the MyHeritage mobile app, discovering your family’s stories just got more convenient. Whether you’re flipping through old albums at a relative’s home, encountering a fascinating headstone at a cemetery, or studying a document in an archive, you can now capture it and understand it instantly — right from your phone.

Update your MyHeritage app and start exploring with Scribe AI today.

Install the MyHeritage mobile app

The post Scribe AI Now Available on the MyHeritage Mobile App appeared first on MyHeritage Blog.

Since its launch in early 2025, we’ve received encouraging feedback from users who have written and preserved their stories. You can read more in our original announcement post and our first collection of user stories.

We’ve continued to receive heartfelt feedback from users around the world, and we’re sharing a few more of those experiences here.

Steve Dewey

Steve Dewey from Utah, U.S., used MyStories to preserve his parents’ life stories and ordered 9 copies to share with his family.

Over 50 years ago, as newlyweds, my wife and I recorded hours of personal life stories as told to us by my parents. Sadly, both have since passed away. But, thanks to MyStories, those memories of my parents are now preserved in book form for our entire family to enjoy for generations to come.

The process of creating their book of stories in an illustrated chapter form was easy and enjoyable. I appreciated the flexibility of writing our own chapter titles instead of using your suggested questions. And I also loved being able to submit more than one chapter per week.

The ability to add photos and illustrations was very important, making the book much more interesting and personal to our children and grandchildren. I am very impressed with the quality of the book overall. It’s definitely meant to last for a lifetime and more.

Our married children have started reading the book to their own families, and they all love it. They’ve found it to be a great family bonding activity at bedtime, mealtimes, or on long road trips.

Thank you for making this family heirloom possible. We’re already planning the next one.

Jac van Gerwen

Jac van Gerwen from the Netherlands wrote his life story with MyStories and ordered 3 copies to share with his family.

My wife suggested I write my life story using MyStories.

With the help of your hints for the chapters I started the walk through that memory lane. It was really a fine and relaxing process to go back to my youth.

To sit back and remember the way you grew up with your brothers, sister, friends and your parents was a time that one forgets the day to day situations.

When writing the story you get the message loud and clear that one is a very lucky and happy man.

So I thank my wife and MyStories that I have got the opportunity to memorize one’s life again and again and that all of this is captured in a very professional and beautiful printed book.

Ingrid Verkaaik

Ingrid Verkaaik, a longtime MyHeritage user from New Zealand, created a MyStories book and ordered 7 copies to share with her family.

I am pleased to have received MyStories books and have passed some of them on to family.

My younger sister was absolutely thrilled with it and said she will keep it for members of her family to read. It is a historical book (looking back on childhood) and it helps in understanding my position on circumstances we all went through, but maybe saw things differently.

The questions certainly gave me the incentive to think about things and enabled me to write the book as an autobiographical work.

I enjoyed the way the photos in the book were arranged and the general outlay of the writing supported by photos that MyHeritage arranged.

I was thrilled to do it and really got into completing the task before time. My brothers thought that it was great and really nice to have. We are separated geographically and it’s always great to look back on things that were.

Rose McArthur

Rose McArthur from Great Britain created a MyStories book to preserve her life story for future generations.

The whole concept of MyStories is a wonderful one which offers so many different choices and opportunities, no matter one’s circumstances.

I write this as an 80-year-old lady and avid genealogist. Yes, I have a lifetime of stories to tell, but what inspired me in the first place was the fact that I would literally feel I was in Aladdin’s cave if my grandmother, great-grandmother, or indeed any of my ancestors had left a book talking about their life.

Writing my story, inspired initially by the suggested topics, has been fun. It has taken me down memory lane, evoked wonderful memories of my families, helped me to revisit my youth and reminded me that, although we all have our tough times, it is the happiest memories which come flooding back first.

Perhaps, equally as important, it will give my children, grandchildren, great-grandchildren etc. an opportunity to learn more about their ancestral roots should any of them be curious and want to know more. MyStories is my tribute to the fact that, right now, we are the ancestors of the future.

Initially, having the prompts is what enables one to kickstart the process; it can be written in an ad hoc manner, or systematically. Being a butterfly by nature, my method was very ad hoc! There is the option of working on the weekly-submitted suggestions, or one can initiate topics of one’s own choice. I did both.

The whole project was most rewarding and left me with a really pleasing sense of accomplishment.

I would highly recommend MyStories to anyone who would like to leave a bit of themselves to their families and descendants, or simply just to tell their interesting personal story. The final product is absolutely first-class quality.

The whole experience has been most enjoyable, to the extent that I have even thought it would be good to do another one!

William Decker

William Decker from the U.S. created a MyStories book after years of wanting to write his life story.

I have long thought of writing about my life and had collected notes and ideas, but I never quite knew how to get started or how to structure what I wanted to say.

MyStories provided both structure and motivation — the weekly questions helped me by providing specific topics about which I could write and made it easy for me to “keep up” with the project.

My children love the “finished product” as the book was very nicely bound and of good quality.

Ed Goldberg

Ed Goldberg from Canada created a MyStories book and captured his life story over the course of a year.

Working with MyStories to create a book of my life stories was an incredibly rewarding experience. Each week, they provided thoughtful chapter suggestions that helped guide me through the process, while still giving me the flexibility to adjust or create my own chapters based on what mattered most to me.

The online platform made it easy to write at my own pace, and over the course of a year I was able to carefully build, edit, and refine my story. I also appreciated being able to add personal photos, which made the final product even more meaningful.

When I received the finished hardcover book, I was genuinely proud — it’s beautifully made and something I will treasure. Having a digital PDF version as well is a great bonus.

My only regret is not ordering more printed copies to share with family, because it truly turned out better than I imagined. I would highly recommend MyStories to anyone looking to preserve their memories in a lasting and personal way.

Looking ahead

Taking the time to write your stories creates something meaningful — for you and for the families who will read them. If you’ve been thinking about writing your stories, or creating a meaningful gift for someone close to you, this is a good time to start.

Start telling your stories — or help someone you love tell theirs with MyStories.

In honor of Mother’s Day, use promo code MOTHER25 at checkout to get 25% off MyStories books.

The post Users Are Loving MyStories: More Stories from Our Community appeared first on MyHeritage Blog.