WikiTree Community Blog

I realized something very important this past week while attempting to reconstruct the family history of one celebrated individual here on WikiTree…Tutankhamun or King Tut for short. While excited to learn about his life and times, I can tell you with certainty that we would be a society in complete and total confusion if we had to carry around names like those bestowed upon ancient Egyptians. Take King Tut for example. Being an Egyptian Pharaoh he was subject to the royal titulary – a hierarchy of names used to symbolize elements of importance including worldly power and holy might. As such, he was given five names. Five names! And these were not easy names like Tom, Mary or Penelope. They were confusing, nearly impossible to pronounce and filled with much mystery and debate.

To understand the complexity, King Tut’s titulary included a Prenomen or his throne name; a Horus used to symbolize his earthly embodiment of the God Horus; a Nebti which literally means “two ladies” and was used to show the king in relation to two goddesses; the Golden Horus or the name that represented the triumph of Horus over his uncle Seth; and the Nomen or the king’s birth name. Sounds simple enough, right? Well, this was Tut’s Golden Horus: Wetjeskhausehetepnetjeru Heqa-maat-sehetep-netjeru Wetjes-khau-itef-Re Wetjes-khau-Tjestawy-Im. Say that ten times fast.

And it doesn’t get any easier when you start to travel along King Tut’s tree. His wife was born Ankhesenpaaten and later renamed, Ankhesenamen. Her sisters were Meritaten and Meketaten. It is speculated that Meritaten may have served as a Pharaoh under the name, Ankhkheperure Neferneferuaten and I could go on and on. But I won’t, because I’m asking for your help. If you’re a King Tut fanatic, professor or student of ancient history or just someone who loves a great challenge, please help grow Tutankhamun’s family tree here on WikiTree. I need all the assistance I can get!

As I was looking over my history of contributions here on WikiTree, I began to wonder where genealogy – as a study and as a hobby - had its roots. In actuality man has always had a fascination with leaving traces of his (and her) existence behind. Think of the Paleolithic cave paintings dating back to 30,000 BCE or the intricate Greek and Egyptian hieroglyphs left to symbolize the tombs of ancient rulers including that of King Tut and like those found on a stone sarcophagus in Alexandria. Thought to have belonged to Alexander the Great, the hieroglyphs revealed the tomb of Egyptian ruler Nectanebo II when deciphered.

Centuries later, genealogy played a vital role in kinship and determining descendants of royalty. The heir to the thrones of Queen Elizabeth I, who never married, nor had any children, and King Charles II were both determined using genealogy. The English tradition of keeping family records would extend to the New World when the General Assembly of Virginia required that vital records be kept in the Colonies. Renewed interest in genealogy would emerge after notable events such as the American Revolution when Thomas Paine wrote the infamous editorial Common Sense and Word War II when General James Doolittle earned a Medal of Honor for planning and leading the notorious Doolittle Raid.

Because of its influence on culture and civilization, the world’s first genealogical society - The New England Historic Genealogical Society – was founded in 1845 only twenty years after the creation of Braille by Louis Braille and forty-five years before Flora (Florence) Darling Adams established the National Society of the Daughters of the American Revolution (DAR).

Even popular culture and technology have propelled genealogy into the limelight. The novel, Roots: The Saga of an American Family, and television mini-series of the same name, caused an uptick in genealogy interest in the late 1970s. And today – with the Internet firmly in place – people are flocking online to discover their ancestors and family origins using tools such as WikiTree. It’s a whole new world for tracking family history!

And these are the roots of genealogy - at least from this hobbyist’s perspective.

WikiTree has seen a flurry of activity the past few weeks with many cool, courageous, crazy and otherwise cantankerous figures from history popping up all over our clever, creative site! (I know – enough with the adjectives that start with ‘c’!)

This weekend I was immersed in tracing the routes of renowned English philosopher John Locke and eccentric US President James Madison, while others were busy recreating the ancestries of the revolutionary Thomas Paine, valley forging General Henry Knox and world conquering Alexander the Great.

But the history doesn’t stop there. Here’s a partial list of who’s new on WikiTree:

Dale Earnhardt (NASCAR racing legend)
Thomas Jefferson (third President of the United States)
John Hancock (famous signer of the Declaration of Independence)
Edward Hopper (American realist painter and printmaker)
General Robert E. Lee (Civil War general)
Charles Lindbergh (historic aviator)
Jackie Robinson (first African-American MLB player)
Orville and Wilbur Wright (brothers famous for building the world’s first successful aircraft)

If you have some knowledge of a particular individual’s ancestry, you are encouraged to add to their tree and biographical timeline. WikiTree is all about collaboration and creating knowledge together.

Aside from working on my own family time line, I have been busy adding two great historical figures to WikiTree. Please join me in welcoming King George III and Laura Ingalls Wilder to the WikiTree family! Both George and Laura have earned respectable spots in history - remembered for certain acts and achievements. George William Frederick holds the prestige of being one of the longest reigning monarchs to preside over the United Kingdom – born into a life of power, luxury and influence. Laura Ingalls Wilder, a celebrated author, was born into a pioneering family whose greatest treasures were simple – land, life and love. George lived in a vast palace; Laura a “Little House.” Under George III, the British Agricultural Revolution reached its peak. During Laura’s time agriculture was just as important – it was necessary for survival.

Although their lives were very different, George and Laura did share some common sentiments. They were each very committed to their spouses and were very family-oriented. So in essence, they have also earned their rightful spots here on WikiTree. Please share in their journeys by adding facts, names and photos to their family trees. It’s fun to relive history!

When it comes to history, I have a love for the Elizabethan Era or the Golden Age – which is the period associated with Queen Elizabeth I’s reign (1558–1603). She’s my hero and the one person that I would want to meet if I could travel back in time. I have started a tree for her historical family timeline here on WikiTree, and you are invited to share in this journey. Become a trustee over Elizabeth’s legacy!

On the flip side, I also enjoy traveling further back in time to Ancient Rome. The individuals I am most obsessed with from this period are Julius Caesar, Marc Antony and of course, the divine Cleopatra. Yes, she was an Egyptian queen – a goddess in her own right – but she had a remarkable way of capturing the eye and hearts of Roman men. Much mystery surrounds the dynasties that existed during the time that Rome transferred from a mere Republic to an extraordinary Empire. Part of this mystique surrounds a child.

If you are not familiar with the history of Cleopatra and Caesar, it is said that on 47 BC the queen gave birth to a son, Ptolemy Caesar who was also called Caesarion (meaning “little Caesar”). Although Cleopatra insisted the child was his, Caesar would not claim the boy as his heir – instead choosing his grand-nephew Octavian. This brings me to my so-called conundrum. There are a ton of family trees on the Internet depicting the family history of Caesar. None that I am aware of show Caesarion on his so-called father’s tree. Now, this really isn’t a showstopper because Octavian had Caesarion murdered before he had fathered any children. But placing the young Caesarion on the great Caesar’s tree would show some interesting relationships with Cleopatra’s extended family. Fascinating stuff! If only Doc Brown had created a reliable time machine!

Okay… So if you’ve read this far, you’re probably wondering why I am rambling on about these colorful figures from history and interested in seeing Caesar’s tree with Cleopatra brought into the mix. It’s actually got to do with your family tree. By fleshing out your roots, you never know who might appear on your timeline…or who should appear on it. Could you be an ancestor of the great Caesar? Is a long lost relative someone of prominence?

If you’re dying to find out whose bloodlines you’re connected to, get busy. Start recreating your family history here on WikiTree. It’s worth the journey. Just imagine the possibilities! Elvis…George Washington…Einstein. Wow.

As you might have guessed from the name, Arthur Guinness is best known for founding the Guinness Breweries in Ireland back in 1759. The name has stood the test of time and so has the brew. That’s why I thought I would venture into the history of this colorful man and construct his family tree here on WikiTree. What’s amazing to me is that many first names were used over and over again through the generations and the further on down the line we get the more names people had. For example, Arthur’s great-great-grandson was named Rupert Edward Cecil Lee Guinness. And what’s more is that the Guinness Tree is quite lush, with many individuals having five or more children. This serves as a great example for those of you with large, extended families.

And please, if you are part of the Guinness heritage or have some knowledge of this amazing family, please add to the tree. It could sure use some more growth.

Aside from wikis, social networking and German Shepherds, my greatest passion in life is the history of Queen Elizabeth I. She stands for everything royal, strong and admirable. As Queen, Elizabeth managed to overcome all adversaries. Her reign in fact is considered one of England’s most notable periods, dubbed the Elizabethan or Golden Age. This weekend I have been busy creating Queen Elizabeth I’s family tree here on WikiTree. It has been an honor and a privilege. If you are just starting out here, I encourage you to stop by and take a peek. It’s a great example that can be used as a basis for building your own family history.

And please… If you have something to add to the life and times of the Virgin Queen, please do. This is a wiki and I’d - she’d - love the help.