Start Here: Be a Family History Detective

Learning about your family is a lot like being a detective. Instead of solving a mystery in a storybook, you look for clues in real life. Names, dates, places, photos, and memories all help you discover how people in your family are connected.

What Is Family History?

Family history is the story of the people you are related to and the lives they lived. It includes:

Who your parents, grandparents, and great-grandparents are
Where they lived and worked
Important events in their lives
Traditions, recipes, hobbies, and favorite memories

How You Can Be a Family Detective

Detectives ask questions, look for clues, and write down what they find. You can do the same thing with your family history:

Ask questions: Talk with a parent, grandparent, or another relative. Ask where they grew up, what school was like, and what they remember from when they were young.
Look for clues: Old photos, letters, family Bibles, certificates, and yearbooks can all hold information about your family.
Write things down: Use a notebook, a family journal, or one of the forms on this site so you do not forget what you discover.

What You Might Discover

As you explore, you might find answers to questions like:

Who was the first person in my family to live in Kentucky?
What jobs did my grandparents or great-grandparents do?
What holidays or traditions were important to my family in the past?
How has my family changed over time?

Where to Go Next

These pages will help you keep going with your detective work:

How to Build Your First Family Tree – learn how to put your family on paper.
Activities – try projects like a big wall family tree, a family scrapbook, journal, or timeline.
Finding Clues in Old Records – see how to read photos, gravestones, and other records for information.
Staying Safe on the Internet – important rules to follow when you are online.

You do not need to know everything at once. Start with one small clue, ask a few questions, and let your family's story grow from there.