Megan SmolenyakBarry Manilow Is a Limerick ManHow name changing hid his Irish heritageMar 3, 2021Mar 3, 2021
Megan SmolenyakTim Walz of the Tomhaggard DoylesHow a Solitary Tombstone in Wisconsin Solved the Mystery of His Irish OriginsSep 14, 2024A response icon9Sep 14, 2024A response icon9
Megan SmolenyakTaylor Swift’s Formidable Female ForebearsThanks to this mother-daughter duo, she’s got cousins around the globeFeb 23, 2024Feb 23, 2024
Megan SmolenyakMeg Ryan’s Rusyn RootsBig Screen Po-NashomuOct 30, 2023A response icon4Oct 30, 2023A response icon4
Megan SmolenyakMeg Ryan’s Irish HeritageShe’s going back to her acting roots, so I took a dive into her ancestral ones.Oct 23, 2023A response icon1Oct 23, 2023A response icon1
Megan Smolenyak6 Things You Didn’t Know about Hannah Waddingham’s RootsManx, Music, Military, Moxie and MoreMay 17, 2023A response icon2May 17, 2023A response icon2
Megan SmolenyakCut from the Same Cloth: Joe Biden and Stephen Colbert Share More than Their Irish HeritageGenealogy has been an unexpected door-opener for me leading to many “Who the hell let me in here?” moments over the years — not the least…Apr 11, 2023A response icon1Apr 11, 2023A response icon1
Megan SmolenyakOn the Prowl for Bruce Springsteen’s Irish RootsA genealogist digs into the iconic artist’s Emerald Isle pastApr 14, 2018A response icon2Apr 14, 2018A response icon2
Megan SmolenyakPhilip Reed, The Enslaved Man Who Rescued FreedomThis is an updated version of an article that was first published in the May/June 2009 issue of Ancestry (pages 54–56), which has become…Jan 10, 2021Jan 10, 2021
Megan SmolenyakThe Multicultural Family Tree of Bruno MarsWhich of the following describes the heritage of Peter Gene Hernandez, better known as Bruno Mars?Dec 7, 2017A response icon1Dec 7, 2017A response icon1
Megan Smolenyak10 Things You Didn’t Know about Rachel Maddow’s RootsAs both a genealogist and TRMS viewer, I suppose it was inevitable that I would peek into Rachel Maddow’s past, and now seems a fitting…Dec 7, 2017A response icon3Dec 7, 2017A response icon3
Megan SmolenyakHow Katy Perry’s Irish Ancestress Cashed in on California’s Gold RushShe came from a gold-obsessed family, so perhaps it wasn’t so surprising when the treasure bag was found in Hannah’s water closet, but what…Mar 11, 2018Mar 11, 2018
Megan SmolenyakThe Amazing Women in Stephen Colbert’s Family TreeIt was a damp morning in late February 2008 when the phone rang. Harvard scholar and PBS host Henry Louis “Skip” Gates, Jr. was calling…Mar 29, 2018A response icon3Mar 29, 2018A response icon3
Megan Smolenyak7 Things You Didn’t Know about Prince’s RootsIt’s still hard to believe that Prince Rogers Nelson — better known simply as Prince — is no longer with us, though his music and talent…Jun 7, 2018A response icon3Jun 7, 2018A response icon3
Megan SmolenyakA Tribute to Anthony Bourdain and His Wild, Vagabond RootsHe never knew it, of course, but Anthony Bourdain and I ever-so-lightly crossed paths once. Several years ago, he wrote about a…Jun 8, 2018A response icon3Jun 8, 2018A response icon3
Megan SmolenyakJimmy Fallon’s Family TreeStill in his early 40s, Jimmy Fallon has an impressive track record to look back on. His combined tenure at Saturday Night Live, Late Night…Jul 5, 2018A response icon1Jul 5, 2018A response icon1
Megan SmolenyakThe Roots Recipe for Betty WhiteBetty White, now 96 years old, graced us all with her presence at the Emmys. Mischievous and beautiful as ever, she was honored for her…Sep 18, 2018Sep 18, 2018
Megan SmolenyakLin-Manuel Miranda’s Revolutionary AncestorsUncovering a dramatic multiracial love story in the “Hamilton” creator’s pastNov 25, 2018A response icon1Nov 25, 2018A response icon1
