In August, Greek Ancestry made a significant addition to its database, releasing an impressive 38,000 Military List records. These records, dating back to the 1880s and encompassing the entire country within its 1881 borders, offer valuable insights. Each record includes the soldier's name and father's name, along with details about their area of origin and often additional information about their military service.

With the inclusion of these new records, the extensive collection hosted on our website has now grown to a remarkable total of 1,327,712 historical records. This expansion opens up exciting opportunities for individuals to delve deeper into their genealogical research and uncover more about their family's history and connections.

A genealogist's summer is a delightful blend of research, discovery, and outdoor exploration. As the sun bathes the world in warmth, we genealogists often find ourselves in archives and libraries, meticulously sifting through old records, dusty manuscripts, and faded photographs. However, summer also offers the chance to venture beyond the confines of the archive. We embark on research journeys to the hometowns of our clients, visiting local churches and meeting local historians. Whether poring over census data in the cool comfort of a research facility or tracing family tree branches beneath the shade of ancient trees, a genealogist's summer is a season filled with a deep connection to the past and the joy of unraveling the threads of family history.

This summer, the Greek Ancestry team embarked on captivating journeys to Chania, Hydra, Kalamata, Siatista, Sparta, Thessaloniki, and Zakynthos! Soon, we will regale you with fascinating stories and insights gleaned from our research in these diverse locales.

Simultaneously, we had the privilege of welcoming to our office numerous genealogy and family history enthusiasts from abroad, drawn to Greece to explore their ancestral roots. Their passion and enthusiasm were a breath of fresh air amidst the sweltering Athenian heat!

The road leading to Theologos winds around a verdant mountain, filled with thousands of olive trees. [...] The homes of the families are constructed of stone, and they are literally built into the mountainside. The plateia appears to have the only flat surface in the village. What I love most about returning to the village is to gather with my cousins of the Zacharakis family.

I love these dear people and am so very grateful for their kinship and friendship. Being together in an ancestral village brings a feeling of generational connectedness. Our ancestors walked these streets, built the churches, and gathered in the plateia. Now it is our turn.

Greek Ancestry's friend -and author of several Yiayia & Me articles- Dr George P. Zimmar, has just published a memoir titled "Go With The Fat Cats: A Greek American Youth in Pursuit of Identity and Love."

In the introduction, we read: "For a struggling Greek American immigrant family, the fat cats where those with more education, more security, more well-being, more assets, more integration into the American way of life. Succeeding in whatever they did was a reality that immigrants endeavored to achieve if not for themselves, for their children. [...]

From 47th Street Memories, Tales of Park Manor Sweet Shop, to Travels with My Sister and Wild Berries at Delphi, fat cats large and small are encountered along the way in this memoir that probes the essence of ethnic identity. [...] My loving ambivalence of my Greekness is the thread that runs through this memoir."

Legacy Family Tree Webinars is the world’s most popular webinar website for genealogy and DNA testing, where you can enjoy a robust offering of live and recorded webinars presented by top speakers!

On June 21st, Gregory Kontos, founder of Greek Ancestry, gave his second webinar for LFT titled "Greece's Top 5 Types of Genealogy Records." To access Gregory's webinars on LFT click here.

By consulting this Guide, one can navigate the complexities of Greek genealogy and find the correct resources to both access and request relevant documentation for his or her ancestors. It is the beginning of an exciting journey of discovery—and love.