Begin with the basic ones like dates (of birth, marriages and death), family names and first names (use of paternal last name, name after marriage, Chinese last names, middle names and nicknames, etc), occupations and places. After gathering all these, read on for the free stuff offered on genealogical sites: Genealogical forms for downloading like charts as basis for the family tree, calendar (used for research), forms for note taking, deed indexes (grantors and grantees), checklist for libraries or archives the researcher visited), journals and worksheets for research, table of contents, index for marriages (statewide), and vital records. Country Search- countries under this category are Australia, European countries, Canada, New Zealand and the United States. SSDI (Social Security Death Index)- there are several search fields such as the social itself, surname search, middle name, first name, last recorded residence, date of birth, last benefit and date of death. You can also ask for copies of certificates from the Bureau of Vital Statistics. And don t forget your local library. Get in touch with organizations that conduct genealogical research and historical societies. There are also private institutions you can get in touch with. If you have an ancestor who was a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of the Latter-day Saints, then you're in luck. Americans can trace their family records to as far back as the arrival of the settlers, as long as records are intact. If you have foreign roots, you might have a little difficulty since records may have been lost or destroyed or written in a foreign language. Unless of course, you have British roots. When everything is finished, the individual can look back and see how far the genealogy tree extends. After all, a certain part of who the person is today is made up of something in the past making everyone unique. Instead of just keeping that information to oneself, the person can put it online so other members can also view it. org They have all the right to claim that they have the largest compilation of free family tree, records on genealogy and family history in the whole world. This site offers resources for African-American genealogy, listing of the family history sites (found in LDS meeting houses or chapels) that are nearest to the researcher s home, basics of genealogy, guides and maps.