Last week's to-do item was to create a timeline of your life and record your memories. This week, choose an ancestor and plot his or her life on a historical timeline. Check out online resources like this Chicago Timeline online at the Chicago Public Library website and local history books to learn about local events that would have impacted your ancestor's life. Then write short narratives that you can later include in your family history. In addition to livening up your family history, seeing your ancestor in the context of the times and places in which they lived can also give you new clues for your research.

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