Serendipity is Now on GenealogyToday.com!

This project is a collection of unique stories submitted by genealogists about their most surprising research discoveries. Serendipity has been in operation since September of 1996!

"After spending time with other genealogists at the local genealogy libraries and online, I came to realize that we all love to talk about the odd little things that happen to us while we are researching our past," commented Joanne Rabun, creator of Serendipity. "There are books out there on the subject, but I didn't see a place online for researchers to share their experiences."

Interesting stories like: a failed cemetery search ends in a major discovery when their car breaks down in front of an ancestor's grave; or a researcher finds an elusive relative when he bumps a microfiche reader and finds them indexed under the wrong name; or a woman studying land records discovers that her own house is on the same land her family once owned!

"These stories highlight the often mysterious side of genealogy, " explained Illya D'Addezio, owner of the GenealogyToday.com web site. "I was amazed when reading some of the articles; it's interesting to see how some researchers found their roots purely by accident."

Enter Serendipity