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Where were your ancestors in 1898?

The California Genealogical Society celebrates its 125th anniversary this year, and we have a number of special events going on. The Fall 2023 issue of The California Nugget will include some special content, and we invite YOU, our members, to participate! How? Just tell us what your ancestors were doing in 1898 (or thereabouts). It can be as short as a sentence or two. Longer anecdotes are also welcome. Our members have a great diversity of backgrounds–this is an opportunity to show a little of that diversity.

To submit an item, we invite you to explore the who, what, where, and why of your family history. You might consider:

Where was my ancestor in (or about) 1898?

What were they doing? (in their personal or professional lives)

What was the context in your family history? – i.e., an ancestor was born, married, or died; was running a family business; had recently immigrated or was getting ready to move; had recently lived through a big event, or would soon face a turn of events that would influence their lives.

To share a story, or for more information, email [email protected] We’d like to have your story by August 1st for inclusion in the Nugget.

Did you know …? Some events that occurred in 1898 were:

  • The Spanish-American War was waged from April to December 1898.
  • The Dreyfus Affair in France exploded with the publication of Emile Zola’s famous “J’Accuse!” letter
  • Scientists Marie and Pierre Curie discovered the elements polonium and radium
  • San Francisco-born Wong Kim Ark fought and won his right to U.S. citizenship
  • China agreed to lease the Hong Kong territories to Britain for a 99-year period
  • The U.S.A. formally annexed the Hawaiian Islands
  • San Francisco adopted its first city charter, and a group of residents formed the California Genealogical Society!
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