Discovering Family Events with On This Day
See which family events - births, marriages, and deaths - happened on today\'s date in history, connecting you to your ancestors in a personal way.
What is On This Day?
On This Day shows family events that occurred on today's date throughout history. If your great-grandmother was born on March 15, 1892, and today is March 15, you'll see her birthday highlighted.
It's a daily connection to your ancestors that makes family history personal and memorable.
Events shown
The feature displays events matching today's day and month:
- Births: Ancestors born on this date
- Marriages: Weddings that took place on this date
- Deaths: Ancestors who passed on this date
- Other events: Baptisms, burials, and other recorded events
Each event shows the person's name, the year, and their relationship to your Home Person (if set).
Why it matters for research
Beyond the personal connection, On This Day can:
- Inspire research: Seeing an ancestor's event might prompt you to look for their records
- Social sharing: Share an ancestor's anniversary with family members
- Context building: Understanding which events coincided with historical dates
- Data verification: If you see an unexpected event, it might indicate a data entry error worth checking
Requirements for accuracy
For On This Day to work well, your GEDCOM data needs:
- Full dates: Day, month, and year (not just year)
- Correct date format: Standard GEDCOM format like "15 MAR 1892"
- Avoid estimates: "ABT 1892" won't match a specific day
The Vital Sharpener can help you identify records with incomplete dates that could be improved.