We’re excited to announce the publication of four new historical record collections on MyHeritage, containing 95 million structured marriage records extracted from newspaper pages on OldNews.com. These collections cover the United States, Australia, Canada, and New Zealand, and include announcements of marriages, engagements, marriage licenses, and divorces.
The records were extracted from newspaper articles using advanced AI technology developed by MyHeritage. The new collections are searchable on MyHeritage, with direct links to view the full newspaper pages on OldNews.com.
Search United States, Marriages from Newspapers on OldNews.com
Search Australia, Marriages from Newspapers on OldNews.com
Search Canada, Marriages from Newspapers on OldNews.com
Search New Zealand, Marriages from Newspapers on OldNews.com
What can you find in these collections?
The records in these collections were published in newspapers from across the U.S., Australia, Canada, and New Zealand. They typically include the names of the bride and groom, the date and place of the marriage, names of relatives or witnesses, and the date and place of publication. Each record also includes the name of the newspaper, a snippet of text from the original article, and a helpful summary of the article generated automatically by AI.
Some records may contain additional details such as the birthplaces and residences of the bride and groom, the names of their parents, and even the names of individuals who participated in the wedding — such as bridesmaids, groomsmen, the officiant, or those who gave toasts or gifts. Clicking through from the record opens the full newspaper page on OldNews.com, where you can view the complete article in its original context.
These structured collections are indexed and searchable, making it easier than ever to find important life events, even when names are spelled differently or mentioned in passing. MyHeritage users will soon start receiving Record Matches from these important collections for individuals in their family trees.
Some examples of extracted marriage records
The record below is from the Canada, Marriages from Newspapers on OldNews.com collection. It features the 1928 wedding of my great-grandparents, Nathan Beecher and Annie Margolick. Finding this record was especially meaningful to me, as I work on the MyHeritage team and love seeing my own family history come to life through our collections.
The announcement was published in The Canadian Jewish Chronicle on June 15, 1928, in Montreal, Quebec, Canada.
The marriage took place the day before, on June 14, 1928, in Montreal. The groom, Nathan Beecher, was the son of N. Beecher and Mrs. Beecher. The bride, Annie Margolick, was the daughter of J. Margolick and Mrs. Margolick. The wedding was officiated by Rabbi Berger, and Annie was given away by her father, J. Margolick. After the ceremony, the couple left for their honeymoon on the coast — most likely referring to the Atlantic coast.
Clicking “View full newspaper page” opens the full article on OldNews.com, where you can explore the complete original page as it appeared in 1928.
The following divorce record is from the United States, Marriages from Newspapers on OldNews.com collection. It was extracted from The Champaign Democrat, published on October 5, 1920, in Urbana, Champaign, Ohio.
The structured record extracted from this article includes the couple’s marriage year and place, the divorce date and location, the names and residences of both parties at the time, the name of their daughter, and the names of Mary’s parents.
Clicking on “View full newspaper page” opens the complete article on OldNews.com, where users can read the full original story as it appeared in 1920.
The article tells the story of Mary Blevins, later known as Mary Linaweaver, who appeared in court seeking a divorce after a marriage that began in 1916 and ended in hardship.
Mary testified that her husband had already been married to another woman at the time of their wedding and had since abandoned her and their daughter. She requested a divorce, the restoration of her maiden name, and custody of their child. The court granted all 3. Remarkably, Mary was in such poor health that she had to be brought to the courtroom in a taxi and assisted to the witness stand, where she spoke so softly that the judge had to move closer to hear her testimony. She was represented in court by attorney Frank Miller.
This record wasn’t taken from a formal marriage or divorce announcement — it came from a routine news article describing the day’s court proceedings in detail. MyHeritage’s AI was able to identify and extract all relevant information and present it as a searchable genealogical record.
Another record, this one from Australia, Marriages from Newspapers on OldNews.com collection, documents the wedding of Lieutenant Charles Massey, M.M., and Elizabeth (Bessie) Johns, née McDougall.
The structured record includes the couple’s names, residences, wedding date and location, and their travel to Armadale. It also captures Charles Massey’s military service, names of relatives and wedding participants, and the reception location at the Wattle Tea Rooms on St. George’s Terrace.
When viewing the full article on OldNews.com, you discover much more than just the formal announcement. The article describes the event as a “very quite [sic], pretty military wedding,” with an amusing typo in the first line that adds to its period charm. The tone is warm and descriptive, even gently humorous at times. The bride is said to have worn “a very smart cream voile costume” with “white georgette hat and white silk net nose veil,” and carried a “novel idea” — using her 3-diamond engagement ring to draw back her veil. Her posy of orange blossom and violets matched the bridesmaid’s outfit, a handmade Swiss muslin frock trimmed with lace and touches of yellow.
The groom’s gift to the bride was a silver manicure set, while the bride gave him a silver-mounted dressing case. The best man received a silver-mounted ebony walking stick. After the ceremony, guests enjoyed what the article calls a “dainty breakfast” at the Wattle Tea Rooms, and the couple left for a honeymoon through Armadale, Bunbury, and the Caves, planning to return to Boulder as their home.
Imagine discovering this level of detail about your ancestors and their wedding day — attire, travel, gifts, floral arrangements, even table toasts — just by searching their names.
How much does searching the collection cost?
Searching through these new collections on MyHeritage is free. To view the full record details, including the extracted information and snippet from the article, you’ll need a Data, Complete, or Omni subscription. To view the full newspaper page and article text on OldNews.com, an Omni plan (or OldNews Pro subscription) is required.
A new era for newspaper-based family history research
These four new collections complement existing marriage records on MyHeritage by capturing key life events — such as marriages, engagements, and divorces — from newspaper pages. They offer valuable genealogical insights and represent a significant step forward in transforming newspaper pages into searchable, structured records.
The collections will continue to grow as we extract more data from newly digitized newspapers, and we plan to add the U.K. soon — with more countries to follow. Stay tuned!
The post Major Update: 95 Million Marriage Records Extracted From Newspapers Using Advanced AI Now on MyHeritage appeared first on MyHeritage Blog.
Source: My Heritage
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