FamilySearch International, a global nonprofit, is celebrating 130 years of revolutionizing family discovery and connection.
Following its founding as the Genealogical Society of Utah on November 13, 1894, the organization has been committed to inspiring people everywhere to connect with their family — across generations, past, present, and future. FamilySearch continues to make significant strides in fulfilling that mission.
FamilySearch milestones in recent years
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- In 2021, FamilySearch completed the monumental feat of digitizing its 2.4 million rolls of microfilm containing historical genealogical records from 200+ countries and principalities and making them easily viewable online through a new image viewer. The free online collections provide patrons with easy access to information for more than 11 billion ancestors.
- FamilySearch began using Artificial Intelligence advancements to help index its billions of newly digitized, historical genealogical documents more quickly. The AI is being trained to read ancient handwriting from digital copies of old records in a growing number of languages, enabling quicker record searches and more discoveries. Online volunteers help refine the accuracy of the AI’s output and record indexes by using FamilySearch’s new Get Involved tool.
- RootsTech by FamilySearch, the premier global family discovery event, began offering free online access to its classes during the global pandemic, further expanding the reach of the conference to millions of participants worldwide. The 2024 event attracted nearly five million online attendees, and participants made more than 350 million family connections.
FamilySearch stands as the largest global genealogical organization, with more than 1.5 billion people in its collaborative online family tree. It has more than 18 billion searchable historical records and images today — a three-fold increase since 2019. In addition, there are more than 6,000 FamilySearch centres around the world.
Steve Rockwood, FamilySearch CEO, said, “FamilySearch is all about building relationships — helping each of us discover more about ourselves and our family connections. We invite individuals worldwide to utilize our free services to preserve and share the fond family memories that are in their minds and hearts. We are honored to help make these joyful and inspirational family discoveries happen at an accelerated pace and are excited for the future. The best is yet to come.”
