National Archives

WALTHAM - Charles Martin is 76 now, but he can still picture the street he lived on as a young boy in Winston-Salem, N.C. It was a short dirt road, he recalled, that ran by a brickyard that turned the dirt red. Martin never knew just when his family left the South for Massachusetts. But with Monday's release of the 1940 Census, the largest collection of digitized records ever released by the National Archives, Martin and millions of others who are interested in their ancestry will be able to find answers online.

WASHINGTON - Meticulous record keeping by a retired radio engineer helped uncover a thief ripping off the National Archives, the country's most important repository of records. When J. David Goldin saw the recorded interview of baseball great Babe Ruth for sale on eBay he knew something was wrong. There was only one original record of that 1937 interview of Ruth, and Goldin had donated it to a government archive more than 30 years ago. Now someone was auctioning it off, the winning bid just $34.75.

WASHINGTON - The man entrusted with America's documentary heritage - including the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution - learned the value of book collections in a North Beverly, Mass., flower shop called Conte's. The shop doubled as the town's library. Two shelves nestled among the lilies and roses represented the entire book selection. "I can still remember sitting on the floor surrounded by flowers and choosing the books I was going to read," said David Ferriero.

When J. David Goldin saw the recorded interview of baseball great Babe Ruth for sale on eBay he knew something was wrong. There was only one original record of that 1937 interview of Ruth on a hunting trip, and Goldin had donated it to a government archive more than 30 years ago. Now someone was auctioning it off, the winning bid just $34.75. "I took one look at the record label and I said, 'holy smokes, that's my record,"' said the retired radio engineer. From his home in Connecticut, filled with antique radios and tape reels, Goldin launched an amateur sleuthing effort that...

WASHINGTON - National Archives visitors know they’ll find the Declaration of Independence, the US Constitution, and the Bill of Rights in the main building’s magnificent rotunda in Washington. But they won’t find the patent file for the Wright Brothers’ Flying Machine or the maps for the first atomic bomb missions anywhere in the Archives inventory. Many historical items the Archives once possessed are missing, including: Civil War telegrams from Abraham Lincoln.

SAN MARINO, Calif. — Documents that historians say laid the legal groundwork for the execution of 6 million Jews during the Holocaust were turned over to the National Archives yesterday. The Huntington Library has had charge of the four pages since General George S. Patton deposited them there at the end of World War II. Patton, who disobeyed orders when he spirited them out of Germany, grew up in San Marino and was friends with Huntington officials. US Archivist David Ferriero said he hoped to put the Nuremberg Laws on display in Washington...

The regional National Archives and Records Administration facility at 380 Trapelo Road is holding a special program, "Finding Our Jewish Ancestors," at 6 p.m. Thursday. Meredith Hoffman, who has been doing genealogy research for more than 20 years with a focus on Jewish family history, will present a lecture titled "How to Find Your Jewish Great-Grandparents, Even Though You Know It's Impossible," and a National Archives staff member will describe the ways that people can find ancestors.

KANSAS CITY, Mo. - Millions of files containing detailed information about US immigrants - including their spouses' names, as well as personal photographs and letters - will soon become available to the public through a federal facility in suburban Kansas City. Preservationists had been worried that the documents providing an important picture of immigration after 1944 would be lost because the federal government considered them temporary and could have destroyed them after 75 years.

Elvis Aaron Presley (1935-1977) was a rock 'n' roll pioneer, with fans worldwide that refuse to forget him. His unique sound was influenced by country music, gospel singing, and rhythm and blues. Find out why he's still the King of Rock 'n' Roll at the following sites. Elvis.com: The Official Site www.elvis.com "Welcome to Elvis Presley's official web site, home of the undisputed King of Rock 'n' Roll and his beloved Graceland Mansion in Memphis, Tennessee!" Although much of the site deals with visiting Graceland, there are great clicks for virtual visitors in...

WASHINGTON -- US archivist Allen Weinstein will make his first visit to the privately run Richard Nixon Library & Birthplace this week to seek assurances about the facility's commitment to professionalizing its operations before it receives federal funding and Nixon's publicly held archives. "We have to raise everyone's comfort level to the fact that things are being done to honor that agreement," Weinstein said in an interview last week. "And that's what I'm looking for. I want my own comfort level raised.

WALTHAM - Charles Martin is 76 now, but he can still picture the street he lived on as a young boy in Winston-Salem, N.C. It was a short dirt road, he recalled, that ran by a brickyard that turned the dirt red. Martin never knew just when his family left the South for Massachusetts. But with Monday's release of the 1940 Census, the largest collection of digitized records ever released by the National Archives, Martin and millions of others who are interested in their ancestry will be able to find answers online.

WASHINGTON - The man entrusted with America's documentary heritage - including the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution - learned the value of book collections in a North Beverly, Mass., flower shop called Conte's. The shop doubled as the town's library. Two shelves nestled among the lilies and roses represented the entire book selection. "I can still remember sitting on the floor surrounded by flowers and choosing the books I was going to read," said David Ferriero.

The regional National Archives and Records Administration facility at 380 Trapelo Road is holding a special program, "Finding Our Jewish Ancestors," at 6 p.m. Thursday. Meredith Hoffman, who has been doing genealogy research for more than 20 years with a focus on Jewish family history, will present a lecture titled "How to Find Your Jewish Great-Grandparents, Even Though You Know It's Impossible," and a National Archives staff member will describe the ways that people can find ancestors.

The Sargent Memorial Library will present "Teddy Roosevelt: Mind, Body, and Spirit," at 7 p.m. on Tuesday. Actor and author Ted Zalewski combines history, drama, and humor to give voice to many of Roosevelt's own words, writings, and beliefs. A video of Zalewski's performance has been placed in the National Archives in Washington D.C. He has appeared at a number of presidential libraries, the White House, the Smithsonian Institution, and the National Theater. The program is sponsored by the Friends of Boxborough Library.

KIDS "MONKEY KING: A CHINESE NEW YEAR SPECIAL PERFORMANCE" Behind the Mask Theatre and puppeteer Margaret Moody of Galapagos Puppets combine forces to present characters from Chinese mythology. Celebrate the Chinese New Year with puppetry, storytelling, and masks. Jan. 21 at 2 p.m. $5 ( recommended for ages 5 and older; present your Monkey King tickets for $2 off museum admission before or after the show). Harvard's Geological Lecture Hall, 24 Oxford St., Cambridge. 617-495-3216.

PICK OF THE DAY Frank talk During his long career, US Representative Barney Frank has been nothing if not outspoken. We imagine his impending exit from Washington won't change that. See for yourself at Truth, Lies and Politics, a panel discussion featuring Frank, journalist Robert Kuttner, and Father J. Bryan Hehir. Author Leonard Fein moderates the program exploring the relationship (or lack thereof) between politicians and truth-telling. Jan. 3, 7:30 p.m. $15, $12 students and seniors.

The Sargent Memorial Library will present "Teddy Roosevelt: Mind, Body, and Spirit," at 7 p.m. on Tuesday. Actor and author Ted Zalewski combines history, drama, and humor to give voice to many of Roosevelt's own words, writings, and beliefs. A video of Zalewski's performance has been placed in the National Archives in Washington D.C. He has appeared at a number of presidential libraries, the White House, the Smithsonian Institution, and the National Theater. The program is sponsored by the Friends of Boxborough Library.

WASHINGTON - Before she became a famed chef, Julia Child shared a secret with Arthur Schlesinger Jr. and former Red Sox catcher Moe Berg at a time when the Nazis threatened the world. They served in an international spy ring managed by the Office of Strategic Services, an early version of the CIA created in World War II by President Franklin D. Roosevelt. Details of their service come out today with the release of all the names and previously classified files identifying nearly 24,000 spies who formed the first centralized intelligence effort by the United States.

Elvis Aaron Presley (1935-1977) was a rock 'n' roll pioneer, with fans worldwide that refuse to forget him. His unique sound was influenced by country music, gospel singing, and rhythm and blues. Find out why he's still the King of Rock 'n' Roll at the following sites. Elvis.com: The Official Site www.elvis.com "Welcome to Elvis Presley's official web site, home of the undisputed King of Rock 'n' Roll and his beloved Graceland Mansion in Memphis, Tennessee!" Although much of the site deals with visiting Graceland, there are great clicks for virtual visitors in About the King.