Creating a timeline for your ancestor is critical. If you know where they were at specific times you can then research in the correct jurisdictions to find possible records. If you see a migration pattern in their movements you can then back them up in time using known migration routes which might give you a place of origin. You can investigate other people in the same area at the same time who might be related in some way. Entering events is how you create this important timeline. The vital events (birth, baptism, death, and burial) have their own fields so you will not be entering these as custom events. All events are entered on the Individual's Information screen.
Click the Add button over on the right and you will see the event entry screen. If you click the drop down arrow next to the Event/Fact field you will see the default events that Legacy comes with but you can also easily add your own event name by typing it in the field. Legacy will auto fill if you already have that event in your list. You can mouse click on the Event/Fact: label and Legacy will fill in the last event you used.
You may or may not need the description field depending on the event. You then add the date of the event (if known) and the place where it occurred (if known). If you right mouse click the date or place field name it will give you a list of the last ten things you used. The place field will also auto fill as you are typing if you have already used that place and it is on your Master Location List. You also have a place to add notes at the bottom. All of Legacy's note fields can have up to one million characters. I had to reduce the size of the window for the screenshots. Your screens will have more room.
I am going to show you a few examples of events from my personal file. It is important to understand that different people will enter events differently so what you see is just the way I do it.
You can also add an address, sources, and media files to an event.
Legacy has two ways to save you a lot of time and help you make sure that your events are consistent. You can Copy and Paste events to other people or you can Share events with other people. Which method you choose is a matter of personal preference and you might decide to use one way for some events and the other way for others. One thing you will want to consider is how the events will read out in reports. The two methods produce different outputs. You can try each method and run sample reports to see which one works better for you. When you copy and paste you are creating an exact duplicate of the event that will be added to the other person's timeline. When you share an event you are able to add roles for the other people (how they participated in the event).
To copy an event you will click the copy icon, navigate to the person who needs the event, click the Add button, and then click the paste icon.
To share an event you will click the Share Event button over on the right.
If you chose "Select from the Name List" you will see a familiar screen where you can choose one or more people you want to share the event with by putting a check mark next to their name. Legacy helps you out by putting the immediate family over on the right so that you don't have to hunt for them (first screenshot). You use the "Just enter the name of a person" when the person is unknown to you and they are not in your file. For example, a marriage license that lists a witness whom you do not know (second screenshot).
There are more advanced options on these screens as well as in reports that will help you refine how you want your events to appear but the information you have now is enough to get you started on the right foot creating comprehensive timelines for your ancestors.
View a Compilation of all Legacy 101 articles.
For video tech tips check out the Legacy Quick Tips page. These short videos will make it easy for you to learn all sort of fun and interesting ways to look at your genealogy research.
Michele Simmons Lewis, CG® is part of the Legacy Family Tree team at MyHeritage. She handles the enhancement suggestions that come in from our users as well as writing for Legacy News. You can usually find her hanging out on the Legacy User Group Facebook page answering questions and posting tips.
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