Talk:Find A Grave

Find A Grave is an online database of over 20 million burial records. Readers of Family Tree Magazine voted it one of the top 25 genealogy websites they couldn't live without.

The website was founded in 1995 by Jim Tipton. He could not find an existing site that catered to his hobby of visiting the graves of famous people so he decided to create Find A Grave. Initially the site listed only celebrities, famous or infamous (the definition of which site administrators had changed frequently, generally referring to individuals who had received recognition in a broad spectrum, i.e., individuals known to people around the world or famous in activity or field with a global following).

With the turn of the millennium, Tipton opened the site to non-famous memorials, thus creating a genealogical data base that has helped hundreds of people searching for family records. The site's FAQ states, "We strive for a comprehensive listing of the burial places of everyone in the world...It is of great historical importance to have a record of all those who have been a part of our collective humanity. Burial information is a wonderful resource for people researching their families (genealogists). Most importantly, visiting a gravesite is a way of keeping the memory of someone alive."

In expanding the scope of gravesites covered, the site inculcated a community of individuals who have reached out to one another after the loss of family members and friends. With the growing impact of the site, Tipton created an online forum on the site to encourage communication.

Source: Wikipedia