Breaking News: Best Web Sites for 2009

The 101 Best Web Sites for 2009 are now at Family Tree Magazine.

If our ancestors had swung down from the trees with six fingers on each hand, we'd probably be counting by dozens. But thanks to humanity's development of 10 fingers and 10 toes, we count things in 10s, group the years in decades and celebrate anniversaries ending in 0—such as this 10th annual installment of Family Tree Magazine's 101 Best Web Sites.

We're marking the occasion by honoring 10 categories of 10 noteworthy sites each (plus one to make 101, of course). With this 10th roundup of meritorious sites, we've also sought to break the mold a bit and encompass more of the "Web 2.0" sites that are paving the way for changes in online genealogy over the next 10 years. Something had to give, however, to keep our count at a manageable 101, so we've omitted some old favorites—still worth bookmarking, nonetheless—and several excellent foreign research sites of interest to genealogists with that particular ancestry.

This year the categories are (see the lists here):

10 Best Web Sites to See Dead People:Use these sites to find obituaries, cemeteries and other traces of your departed ancestors.

10 Best Web Sites for Vital Records:These are the best searchable databases of vital records from health departments, historical societies and state archives.

10 Best Web Sites for Storing and Sharing: Sharing your family history just got easier with these Web sites that let you create a family tree, store pictures and more.

10 Best Big Web Sites: You're sure to find information about your family in these stellar genealogy Web sites.

10 Best Web Sites for Maps: Trace your family's paths, find your ancestors' homes and explore the old country.

10 Best Web Sites for Local Searches:You can thank your lucky stars if your ancestors resided in the areas these Web sites cover.

10 Best Web Sites for International Searches: Tracking down immigrant ancestors has never been easier.

10 Best Cutting-edge Web Sites: Stay informed about the latest technology for genealogists with these sites.

10 Best Web Sites for Military Research: Find ancestors who served their country in these databases.

10 Best Virtual Library Web Sites: Powerful search tools let you explore great library collections in the comfort of your own home.

There are numerous new sites in each category.