Putting together a personal or family history can overwhelming.  Where do you start?

Geneaology

Ancestry.com is a good place to start.  If you believe you will be pursuing your family history in great depth, then by all means pay for Ancestry’s subscription.  However, if you’re only interested in a specific relative, Ancestry.com offers a free trial membership.  Write down all of the names you would like to look up regarding that relative, sign up for the free trial, research the heck out of the site, then cancel the trial before it ends.

Photographs

One of those “rainy day” projects, loose photographs can lie in shoeboxes, etc. for years, until someone has the energy and inclination to place them in photo albums. 

Most important, however, is identifying who are in the photographs. Do not assume that 20 years from now anyone is going to have any idea who those people were.  Grab one of those boxes and, while you’re watching your favorite TV show, write on the back of each photo who is in the picture.  There are pens available at most craft stores that are archival appropriate.  Do the same thing with photo albums.