The news media got a sneak peek Wednesday of the new Tampa Bay History Center, just days before its grand opening Saturday. The museum, on Garrison Channel in Tampa's Channel District, tells the 12,000-year story of Florida's history through centuries-old artifacts and modern audiovisual exhibits. Visitors can walk through a replica of a cigar shop from 1920s-era Ybor City and experience the Seminole Wars in a multisensory theater. Maps dating as far back as the 16th century are on display, as are Florida's Cracker culture and the civil rights movement in the Bay area. ...more

January 15, 2009

In a major advance in genealogical research, African-Americans will be able to trace the routes of slave ships that transported 12.5 million of their ancestors from Africa as early as the 16th century. The free Internet database gives African-Americans the opportunity for the first time to explore their African heritage the way whites have long been able to chart their migration. ...more

January 7, 2009

The bottoms of my 15-piece tea set are marked in blue letters "Hand Painted" with a sunburst below and the word "Nippon." In addition, there is a hand-painted mark in gold: "Ella, Sept. 1917." The set is hand-painted with flowers. I would like to know the value and history of Nippon. ...more

November 18, 2008

An Orthodox Jewish custom dating to the 16th century calls for no hair cuts for boys until age 3. ...more

June 9, 2008

Running her fingers through her middle child's long, curly locks for the last time, Tzippy Rubashkin said she had mixed feelings about her 3-year-old's first haircut. ...more

June 7, 2008

Running her fingers through her middle child's long, curly locks for the last time, Tzippy Rubashkin said she had mixed feelings about her 3-year-old's first haircut. ...more

June 6, 2008