NEW YORK (AP) - Americans are in for a cyber-surprise on Wednesday: They'll be able to plug family names into an online 1940 U.S. census and come up with details about the lives of New Yorkers - from Joe DiMaggio and Jacqueline Bouvier Kennedy to their own relatives.
Starting after midnight, exact addresses won't be essential to look for a New York connection in the 1940 census, free of charge.
Census experts say the New York data is of national interest because tens of millions of Americans have roots in this gateway to the nation through Ellis Island. Many can now dig for more personal information.
Also Wednesday, another historic treasure trove first appears online: census data for New York in 1915 and 1925, including records about Lauren Bacall, Babe Ruth and Harry Houdini.
The website is: http://1940census.archives.gov/
(Copyright 2012 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.)
