Icelandic Roots

06/22/2026

💥💥Become an Icelandic Rootshús Founder, plus Our Interesting Icelander, Midwives of Geyser District and AI Research Pros and Cons. Read it all in the latest Icelandic Roots Newsletter: Rætur Fréttir/Roots News - https://mailchi.mp/icelandicroots/21-june-2026

06/21/2026

Are you able to help us identify the two people in this photo?

Photographer: Baldwin and Blondal, 207 Pacific Avenue, Winnipeg, Manitoba. They were in business approx. 1891 - 1900

From the Olafson/Myrdal Minneota Unidentified Icelandic Portraits Collection

06/19/2026

This photo was in an Unknown Photo collection and was going to be posted as part of the Icelandic Roots Unknown Photo Project.

However, it has already been identified by Nelson Gerrard.

This is a young photo of the Reverend Runolfur Marteinsson I-102575. (1870 - 1959)

Runolfur was a cleric and an educator. He is listed as a "Memorable Manitoban" on the website of the Manitoba Historical Society.

The photographer is G.H. Ribble. He operated 1894-1906 in Saint Peter, Minnesota.

Runolfur was educated at Gustavus Adolphus College in Minnesota (1895) and the Chicago Lutheran Theological Seminary. He was ordained as a Lutheran cleric in May 1899

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The Unknown Photo Project is volunteer driven and is part of the larger Icelandic Roots community. All Access members can access more images like this one inside the Icelandic Roots Database

06/18/2026

Today in Morgunblaðið — a news article about Rootshús.

Join us in supporting Rootshús here:

https://www.icelandicroots.com/rootshus

The Icelandic Rootshús: Our home we can walk into. This heritage interpretive center is coming to Mountain, ND. Groundbreaking: 01 Aug 2026. Become a Founder.

06/18/2026

The story of THorsteinn Borgford

https://www.icelandicroots.com/post/memories-of-thorsteinn-borgford

06/17/2026

Gleðilegan Þjóðhátíðardag! Happy National independence Day!

It is history time! Let's talk about the path to independence for Iceland: 🇩🇰. --> 🇺🇸 --> 🇮🇸

🇮🇸 On this day, in 1944, the Republic of Iceland was founded when it gained independence from the Kingdom of Denmark, after centuries of rule. Iceland had been moving in the direction of independence for some time.

🇩🇰 The Danish–Icelandic Act of Union was a landmark bilateral agreement signed on December 1, 1918. It recognized Iceland as a fully independent and sovereign state, while maintaining a personal union under the Danish monarch, King Christian X.

🇺🇸 The United States supported Iceland's independence primarily by occupying and protecting the island during World War II, which freed Iceland from relying on Nazi-occupied Denmark. The U.S. guaranteed Icelandic sovereignty, built roads and buildings, and helped trigger a massive economic boom.

This most recent Danish–Icelandic Act of Union expired on December 31, 1943. Voters went to the polls in May and 97% voted to dissolve the union. The United States became the very first country to officially recognize the new Republic of Iceland in 1944. 🇮🇸

06/17/2026

Gleðilegan Þjóðhátíðardag! Happy National Day!

Photo at Bessastaðir from the 2025 Icelandic Roots volunteers tour with President Halla.

06/16/2026

THIS PHOTO IS NOW IDENTIFIED!!

The boy sitting on his fathers lap is Freeman Julius Einarson I-39, the boy in the middle is Johann Metusalem Einarson I-29755 and the girl on the far right is Thorbjorg Koncordia Einarson I-79550.

Thank you to everyone who helped with identifications and to IR member Karen Pytlowany for sending in the text from the 1993 Icelandic National League Heritage Calendar that included the names of this family.

PARTIALLY IDENTIFIED!

This photo was recently posted in the June 2026 folder of the Icelandic Roots Database.
It has been partially identified by Cynthia Stefanson-Baumgardner.

This picture was among some papers which Cynthia's mother, Ephemia Elfridur May Einarson-Stefanson had collected.

The adults in this photo are Cynthia's great-grandfather Metusalem Einarsson I-29754 and his wife Ingibjorg Kristjansdottir I-29731
The girl in back is their oldest child María Einarsson-Olafson I-29756.


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The Unknown Photo Project is volunteer driven and is part of the larger Icelandic Roots community. All Access members can access more images like this one inside the Icelandic Roots Database.