Vital Records
In most states, vital records -- birth, death, marriage, divorce -- are maintained by the state government in its Department of Vital Records, Department of Health, or a similarly-named office.
BIRTH RECORDS -- usually provide name, date of birth, place of birth, name of father and mother, age of father and mother, mother's maiden name, address of father and mother, occupation of father and mother, place of birth of father and mother.
DEATH RECORDS-- usually provide complete name, date of death, date of birth, social security number, place of birth, occupation.
MARRIAGE RECORDS -- usually provide the following info about the bride and groom: name, address, date of birth, place of birth, whether previously married, place of previous divorce (if any), signatures of bride and groom, names of witnesses.
DIVORCE RECORDS -- You can usually check at the state level to find out if your subject has been divorced, but to access the full divorce file you'll need to check at the county level.
