Genealogists love to uncover the past. But when the past is that of the first lady Michelle Obama, there is a lot of interest in what they will uncover. Genealogist Megan Smolenyak traced the first lady's ancestry back through five generations and found evidence that Mrs Obama was related to a young slave girl by the name of Melvinia Shields. Melvinia Shields was Mrs Obama's great-great-great grandmother.

First Lady Michelle Obama's family tree traces road from slavery to White House: report

The Times pieced together Michelle Obama's ancestral map using 19th century marriage licenses, photographs, census records – and also the memories of elderly people who knew her family.