Drew Barrymore

On February 22, 1975, actress and producer Drew Barrymore was born in Culver City, California. Barrymore was born into the famous Barrymore dynasty of actors. She is the granddaughter of acting legend John Barrymore. After her breakout role in ET: the Extra-Terrestrial at the age of 6, Barrymore quickly became one of the most recognized child actors. Following a turbulent childhood and adolescent drug addiction, Barrymore successfully transitioned from a child actor to a highly successful actress and producer. In 2004, she became the fifth member of the Barrymore acting clan to receive a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.

Drew Barrymore is connected to over 60 million profiles in Geni’s World Family Tree. How are you related?

View Drew Barrymore’s Geni Profile

The Genealogy Sphere

• Hitler had son with French teen (The Telegraph) – New evidence reveals Hitler fathered a son
• Lost and found (The Hindu) – Geni was featured in an article for The Hindu in India
• Rediscovering family roots (BuffaloNews.com) – A local genealogical society helps novice genealogists track their slaved ancestors
• Genealogy Detective Megan Smolenyak (Sturgis Journal) – An interview with famed genealogist Megan Smolenyak
• Genealogy society finds remnants of cemetery (AikenStandard.com) – A local genealogical society discovered the remnants of local history tucked away behind trees and bushes
• Detailing family history can be difficult, but worthwhile (TribLive) – Great tips for researching your family history
• Reborn Records! (Archives.com) – Tips on how to track down alternate records for those destroyed by natural disasters, fires or war
• Information About the 1940 US Census (Germanroots.com) – A great summary of the type of information you will find in the 1940 U.S. census

On Geni

• Monday Recap for February 13, 2012 – Last week’s recap
• Famous Couples in History – We celebrated Valentine’s Day with a look at the Famous Couples in History project and discovered how Cleopatra and Elizabeth Taylor are related!
• Today’s Release: New Projects Dashboard – Geni’s projects dashboard got a new look!
• Presidents Day on Geni – See the family trees of all the Presidents of the United States on Geni!

Profile of the Day

• Whitney Houston
• Giacomo Casanova
• Ernest Shackleton
• Juhan Smuul
• Yoko Ono

Frederick Douglass

Yesterday, February 20, marked the anniversary of the death of abolitionist and equal rights leader Frederick Douglass. Douglass was born into slavery in Tuckahoe, Maryland. In 1838, Douglass escaped from slavery and soon became one of the leading figures of the Abolitionist movement. He wrote several autobiographies detailing his life as a slave, including his 1845 autobiography, Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass, an American Slave, which became influential in its support for abolition.

Frederick Douglass is connected to over 60 million profiles in Geni’s World Family Tree. How are you related?

View Frederick Douglass’s Geni Profile

U.S. Presidents and Vice Presidents Project

A great Geni project is dedicated to all the U.S. Presidents and Vice Presidents. Check out the family trees of all previous U.S. Presidents and learn some really interesting facts about their genealogy.

Martin Van Buren, 8th President of the USA

Did you know that Martin Van Buren was the first President to be born an American citizen? Or that his first language was actually Dutch? All previous presidents were born before the American Revolution, and therefore born in the British colonies. Van Buren was born in Kinderhook, New York in 1782.

He was also the first president not to be of English or Irish descent. His third great grandfather, Cornelis Maessen van Buren arrived to the New World from the Netherlands in 1631.

While checking out the project, you may also notice that there are a few father-son presidential legacies, such as John Adams and his son, John Quincy Adams or George H.W. Bush and his son, George W. Bush. However, this presidential family skipped a generation. Did you know that Benjamin Harrison was the grandson of William Henry Harrison? Interestingly, William Harrison also holds the record for serving the shortest term as President, dying of pnueumonia only 31 days into his presidency.

Harrison family tree

See how they are related!

You can also have some fun seeing how you are related to the presidents or how the presidents are related to each other! Here’s another fun fact – Bill Clinton once met John F. Kennedy as a teenager. Who knew he would also one day become president? And that’s not their only connection – Bill Clinton is John F. Kennedy’s 12 cousin thrice removed!

To learn more about the family trees of all the Presidents of the United States, take some time to check out the U.S. Presidents and Vice Presidents project and see how you’re related!

View the U.S. Presidents and Vice Presidents Project

Yoko Ono

Tomorrow, February 18th, is musician and artist Yoko Ono‘s birthday. Ono instantly gained worldwide fame when she married Beatles front man John Lennnon in 1969. During their marriage, the pair often collaborated on musical and art projects to promote peace. After Lennon’s death, Ono continued her work in avant-garde art, music and film making. She has also continued her philanthropic contributions to the arts, peace and AIDS outreach programs.

Yoko Ono is connected to over 60 million people in Geni’s World Family Tree. How are you related?

View Yoko Ono’s Geni Profile

Juhan Smuul

This Saturday, February 18, will mark the 90th anniversary of famed Estonian writer and poet Juhan Smuul‘s birth. Smuul wrote several novels, often based on his life in his native islands of Muhu. In 1965, he was named People’s Writer of the Estonian SSR. Over his career, Smuul was honored with several prestigious awards for his work. He was awarded the Stalin Prize in 1952 and the Lenin Prize in 1961.

Johan Smuul is connected to over 60 million profiles in Geni’s World Family Tree. How are you related?

View Juhan Smuul’s Geni Profile

A New Look

We’ve given our Projects page a makeover. Featured Projects are displayed right at the top of the page so you can easily discover new interesting projects to join. Hover over the photo to see the project’s name and click the photo to visit the project.

All of the projects you follow can be found under the “My Projects” tab. To find new genealogy projects to join, click on “All Projects.” We added a Recent Activity feed to the right of the page so you can stay up-to-date with the projects you follow and see what your collaborators are working on.

Pictures!

By popular demand, pictures can now be added to projects. Adding an image to a project is easy:

1. Upload the photo (if you haven’t already)
2. Click “Edit” next to the Project field under the image
3. Select the desired project

Now the photo will appear on the project’s page!

These updates are just the first step in improving Projects for Geni users. Stay tuned for more improvements coming soon.

Check out the new Projects page on Geni!

Ernest Shackleton

On February 15, 1874, polar explorer Sir Ernest Shackleton was born. Shackleton was one of the principle figures during the Heroic Age of Antarctic Exploration. His expeditions to Antarctica pioneered routes into the continent’s interior. In 1909, Shackleton and his team made a southern march and established a record Farthest South latitude at 88° 23′ S, by far the closest convergence in exploration history at the time. For his achievement, Shackleton was knighted by King Edward VII.

Sir Ernest Shackleton is connected to over 60 million profiles in Geni’s World Family Tree. How are you related?

View Ernest Shackleton’s Geni Profile

To see how more iconic couples are related, check out the Famous Couples in History project!

View the Famous Couples in History Project

Giacomo Casanova

Happy Valentine’s Day! Today, we highlight Giacomo Casanova, an Italian adventurer and author whose name has become synonymous with the art of seduction. Although history remembers him best as a womanizer, Casanova is also recognized as one of the foremost chroniclers of his age. His autobiography, Histoire de ma vie (Story of My Life), is regarded as one of the most authentic sources of the customs and norms of European social life during the 18th century.

Casanova is not yet connected to the World Family Tree. Check out his profile and help connect him to over 60 million profiles on Geni!

View Giacomo Casanova’s Geni Profile

The Genealogy Sphere

• Genealogy Research vs. Privacy Restrictions (Archives.com) – Talking about privacy restrictions in genealogy research
• Genealogy: FamilySearch indexes all U.S. censuses, will add 1940 quickly after April release (The Salt Lake City Tribune) – 1940s census records are coming soon!
• How NBC’s ‘Who Do You Think You Are?’ Picks Its Celebrities (Investors.com) – Ever wonder how the celebrities in Who Do You Think You Are? are chosen? Read this article to find out how.
• QR Codes can ‘expand the experience’ of genealogists (Deseret News) – QR codes applied to headstones can give visitors access to more information.
• More Ways I Use Evernote for Genealogy (Tonia’s Roots) – Blogger Tonia talks about how she uses Evernote in genealogy.
• ‘World’s last’ WWI veteran Florence Green dies aged 110 (BBC News) – A woman believed to be the last World War I veteran has died.
• Researching Your Ex-Slave Ancestor (a3genealogy) – Kathleen Brandt gives tips on how to research your ex-slave ancestors
• Hawaiian Genealogy Words (Nutifield Genealogy) – Blogger Heather Rojo shares some Hawaiian genealogy words

On Geni

• Monday Recap for January 30, 2012
• Mormon Genealogy – An Interview with Randy Stebbing Part 1 – Our interview with Geni Curator Randy Stebbing about Mormon genealogy projects on Geni
• Mormon Genealogy – An Interview with Randy Stebbing Part 2 – Second part of our interview with Randy Stebbing
• RootsTech 2012 Recap – A recap of RootsTech with lots of pictures!
• RootsTech Presentation – Better Genealogy Through APIs – Slides from Michael Berkovich’s RootsTech presentation
• Bring Your Evernote Notes to Geni with NoteFuser – Jimmy Zimmerman won the Developer Challenge at RootsTech with NoteFuser
• RootsTech Presentation – Privacy in a Collaborative Environment – Slides from Noah Tutak’s RootsTech presentation

Profile of the Day

• Oscar Niemeyer
• Jackie Robinson
• Clark Gable
• Brigham Young
• Martin Sheen
• Eli Manning
• Sir Thomas More
• Jules Verne
• Mia Farrow
• Marisa Tomei

Whitney Houston

Today we remember iconic singer Whitney Houston, who passed away on Saturday, February 11 at the age of 48. A six-time Grammy winner, Houston achieved massive success with her signature song, “I Will Always Love You” from her film, The Bodyguard. An inspiration to musicians all over the world, Houston will be remembered as one of the greatest artists in history.

Whitney Houston’s profile is not yet connected to Geni’s World Family Tree. Perhaps you can help connect her tree to over 60 million profiles.

View Whitney Houston’s Geni Profile

Marisa Tomei

Tonight, an all new episode of Who Do You Think You Are? features Oscar winning actress Marisa Tomei and her journey to Italy to learn the truth about the death of her great grandfather.

Marisa Tomei’s family tree on Geni is still pretty small and not yet connected to the World Family Tree. After tonight’s episode, perhaps you will be able to help connect her to over 60 million profiles on Geni!

View Marisa Tomei’s Geni Profile

Description:

Mia Farrow

On February 9, 1945, actress Mia Farrow was born. She is best known for her role as a woman pregnant with Satan’s baby in the film Rosemarry’s Baby. She has devoted much of her life to humanitarian efforts and is a strong advocate of children’s rights. As an UNICEF Goodwill Ambassador, Farrow has worked extensively to raise awareness for children in Africa.

Mia Farrow is connected to over 60 million profiles in Geni’s World Family Tree. How are you related?

View Mia Farrow’s Geni Profile

NoteFuser is a Google Chrome extension that allows you to connect your Evernote notes to Geni profiles or FamilySearch person records. Are you an Evernote user? With just the click of a button, you can easily create research logs and add other notes right on the Geni or FamilySearch profile.

Watch the NoteFuser demo to learn more!

Click here to check out NoteFuser

Jules Verne

On February 8, 1828, French author Jules Verne was born. A pioneer of the science fiction genre, Verne wrote about space, air and underwater travel before the practical means of air travel and submarines had been invented and before any means of space travel had been devised. He is best known for his novels, Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Sea, A Journey to the Center of the Earth and Around the World in Eighty Days.

View Jules Verne’s Geni Profile

Description:

With the advent of online and cooperative genealogy, APIs have become vital in the progression of the industry. In this presentation, Michael Berkovich, the Platform Technical Lead at Geni.com, will explain the implementation and use of APIs in a genealogical context and demonstrate how to use Geni platform APIs.

Sir Thomas More

On February 7, 1477, philosopher Sir Thomas More was born. More is best remembered for his controversial book, Utopia. In the last years of his life, More served as Lord Chancellor and an important councilor to King Henry VIII of England. However, when he refused to accept the king as the head of the Church of England, More was tried for treason and beheaded. Today, he is recognized as a saint within the Catholic Church.

Sir Thomas More is connected to over 60 million profiles in Geni’s World Family Tree. How are you related?

View Sir Thomas More’s Geni Profile

Another high point was seeing Family Search’s Jimmy Zimmerman win the Grand Prize in the RootsTech Developer Challenge for NoteFuser. NoteFuser easily connects your notes from Evernote to your profiles on Geni or FamilySearch.org. So if you use Evernote, you may find NoteFuser really helpful.

We had a great audience for all of our sessions at Rootstech. For those of you who were unable to attend, we’ll try posting the slides from the presentations soon. For the developer sessions, Justin presented “Technical Roots of the World Family Tree”  and Michael presented “Better Genealogy Through APIs.” Charles gave a great presentation about collaborative genealogy on Geni. And did you catch Noah’s presentation, “Privacy in a Collaborative Environment,” streaming live? It contained lots of interesting information about maintaining privacy while collaborating online.

It was exciting to see all the new ideas and the continued advancements of technology in the world of genealogy. We heard some great feedback from many genealogists and bloggers and gave out lots of Geni schwag. We can’t wait to return next year! Next up will be the NGS Family History Conference May 9 in Cincinnati, Ohio. If you are planning to attend, be sure to come by the Geni booth to say “Hi!”

Check out our photo gallery below! And see our Facebook page for more photos!

Rootstech Photo Gallery

Eli Manning

Did you watch the Super Bowl yesterday? In a tense and exciting game, the New York Giants defeated the New England Patriots 21 – 17. Today we highlight Giants quarterback Eli Manning, who was named Super Bowl XLVI MVP. Manning now has two Super Bowl wins under his belt, and was previously named MVP after the Giants’ 2008 Super Bowl win.

Eli Manning is connected to over 60 million profiles in Geni’s World Family Tree. How are  you related?

View Eli Manning’s Geni Profile

Randy Stebbing

In anticipation for RootsTech 2012 genealogy conference in Salt Lake City, Utah, we interviewed Geni Curator Randy Stebbing, who graciously agreed to share with us his experience working on projects about Mormon genealogy on Geni. Below is part 2 of his interview. You can find part 1 here.

What are some of the biggest challenges of doing Mormon genealogy?

One of the challenges is working with profiles that lived recently. Many of these profiles are initially “private”. Because non-public profiles are by default restricted to close family members it takes patience to contact descendants and get their help by them sharing their deceased ancestors and turning them into “public” profiles. Once the profiles are “public” they can be documented, enhanced with new data and sources, and added to the projects. My number one request for people to help with this project is to make sure that all of their ancestors that have been deceased for a reasonable amount of time be made “public”. I would hope that all contributed profiles in the 1800’s and earlier would be voluntarily made into public profiles so that the “big tree” can continue to grow and be improved.

A second challenge is duplication. On geni, “Pro members” have special access to tools for both searching for and merging duplicates. I’d guess that I’ve probably merged 25,000 profiles to cleanup the 5,000+ profiles that are currently part of the pioneer projects.

Your question asked about challenges of researching early Mormon church members. Actually one of the greatest things about this research is the wealth of material that is available. The LDS Family History Center,coupled with 1,000’s of free local family history centers throughout the world make research easier no matter what your research area is.

What’s the most interesting discovery you’ve made so far through these projects?

The most exciting discovers for me involve my own family history of course. For Mormon specific research the church’s new History Library in Salt Lake is invaluable. For example in a recent visit to the LDS Church History Library my wife and I  found her 2nd great grandmother’s letters and poems written in her own handwriting from the 1800’s. As you an imagine we were thrilled to find these for our family. Many of these letters have now been uploaded to geni for other’s to enjoy. I additionally found a very detailed written history of a different Pioneer era ancestor, Charles Crismon, that detailed his adventures on the frontier. Apparently he made quite a fortune in California, Arizona and Utah in milling, freighting, mining and the railroads, but in the boom and bust economies of that era, lost much of his wealth by the end of his life. My extended family has enjoyed me uploading information that I find to geni. The benefit of this is that branches of the family unknown to me can instantly have the info available the moment I upload it to geni. I likewise benefit from their research.

I’m learning interesting things all the time. Just yesterday I learned some additional information about my 3rd ggrandfather Benjamin Lewis. Previously I knew that Lewis was one of 18 men murdered in the Haun’s Mill Massacre that occurred at the height of the Mormon/Missouri conflicts. Just yesterday, while reading in  a primary source document  I came across one line of text that identified the name of the man in Missouri militia who bragged that he was the one the shot and killed my ancestor. I was then able to add that info to my ancestor’s profile and provide a link to the profile of the person who  purportedly took his life. To me its the surprising connections between people that is so very interesting. On geni, Pro users can find the family relationship between themselves and anyone else in the “big tree”. It’s been fun to find out how I and others are related to Brigham Young, Parley P. Pratt and other early Church leaders.

How can those interested get involved?

For visitors of the RootsTech conference the publicly available Geni API will be of particular interest. For example I’ve been able to write some programs using the API to provide me with running totals of the number of Mormon Pioneers included in the 24 sub-projects. One way to help the geni community is to get familiar with the API which allows you extend and automate many things on the site.

As far as getting involved in any of the Mormon projects just visit any of them and ask to join them by sending a  “collaboration request”. Then send me the web address link to the geni profile of your ancestor and I’ll help you add them to the appropriate project. Keep your deceased ancestor’s profiles public. Users can help with projects even if they don’t have family members that belong to the project. For example you don’t have to be pioneer descendant to help with these projects.

Finally  I want to put a plug in for the numerous other interesting and valuable projects that are on geni. I know that any of the  7,000 other existing projects on the site would also welcome your active collaboration. Spencer W. Kimball,  the LDS leader, who first got me interested in family history said “We must lengthen or stride and must do it now.” Getting involved is the funnest part of geni —so just do it.

Martin Sheen

Season 3 of Who Do You Think You Are? kicks off tonight with an all new episode centered around actor Martin Sheen. Did you know that Martin Sheen’s real name is Ramón Estévez? Tune in tonight to watch Sheen discover his family history.

Martin Sheen is not yet connected to the world family tree. Perhaps after tonight’s episode you may be able to help connect him to over 61 million profiles on Geni!

View Martin Sheen’s Geni Profile

Randy Stebbing

In anticipation for RootsTech 2012 genealogy conference in Salt Lake City, Utah, we interviewed Geni Curator Randy Stebbing, who graciously agreed to share with us his experience working on projects about Mormon genealogy on Geni. Here is part 1 of his interview. Check back tomorrow for part 2.

You’ve been instrumental in creating several projects about Early Mormon Leaders and Pioneers. What first sparked your interest in this area?

You might say its “in my blood” I grew up in Salt Lake City, Utah and 11 of my direct ancestors where Mormon pioneers. If you add in the extended families there are scores of pioneers throughout my family tree.  In 1980 I was privileged to be able to attend the “World Conference on Records” held in Salt Lake City. On that occasion the author of “Roots”, Alex Haley, spoke to the 11,000 attendees and shared with us how researching his ancestry had changed his life. At that same conference LDS church leader, Spencer W. Kimball, discussed the importance of families which helped cement my interests in family history research. I think attending that conference really got me going. I see the RootsTech conference as a direct descendant of these early conferences and it is a great place to share ideas about the interaction of technology and family history which is what Geni is great at.

Can you briefly describe the scope of a few of the Mormon related projects you have created?

The first project on Geni that I’d like to hi-light is the  “Early Mormon Leaders” project. It includes profiles of 350 early church leaders and includes Joseph Smith, Brigham Young, John Taylor, Wilford Woodruff,  Lorenzo Snow, the Book of Mormon Witnesses, the original Quorum of the 12 apostles and numerous other early church leaders. Emma Smith, Eliza R. Snow and others are there also. It also includes linked in profiles of everyone mentioned in the Doctrine and Covenants, and many participants in Zion’s Camp. Brigham Young’s extensive family was a particular challenge.

Also on geni there are the 24 related “Mormon Pioneer” projects. A short background might be helpful to those not familiar with this history. The Mormon Pioneers were members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Following their expulsion from Missouri their leader, Brigham Young, organized thousands of members so that they could make the 1,000 mile trek across the central portion of the USA before arriving in what would become Salt Lake City. Over the next 20 years (1847-1867) an estimated 70,000 men, women and children either walked or rode in covered wagons to re-settle in a land where they could live their religion.

The Mormon Pioneer projects on geni have grown to include 5,600 of the 70,000 total pioneers. As each profile is found it is added to the project corresponding to the arrival year for that person. This is a huge undertaking and is collaborative in nature.

How have these projects helped in your research? Have you found success collaborating and connecting with other users through these projects?

It’s been valuable in my own family research to see the extended family relationships of those that married into my family pioneer lines. Often I’ll come across a history that a different geni user has uploaded about their pioneer ancestor that really gives me a sense of what it was like to actually live and experience that period of history. These people had tremendous amounts of courage, faith and fortitude to have a accomplished what they did. The collaborative aspects of geni and its projects have been an ideal research tool.

Brigham Young

Today, is the first day of Rootstech! In honor of this event, we’re highlighting Brigham Young‘s Geni profile. Brigham Young was an early leader of the Latter Day Saint movement and founder of Salt Lake City, Utah. Young even served as the first governor of the Utah Territory.

Brigham Young is connected to over 61 million profiles in Geni’s World Family Tree. How are you related?

View Brigham Young’s Geni Profile

Clark Gable

On February 1, 1901, actor Clark Gable was born. Considered an acting legend, Gable is perhaps best remembered for his role as Rhett Butler in the 1939 classic film Gone with the Wind. Did you know that during World War II, Gable enlisted in the U.S. Army Air Corps? He joined shortly after his third wife, actress Carole Lombard died in a plane crash while returning from a World War II Bond tour.

Clark Gable is connected to over 61 million profiles in Geni’s World Family Tree. How are you related?

View Clark Gable’s Geni Profile

Jackie Robinson

On January 31, 1919, baseball player Jackie Robinson was born in Cairo, Georgia. Robinson broke the baseball color barrier when he debuted with the Brooklyn Dodgers in 1947, becoming the first black Major League Baseball player.

Jackie Robinson is not yet connected to Geni’s World Family Tree. Check out his profile and help connect him to over 61 million profiles on Geni!

View Jackie Robinson’s Geni Profile

The Genealogy Sphere

• There’s no place like home…for 100 years: Centenarian lives in the house where she was born (and these days it has running water and electricity) (Daily Mail) – A woman lives in the same cottage for 100 years
• 8 Ways to Avoid Barking Up the Wrong Family Tree (About.com) – Genealogist Kimberly Powell offers great advice about how to avoid those wrong turns
• With DNA Testing, Suddenly They are Family (New York Times) – Adoptees discover family through DNA testing
• Siblings learn of each other via Web (JournalGazette.net) – Online genealogy research leads to the discovery of a long lost sibling
• Grave Spotting: The 15-Year-Old Who Was Killed While Dodging Kisses in the Met Life Building (Gothamist) – A tombstone and old newspapers reveal a tragic and unusual story
• JRR Tolkien’s Middle-earth gets a complete genealogy (The Guardian) – Emil Johansson takes on the Lord of the Rings family tree
• ‘Tartan Butler’ helps visitors trace their roots (MSN) – The Balmoral Hotel in Edinburgh, Scotland announces the ‘Tartan Butler,’ a concierge who helps guests learn about their family history
• Fort Kent Historical Society, archives unveil massive genealogical collection (Bangor Daily News) – A massive collection of books, photographs, notes are now available to researchers at the University of Main at Fort Kent.

On Geni

• Monday Recap for January 23, 2012 – Last week’s links
• Celebrating Chinese New Year – See what celebrities were born in the Year of the Dragon
• Come See the Geni Team at RootsTech 2012 – Geni is coming to Rootstech 2012!
• Featured Project: Who Do You Think You Are? – Get ready for the new season of Who Do You Think You Are? by checking out the project on Geni!

Profile of the Day

• Edvard Munch
• Meryl Streep
• Virginia Woolf
• Ellen DeGeneres
• Captain Edward Smith

Oscar Niemeyer

Today, we highlight Brazilian architect Oscar Niemeyer. Specializing in modern architecture, Niemeyer was a pioneer in exploring the formal possibilities of reinforced concrete solely for their aesthetic impact. In 1988, Niemeyer was awarded the Pritzker Architecture Prize, the most prestigious award in architecture, for the Cathedral of Brasília.

Oscar Niemeyer is connected to over 61 million profiles in Geni’s World Family Tree. How are you related?

View Oscar Niemeyer’s Geni Profile

The project aims to gather all the celebrities who have appeared in each incarnation of the show. There are still several notable figures that are not yet on Geni, including those from the Australian, Irish and Swedish versions. Perhaps you would like to join this project and have fun helping to build their family trees and connect them to over 60 million profiles in Geni’s World Family Tree! Be sure to also check out the Danish project Ved du hvem du er? and the Norwegian project Hvem tror du at du er?

Are you a fan of the genealogy television show Who Do You Think You Are? Join this project and help build the family trees featured in each episode.

View the Who Do You Think You Are? Project

Captain Edward Smith

On January 27, 1850, Captain Edward Smith was born. He was an English naval reserve officer and captain of the RMS Titanic. He died when the ship sank in 1912. This year will mark the 100th anniversary of the sinking of the RMS Titanic. Have you checked out the RMS Titanic project on Geni? Take a look and become a project collaborator to help identify and list the survivors and casualties of the sinking of the Titanic. Perhaps we can connect them all to Geni’s World Family Tree in time for the 100th anniversary in April!

Captain Edward Smith’s family tree is not yet connected to the World Family Tree. Check out his profile and help connect him to over 60 million profiles on Geni!

View Captain Edward Smith’s Geni Profile

Ellen DeGeneres

On January 26, 1958, comedian and talk show host Ellen DeGeneres was born in Metairie, Louisiana. DeGeneres is beloved by children as the voice of Dory in the Pixar film Finding Nemo. She has won thirteen Emmy awards and numerous other awards for her work and charitable efforts.

Ellen DeGeneres is connected to over 60 million profiles in Geni’s World Family Tree. How are you related?

View Ellen DeGeneres’s Geni Profile

If your looking to attend some talks, stop by one of our sessions to learn about some exciting things going on at Geni. Here’s a list of our sessions:

• Creating the Family Graph – Justin Balthrop
• The Importance of APIs in Genealogy – Michael Berkovitch
• Don’t Do Genealogy Alone – Charles Edmonds
• Privacy in a Collaborative Environment – Noah Tutak

We’ll be around all three days, so stop on by and pick up some great Geni gear. If you can’t make it to the conference, follow us on Facebook and Twitter for the latest updates. Follow the #RootsTech hashtag on Twitter for updates from other attendees too.

Virginia Woolf

On January 25, 1882, English author Virginia Woolf was born. She is widely regarded as one of the most important figures in modernist literature and one of the greatest innovators of the English language. Her most famous novels include Mrs. Dalloway, The Lighthouse and Orlando.

Virginia Woolf is connected to over 60 million profiles in Geni’s World Family Tree. How are you related?

View Virginia Woolf’s Geni Profile

Meryl Streep

Early this morning, the 2012 Academy Award nominations were announced. Breaking her previous record, actress Meryl Streep received her 17th Oscar nomination with her nod for Best Actress, thus making her the most-nominated actor in history. Streep is nominated for her portrayal of Margaret Thatcher, the first woman to be elected Prime Minister of the UK, in the film The Iron Lady.

Meryl Streep is connected to over 60 million profiles in Geni’s World Family Tree. How are you related?

View Meryl Streep’s Geni Profile

Today, January 23 is Chinese New Year! One of the most important traditional Chinese holidays, Chinese New Year marks the start of the Lunar New Year. According to the Chinese zodiac, 2012 is the Year of the Dragon, which symbolizes power, strength and good luck. In addition to Mainland China and Hong Kong, Chinese New Year is celebrated in many countries and territories with significant Chinese populations, including Taiwan, Singapore, Thailand, Indonesia, Mayasia, and Chinatowns throughout the world.

The holiday is steeped in tradition, food and family, and serves as a family reunion of sorts as everyone gathers together to celebrate the occasion. Large family feasts are comprised of dishes of meats, fish and vegetables to represent good fortune in the coming new year. An abundance of citrus fruits, such as oranges, are also important symbols of luck and fortune.

Decorations of red paper lanterns and parades with dancing dragons help usher in the new year. Perhaps one of the most well-known traditions of Chinese New Year is the giving of red envelopes. Usually gifted to children by adults, these red envelopes almost always contain money for good luck and is probably what every child looks forward to the most during the holiday (I know I did!).

Chinese tradition dictates that people born in the Year of the Dragon are brave, strong, intellectual, innovative and passionate. Click on the images below to check out the Geni profiles of some famous celebrities born in the Year of the Dragon!

Bruce Lee

Sandra Bullock

John Lennon

Shirley Temple

Keanu Reeves

Russell Crowe

Happy Chinese New Year!

The Genealogy Sphere

• Cause of Death – Benzol Poisoning (Adventures in Genealogy) – Genealogy blogger Deb Ruth finds cause of death in an old newspaper article
• Early African American Newspapers, Tell So Much (My Ancestor’s Name) – Genealogist Angela Walton-Raji discusses early African-American newspapers in genealogy
• GenealogyBank Adds Irish Vital Records to Historical Newspaper Archive (GenealogyBank) – Irish vital records found in old Irish American newspapers
• Trips to find your roots (Fox News) – Travel on a genealogical adventure for vacation
• Family research strikes gold (Commercial-News) – A squirrel hunt newspaper article leads to genealogical treasure
• How I learned I am Tsinoy (GMA News) – Filipino genealogy research leads to new family discoveries

On Geni

• Monday Recap for January 16, 2012 – Last week’s links
• School Census Records Offer Lots of Genealogical Info – Great genealogical information can be found in school census records
• Today’s Release: Record Search and Estimated Dates – Two great new features were added to the site, easier record searches and estimated dates

Profile of the Day

• Martin Luther King, Jr.
• Muhammad Ali
• Janis Joplin
• Cary Grant
• Etta James

Edvard Munch

On January 23, 1944, Norwegian painter Edvard Munch died at the age of 80. An important pioneer of the Expressionist movement, Munch is perhaps best known for his painting, The Scream, which acquired an iconic status in popular culture during the late twentieth century.

Edvard Munch is connected to over 60 million profiles in Geni’s World Family Tree. How are you related?

View Edvard Munch’s Geni Profile

We’ve made it even easier to search for records from Archives.com, Find A Grave and GenealogyBank on Geni. You can discover even more about your relatives by entering more information for more accurate search results. To start your search, simply click on the Research tab at the top of the page and select Record Search.

Enter in your relative’s name, birth surname, location and birth/death dates and click Search Results to start searching billions of census, vital and military records, newspapers and more!

Estimated Dates

On side-by-side merge comparison pages, we added estimated dates for profiles that do not have birth or death dates listed. Geni will automatically estimate it based on the birth and death years of immediate family members. Currently, only estimated birth years are visible on the comparison page. By comparing estimated dates, users will be able to easily identify bad matches in their Merge Center.

For our full release notes, please visit the Announcements section of our Help Center.

Etta James

Today we remember blues singer Etta James, who passed away early this morning at the age of 73. The “At Last” singer died from complications from leukemia. James powerhouse voice is regarded by many as having bridged the gap between rhythm and blues and rock and roll. She’s won six Grammy Awards and in 1993, she was inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame. James’s music has inspired a wide variety of musicians and she will be remembered as one of the greatest artists of all time.

Her family tree on Geni is still pretty small. Perhaps you can help build her tree and connect her to over 60 million profiles in Geni’s World Family Tree.

View Etta James’s Geni Profile

Cary Grant

Yesterday marked the 108th anniversary of Cary Grant‘s birth. Grant was born Archibald Alexander Leach in Bristol, England in 1904. Before gaining fame as one of Hollywood’s classic leading men, Grant joined a circus troupe and performed as a stilt walker, acrobat, juggler and mime. Today, he is remembered as one of the greatest stars of all time. What’s your favorite Cary Grant film?

Cary Grant is connected to over 60 million profiles in Geni’s World Family Tree. How are you related?

View Cary Grant’s Geni Profile

What can I find in school census records? 

Clay County, Minnesota school census records 1915

• Names of children
• Gender
• Names of parents or guardian
• The children’s birth dates
• The age of the child at the time of the census
• Post office location – this can help pinpoint where they lived
• Weeks of attendance
• Parent or guardian signature
• Race
• Nationality
• Disabilities

Where can I find school census records?

 
If you know the location of the school, you can start there. Many schools keep a record of their census records. If the school is no longer around, you can check with the state archives or local genealogical or historical societies. Those records may have been passed on to them. You can also do some online research. Many more school census records are making their way into online databases. Check out sites like FamilySearch or the genealogy search engine Mocavo for digitized copies.

Once you find the records, make sure to add them to your relatives’ profiles on Geni to share your discoveries with your family!

Janis Joplin

On January 19, 1943, American singer and songwriter Janis Joplin was born in Port Arthur, Texas. Known for her powerful and original voice, Joplin rose to fame in the late 1960s as the lead singer of Big Brother and the Holding Company and later as a solo artist. Some of her greatest hits include, “Me and Bobby McGee,” “Mercedes Benz” and “Try (Just a Little Bit Harder).” Sadly, Joplin’s life was cut short after succumbing to an accidental drug overdose at the age of 27. In 1995, Joplin was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. She also received a posthumous Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award in 2005.

Janis Joplin is connected to over 60 million profiles in Geni’s World Family Tree. How are you related?

View Janis Joplin’s Geni Profile

Muhammad Ali

On January 17, 1942, boxing champion Muhammad Ali was born in Louisville, Kentucky. In 1960, Ali won an Olympic gold medal in boxing and he would go on to become the first and only three-time lineal World Heavyweight Champion. In his retirement, he has devoted much of his time to philanthropy and despite his diagnosis with Parkinson’s, he remains active as a public figure for many charitable organizations.

Muhammad Ali is connected to over 60 million profiles in Geni’s World Family Tree. How are you related?

View Muhammad Ali’s Geni Profile

The Genealogy Sphere

• Frankie Meyer: Quaker history reveals hidden genealogy (The Joplin Globe) – Journal entries lead a genealogist to discover new information about his family
• Family Gets Purple Heart Awarded to WWI Veteran (WMUR) – A family genealogy project leads to new recognition for WWI veteran
• Genealogist unearths contribution made by local militia in the War of 1812 – (Thestar.com) – A genealogists uncovers stories about a militia in the War of 1812
• Introducing: Local couple clean and restore tombstones as a labor of love (The Star Press) – A couple works together to restore the tombstones of a local cemetery in Indiana
• Saved by her Corset! The Interesting Case of Dora Bowman (About.com) – Genealogist Kimberly Powell recounts the fascinating story of Dora Bowman
• DNA identifies suspect in 1991 Wash. killing as distant relative of Mayflower family (The Washington Post) – A forensic genealogist’s discovery may help identify a murder suspect
• Lost Colony DNA (The Scientist) – Family histories and DNA may help answer a centuries-old mystery about a vanished group of British settlers
• The Proof is in the Pudding: Citing the Source (Susan’s Genealogy Blog) – Susan Farrell Bankhead offers up some great tips about citing your sources
• Sibling and Family Dynamics (a3Genealogy) – A look into our ancestors lives

Profile of the Day

• Hedy Lamarr
• Grigori Rasputin
• Alexander Hamilton
• Jack London
• Mark Wahlberg

Martin Luther King, Jr.

Today, January 16, is Martin Luther King, Jr. Day in the U.S. Observed on the third Monday of January each year, the holiday honors iconic civil rights leader Martin Luther King, Jr. King was the leading activist for nonviolent protest against racial discrimination during the United States Civil Rights Movement. His leadership was fundamental to the movement’s success and inspired others to continue his work for many years to come. In 1964, he received the Nobel Peace Prize for his advocacy of using nonviolent methods to end racial discrimination.

View Martin Luther King, Jr.’s Geni Profile

Mark Wahlberg

Today we highlight actor Mark Wahlberg, whose new movie Contraband opens today in the U.S. Wahlberg transformed his career from rapper to an Academy Award nominated actor. Did you know that Wahlberg is the youngest of nine children?

Mark Wahlberg is connected to over 60 million profiles in Geni’s World Family Tree. How are you related?

View Mark Wahlberg’s Geni Profile

Jack London

On January 12, 1876, American journalist and author Jack London was born in San Francisco, California. London is best remembered for his novels, Call of the Wild and White Fang, which are both set in the Klondike Gold Rush. He was one of the first fiction writers to gain worldwide celebrity and fortune from his works of fiction alone.

Jack London is connected to over 60 million profiles in Geni’s World Family Tree. How are you related?

View Jack London’s Geni Profile

Alexander Hamilton

On January 11, 1757, economist Alexander Hamilton was born. Hamilton was a Founding Father of the United States and the first United States Secretary of the Treasury. In 1776, Hamilton signed the Declaration of Independence. He also co-wrote the Federalist Papers, a series of articles promoting the ratification of the U.S. Constitution.

Alexander Hamilton is connected to over 60 million profiles in Geni’s World Family Tree. How are you related?

View Alexander Hamilton’s Geni Profile

Grigori Rasputin

On January 10, 1869, mystic Grigori Rasputin was born. Rasputin held the prominent role of adviser to the Romanov family in Russia. He soon became a controversial figure due to his dissolute lifestyle and dominance over the royal family. In 1916, Rasputin was killed by a group of nobles who believed his influence over the Romanov family was a great threat to the empire.

View Grigori Rasputin’s Geni Profile