John Huston was a film director, screenwriter and actor. He wrote screenplays and directed films which are considered classics such as The Maltese Falcon (1941),  The Treasure of the Sierra Madre (1948), Key Largo (1948), The Asphalt Jungle (1950), The African Queen (1951), The Misfits (1961), and The Man Who Would Be King (1975). Most of Huston’s films were adaptions of novels that often depicted a “heroic quest” as in Moby Dick or The Red Badge of Courage. John Huston was born… Read the full story

Happy Monday! Here are some interesting genealogy finds from this past week: The Genealogy Sphere Genealogy Today: Knowing family history cuts kids’ stress (Green Valley News and Sun) – A recent study shows children who know about their family history are better at handling stress Asheville Genealogy Column: Avoiding research errors (Citizen-Times.com) – A list of some of the most common mistakes made by researchers. Are you guilty of a few of these? Genealogy in palm… Read the full story

Samuel Morse was an inventor, contributing to the invention of a single-wire telegraph system based on European telegraphs and he was a co-inventor of the Morse code. He was also an accomplished painter. Morse had gone to England for three years to perfect his painting techniques and by the end of 1811 he gained admittance to the Royal Academy. After observing and practicing life drawing and absorbing its anatomical demands at the academy he produced his masterpiece, Dying… Read the full story

Check out some interesting articles from the past week. The Genealogy Sphere A Land Patent is Just the Beginning (Genealogy Tip of the Day) – Don’t stop at the land patent. Check out this tip on where land patents can lead. Social media breaking down family history barriers (Standard-Examiner) – Thomas MacEntee talks about how social media has made genealogy more accessible Family Tree Talk: Researcher shares her genealogy adventure (Sentinel-Standard.com) – A genealogist follows… Read the full story

William S. Burroughs, Jr. was an American novelist who wrote three novels, two of which were published as Speed in 1970 and Kentucky Ham in 1973. Prakriti Junction, his third novel that he began in 1977 was never completed, although extracts from it were included in his third published work Cursed From Birth. He appears briefly in the 1983 documentary Burroughs, about his father, in which he discusses his childhood, his liver problems, and his relationship with his… Read the full story

We had an amazing time at RootsTech in Salt Lake City, Utah. Over 6,700 people came out to the conference, drawing an even larger crowd than last year. The first day was a whirlwind as the booth was crowded with people interested in learning more about MyHeritage and Geni. This was the first time we attended as a part of the MyHeritage family and we had an amazing team manning the booth. It was a… Read the full story

We had a great first day at RootsTech and we wanted to share a few pictures from the day with you. Within minutes of the expo hall opening, we had swarms of people at the booth. It’s estimated that there are over 6,800 people registered – that’s over 2,000 people than last year! This year was especially exciting as it was the first time we attended RootsTech as a part of the MyHeritage family. Check… Read the full story

We’re happy to present a guest post written by blogger Leslie Ann of Ancestors Live Here. Today she shares some interesting facts about the Idaho Territory and how you can honor your Idaho ancestors by sharing their memories in the Idaho Pioneers Project on Geni. It has been 150 years this March since Idaho Territory was created. President Lincoln signed the bill creating Idaho Territory March 4, 1863 from  Dakota Territory, Nebraska Territory, and Washington… Read the full story

What are some interesting genealogy articles you’ve read lately? Check out a few we’ve found! The Genealogy Sphere Rail dig may have found London’s lost ‘Black Death’ graves (NBC News) – Archaeologists discover a lost burial ground in London The Stories That Bind Us (New York Times) – Creating a strong family narrative to reinforce your family relationships The puzzling probate (The Legal Genealogist blog) – Judy G. Russell works through a troublesome probate record… Read the full story

RootsTech 2013, one of the biggest genealogy events of the year, is just around the corner. Between March 21 – 23, the Geni team will be at the RootsTech 2013 conference in Salt Lake City, Utah. Unlike any other conference, RootsTech provides you with the unique opportunity to connect with industry experts and discover the latest tools and techniques for researching your family history. From genealogists to developers, RootsTech offers hands-on workshops, presentations and more… Read the full story