Author: Amanda

Do you have a favorite Audrey Hepburn movie? Today marks what would have been the legendary actress’s 94th birthday. Image: Audrey Hepburn / Wikimedia Commons Hepburn was born Audrey Kathleen Ruston on May 4, 1929 in Brussels, Belgium. Her mother, Baroness Ella van Heemstra, was a Dutch aristocrat and after divorcing Hepburn’s father, raised her alone as a single mother. She studied ballet and quickly became a “star pupil.” The Nazi’s occupation of the Netherlands during… Read the full story

On this day in 1469, Italian Renaissance historian and philosopher Niccolò Machiavelli was born in the Republic of Florence. Today, he is remembered as one of the fathers of modern political theory. Image: Niccolò Machiavelli / Wikimedia Commons He was born during a tumultuous era when Italy was still divided into city-states. A strong proponent of a unified Italy, Machiavelli served for many years as a senior official for the Florentine Republic and dealt with diplomatic and… Read the full story

On this day in 1729, Catherine the Great was born. Catherine the Great reigned over Russia from 1762 until her death in 1796 at the age of 67. Image: Catherine the Great / British Library, Flickr She was born Sophie Friederike Auguste von Anhalt-Zerbst-Dornburg on May 2, 1729. Her father belonged to the ruling German family of Anhalt, but held the rank of a Prussian general. After converting to the Russian Orthodox Church, she received… Read the full story

On this day in 1927, American civil rights activist Coretta Scott King was born in Marion, Alabama. Image: Coretta Scott King / Library of Congress The widow of Civil Rights icon Martin Luther King, Jr., King also made significant contributions to the Civil Rights movement both before and after her husband’s death. She was the third child born to Obadiah Scott and Bernice McMurray. Her father was the first black person in their neighborhood to… Read the full story

Happy birthday to Carol Burnett! Today the funny actress turns 90. Known for her legendary comedic chops, Burnett became a household name as the star of The Carol Burnett Show. The show ran for 11 seasons and marked the first time a TV variety show was hosted by a woman. Image: Carol Burnett / Wikimedia Commons Burnett was born in San Antonio, Texas on April 26, 1933 to Joseph Burnett, a movie theater manager, and Ina… Read the full story

Love listening to the sound of Jazz? On this day in 1917, Jazz legend Ella Fitzgerald was born in Newport News, Virginia. Image: Ella Fitzgerald / Library of Congress From her earliest days as a small child, the Queen of Jazz was passionate about music and spent hours listening to Jazz records her mother brought home. After the death of her mother when she was 15, Ella was sent to live with her aunt in Harlem. She suffered… Read the full story

On April 24, 1942, legendary singer and actress Barbra Streisand was born in Brooklyn, New York. Image: Barbra Streisand / National Institutes of Health Over her long career, Streisand has sold over 150 million albums worldwide, making her one of the best-selling recording artists of all time. She has amassed a great number of music and acting awards, including 2 Academy Awards and 10 Grammys. She is also one of the few entertainers who can… Read the full story

Do you have French ancestry in your family tree? On this day in 1808, Napoleon III was born in Paris, France. Image: Napoleon III / Library of Congress The nephew and heir of Napoleon Bonaparte, Napoleon III grew up in exile. Determined to return to France and regain the French crown, Napoleon began asserting his views in political writings and even attempted a failed coup. Following the Revolution of 1848, Napoleon seized the opportunity to return to France… Read the full story

Today we remember French physicist Pierre Curie, who died on April 19, 1906 at the age of 46. Considered one of the founding fathers of modern physics, Curie is best known for his groundbreaking work in radioactive studies alongside his wife, Marie Curie.  Image: Pierre Curie / Wikimedia Commons Curie was born on May 15, 1859 to Eugène Curie and Sophie-Claire Depouilly. His father was a doctor and trained Curie in math and science. From a young age,… Read the full story

On the night of April 18, 1775, Paul Revere began his infamous ride to warn American colonists that British forces were advancing toward Lexington and Concord. Image: Paul Revere’s ride / U.S. National Archives and Records Administration Revere and fellow rider William Dawes successfully reached Lexington to warn Patriot leaders Samuel Adams and John Hancock before setting out towards Concord. Along the way, they were joined by Samuel Prescott, a young patriot. Of the three men,… Read the full story

Today we remember Benjamin Franklin, who died on April 17, 1790 at the age of 84. Not only was Franklin one of the Founding Fathers of the United States, but he was also a leading author, scientist, inventor, diplomat, and more. Image: Benjamin Franklin / Smithsonian Institution, National Portrait Gallery CC0 Franklin was born on January 17, 1706 in Boston, Massachusetts to Josiah Franklin, a candlemaker, and his second wife, Abiah Folger. He was one… Read the full story

On this day in 1743, Thomas Jefferson was born at the Shadwell plantation in colonial Virginia. One of America’s Founding Fathers, Jefferson was the principal author of the Declaration of Independence and served as the third President of the United States. Image: Thomas Jefferson / Wikimedia Commons Jefferson was born to a prominent Virginia family. His father, Peter Jefferson, was a planter and surveyor. In 1751, he created the Fry-Jefferson Map in collaboration with Joshua Fry, which accurately depicted… Read the full story

Today we remember children’s book author Beverly Cleary on what would have been her 107th birthday. Image: Beverly Cleary / Washington State Archives, Wikimedia Commons Cleary was born Beverly Atlee Bunn on April 12, 1916 in McMinniville, Oregon to Chester Lloyd Bunn, a farmer, and Mabel Atlee, a schoolteacher. A passionate reader, Cleary studied to become a children’s librarian. She earned a B.A. in English from the University of California, Berkeley and a second bachelor’s… Read the full story

Today we remember actor James Garner on what would have been his 95th birthday. Image: James Garner / Wikimedia Commons Garner was born James Scott Bumgarner on April 7, 1928 in Norman, Oklahoma to Weldon Warren Bumgarner and Mildred Scott Meek. The youngest of 3 sons, Garner had a difficult childhood. When he was 4, his mother died and by the time he was 7, his father had left him and his brothers to be… Read the full story

On this day in 1909, explorer Robert Edwin Peary and his assistant, Matthew Henson, reached what they determined to be the North Pole. Image: Robert Edwin Peary / Library of Congress Peary was born on May 6, 1856 in Cresson, Pennsylvania to Charles Nutter Peary and Mary Dole Wiley. He joined the U.S. Navy Civil Engineers Corps before beginning his career as an explorer. Determined to become the first person to reach the North Pole,… Read the full story

On this day in 1856, Booker T. Washington was born. Regarded as one of the most influential African-American educators of the late 19th century, Washington founded the Tuskegee Institute, known today as Tuskegee University, in Alabama. Image: Booker T. Washington / Library of Congress Washington was born into slavery in Virginia and was the son of Jane, a slave, and an unknown white man. He was named Booker Taliaferro and later adopted the surname Washington. After emancipation,… Read the full story

When you collaborate in a shared world tree, it is important to be able to see the history of changes in the family tree. Geni profiles show a robust revision history of a profile, so you know what was changed and by whom. This is especially important if you notice a change that was not correct. Geni’s revision histories make it easy to revert the change, so you can make sure the information in the… Read the full story

Today singer Celine Dion celebrates her 55th birthday! Image: Celine Dion / Georges Biard, Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 3.0) Celine Marie Claudette Dion was born on March 30, 1968 in Charlegmagne, Quebec, Canada to a large family. The youngest of 14 children, Dion grew up in a close-knit family filled with music. From a young age, Dion dreamed of becoming a performer. At the age of 5, she made her first public appearance singing with… Read the full story

On March 29, 1867, legendary baseball player Cy Young was born. Image: Cy Young / Library of Congress Young was born Denton True Young to Nancy Miller and McKinzie Young. The oldest of five children, Young stopped his formal education after the sixth grade to help out on his family’s farm. Around this same time, Young discovered a love for baseball. He played in local baseball teams before he was signed to play for the… Read the full story

On this day in 1905, actress Joan Crawford was born in San Antonio, Texas. Image: Joan Crawford / Wikimedia Commons Born Lucille Fay LeSueur, Crawford was the youngest of three children born to Thomas E. LeSueur and Anna Bell Johnson. Her parents separated while Crawford was young and her mother remarried Harry Cassin, a theater owner. Growing up, she would use the name Billie Cassin. With a love for dancing, Crawford left school to pursue a dancing… Read the full story

Today we celebrate the 100th birthday of French mime Marcel Marceau. Before he became one of the most famous mimes in the world, Marceau helped save many Jewish children from the Nazis during World War II. Image: Marcel Marceau / Library of Congress Marceau was born Marcel Mangel on March 22, 1923 in Strasbourg, France to a Jewish family. From a young age, Marceau was an avid fan of silent films, especially those of Charlie… Read the full story

James Madison, the fourth President of the United States of America, was born on this day, March 16, 1751. Image: James Madison / National Portrait Gallery, Smithsonian Institution CC0 Madison was born at the Belle Grove Plantation near Port Conway, Virginia to a prominent slaving-owning family. He was the eldest of twelve children. One of America’s Founding Fathers, Madison was instrumental in drafting the U.S. Constitution and laid the foundation for the Bill of Rights. He became… Read the full story

Today we remember Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg on what would have been her 90th birthday. Image: Ruth Bader Ginsburg / Wikimedia Commons Ginsburg was born Joan Ruth Bader on March 15, 1933 in Brooklyn, New York. She was the second child born to Nathan Bader, a Jewish emigrant from Odessa, Ukraine, and Celia Amster, whose family came from Kraków, Poland. In 1956, Ginsburg enrolled in Harvard Law School, where she was one of… Read the full story

Happy birthday, Billy Crystal! Today the comedian and actor turns 75. Image: Billy Crystal / Gage Skidmore, Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 3.0) William Edward Crystal was born on March 14, 1948 in New York City, New York. His father, Jack Crystal, worked as a jazz promoter, producer and owner of Commodore Music Store. He sometimes brought home comedy albums featuring Bob Newhart and Sid Caesar, which had a great influence on Crystal growing up. After starting… Read the full story

We’re back from RootsTech 2023 and it was so much fun to return to the Salt Palace Convention Center in Salt Lake City, Utah. It was wonderful to spend time with old friends and meet new people, many of whom were just getting started in their family history search. With the last two years of conferences being all virtual, it was nice to be able to interact with attendees face-to-face once again. This year RootsTech… Read the full story

Does anyone in your family play the theremin? Today we celebrate the 112th birthday of master theremin performer Clara Rockmore. Image: Clara Rockmore / Wikimedia Commons She was born Clara Reisenberg on March 9, 1911 in Vilnius, Lithuania, which was then a part of the Russian Empire. A talented violinist growing up, Rockmore was forced to give up the instrument due to health problems caused by malnutrition. After her family fled to the United States, Rockmore met Léon Theremin,… Read the full story

Do you have Estonian roots? On this day in 1826, Estonian painter Johann Köler was born. A leader of the Estonian national awakening, Köler is considered to be the first professional painter of Estonia. Image: Johann Köler / Järvamaa Muuseum, Wikimedia Commons Köler was born March 8, 1826 in Lubjassaare farmstead in Ivaski, Vijandi County to a peasant family. Although the family had little money, Köler managed to attend school and eventually study painting at… Read the full story

Today we celebrate the 176th birthday of Alexander Graham Bell, the inventor of the first practical telephone. Image: Alexander Graham Bell / National Portrait Gallery, Smithsonian Institution Bell was born on March 3, 1847 in Edinburgh, Scotland to Alexander Melville Bell ad Eliza Grace Symonds. His family life profoundly influenced his research on hearing and speech; his father and grandfather were elocutionists and both his mother and his wife were deaf. This research lead to… Read the full story

Happy birthday, Dr. Seuss! Today marks the 119th birthday of the beloved children’s book author. Image: Theodore Seuss Geisel / Library of Congress Theodore Seuss Geisel was born on March 2, 1904 in Springfield, Massachusetts to Theodor Robert Geisel and Henrietta Seuss. His father was a successful brewmaster before the family brewery was closed when Prohibition took effect. He was later appointed as superintendent of Springfield’s public parks system by the mayor. Geisel published his first… Read the full story

On this day in 1810, Polish pianist and composer Frédéric Chopin was born. Image: Frédéric Chopin / Library of Congress Frédéric François Chopin was born in Żelazowa Wola in what was then the Duchy of Warsaw, a Polish state established by Napoleon I. Although his baptism record states his birthday as February 22, 1810, Chopin and his family used the birthdate March 1, which today is generally accepted as the correct date. A child prodigy, Chopin… Read the full story

Today we remember acting legend Elizabeth Taylor on what would have been her 91st birthday. Image: Elizabeth Taylor / Wikimedia Commons Elizabeth Rosemond Taylor was born on February 27, 1932 in London, England to American parents, Francis Lenn Taylor, an art dealer, and Sara Sothern, a retired actress. Shortly after the outbreak of World War II, the family returned to the United States and settled in Los Angeles, California. Soon after, Taylor began auditioning for films…. Read the full story

Today we remember pioneering NASA mathematician Katherine Johnson, who passed away on this day at the age of 101. Johnson broke racial and gender barriers by becoming one of the first African American women to work as a NASA scientist. Image: Katherine Johnson / NASA Johnson was born on August 26, 1918 in White Sulphur Springs, West Virginia to Joshua Coleman, a handyman and farmer, and Joylette Roberta Lowe, a teacher. Johnson showed a gift… Read the full story

RootsTech 2023 is just around the corner and we couldn’t be more excited to see everyone in person once again. For those who can’t make it to the Salt Palace Convention Center between March 2-4 in Salt Lake City, Utah, you will also have the opportunity to attend the conference virtually for free from the comfort of your own home! That’s right – RootsTech will be both virtual and in-person. For the last two years,… Read the full story

On this day in 1732, George Washington, the first President of the United States, was born. Image: George Washington / Wikimedia Commons Washington was born on February 22, 1732 on his family’s plantation, the Pope’s Creek Estate, in Westmoreland County, Virginia. He was the first son of Augustine Washington and his second wife, Mary Ball. His great grandfather, John Washington, emigrated to Virginia from England in 1656. A Founding Fathers of the United States, Washington led… Read the full story

Today we remember legendary actor Sidney Poitier on what would have been his 96th birthday. Image: Sidney Poitier / Wikimedia Commons Poitier was born on February 20, 1927 in Miami, Florida to Bahamian parents Evelyn Outen and Reginald James Poitier. He was born two months premature while his parents were vacationing in the U.S. Until the age of 10, Poitier lived on his family’s farm on Cat Island in the Bahamas. At the age of 15,… Read the full story

On this day in 1781, French doctor René Laennec was born in Quimper, France. Considered one of the greatest physicians in history, Laennec made many significant contributions to the world of medicine, most notably his invention of the stethoscope. Image: René Laennec / Wikimedia Commons As a boy, René Theophile Hyacinthe Laennec was sent to live with his uncle, Guillaume-François Laennec, after the death of his mother. His uncle was the dean of medicine at… Read the full story

Happy birthday to LeVar Burton! Today the actor turns 66. Image: LeVar Burton / Mike Muegel, Wikimedia Commons (CC BY 2.0) Burton was born Levardis Robert Martyn Burton, Jr. on February 16, 1957 in Landstuhl, West Germany. His mother, Erma Gene Christian, was a social worker and educator. His father, Levardis Robert Martyn Burton, was a photographer for the U.S. Army Signal Corps and was stationed at Landstuhl at the time of his birth. As… Read the full story

Today we celebrate suffragist and social reformer Susan B. Anthony, who was born on this day in 1820. Image: Susan B. Anthony / Library of Congress Anthony was born in Adams, Massachusetts to Daniel Anthony and Lucy Read. Her father was an abolitionist and an advocate of the temperance movement. She grew up in a politically active household, which instilled in her a strong passion for social reform. Anthony first met Elizabeth Cady Stanton in 1851. They… Read the full story

It’s Valentine’s Day and love is in the air. While reading through old newspapers, it’s fun to find announcements celebrating 50, 60, 70 year wedding anniversaries. Some offer secrets to their lasting relationship and pictures of the happy couple, while others contain an abundance of genealogical information as families came together to celebrate these long-lasting unions. This Valentine’s Day, we take a look at a few of them below: After 72 years of marriage, Joseph… Read the full story

“Once you learn to read, you will be forever free.” Today we remember abolitionist leader Frederick Douglass, who was born into slavery sometime around February 1818 in Talbot County, Maryland. Although the exact date of his birth is unknown, Douglass chose to celebrate his birthday on February 14. Image: Frederick Douglass / Library of Congress While he was young, the wife of his master, Sophia Auld, began teaching Douglass the alphabet, despite laws that prohibited teaching… Read the full story

On this day in 1756, Aaron Burr was born in Newark, New Jersey. Although he served as the third Vice President of the United States, Burr is perhaps best remembered for killing his political rival Alexander Hamilton in a duel in 1804. Image: Aaron Burr / New York Public Library Burr was the second child of Esther Edwards and the Reverend Aaron Burr, Sr., who was the second president of the College of New Jersey (now known as… Read the full story

On this day in 1894, American illustrator Norman Rockwell was born in New York City, New York. Image: Norman Rockwell / Library of Congress Norman Perceval Rockwell was born on February 3, 1894 to Jarvis Waring Rockwell and Anne Mary “Nancy” Hill. Rockwell’s 7th great grandfather, John Rockwell, was one of the first settlers in Connecticut. For over four decades, Rockwell’s illustrations of everyday life in America graced the covers of The Saturday Evening Post magazine. Although disliked… Read the full story

Today we remember actress Farrah Fawcett on what would have been her 76th birthday. Image: Farrah Fawcett / Wikimedia Commons She was born Ferrah Leni Fawcett on February 2, 1947 in Corpus Christi, Texas. She was the second daughter born to Pauline Alice Evans and James William Fawcett, an oil field contractor. Fawcett first discovered her love for acting while in high school and in 1968, she decided to try her luck in Hollywood. She soon… Read the full story

On this day in 1902, poet and author Langston Hughes was born. A leader of the Harlem Renaissance, Hughes was known as one of the earliest innovators of jazz poetry. His writings reflected the life and experiences of African Americans and addressed racial issues in society. Image: Langston Hughes / Library of Congress Hughes was born in Joplin, Missouri on February 1, 1902. His parents separated shortly after his birth and he was primarily raised by his maternal grandmother until her death in 1915…. Read the full story

On this day in 1882, Franklin D. Roosevelt, the 32nd President of the United States, was born in Hyde Park, New York. As the only U.S. President to serve four terms in office, Roosevelt led the nation through the Great Depression and World War II until his death in 1945. Image: Franklin D. Roosevelt / U.S. National Archives and Records Administration Roosevelt was born into one of the oldest and wealthiest families in New York. In… Read the full story

Remember the story of Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland? On this day in 1832, author Lewis Carroll was born. Image: Lewis Carroll / Wikimedia Commons The eldest son in a family of 11 children, Charles Lutwidge Dodgson spent much of his childhood reading books. He enjoyed entertaining the children of his close friend, Henry George Liddell, and spent much time delighting them with stories of fantastic adventures. Liddell’s daughter, Alice, became the inspiration for Carroll’s most famous… Read the full story

Ninety-eight years ago today, legendary actor Paul Newman was born in Shaker Heights, Ohio. Image: Paul Newman / Wikimedia Commons A versatile actor and entrepreneur, Newman showed an early interest in theater. He made his Broadway debut in 1953 and eventually segued into television and film. Some of his most memorable films include Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid, Cool Hand Luke, and The Sting. In 1958, Newman married actress Joanne Woodward. They remained married for 50 years… Read the full story

Today we celebrate the 141st birthday of British author Virginia Woolf. A pioneer in the use of stream of consciousness as a narrative device, Woolf is remembered as a central figure of the modernist movement in literature. Image: Virginia Woolf / Harvard Theater Collection, Houghton Library, Harvard University Woolf was born Adeline Virginia Stephen on January 25, 1882 in London England to Sir Leslie Stephen, a prominent author and mountaineer, and Julia Jackson, a noted philanthropist. She was… Read the full story

On this day in 1862, American author Edith Wharton was born. Known for her stories about America’s upper-class, Wharton became the first woman to win the Pulitzer Prize for Literature in 1921. Image: Edith Wharton / National Portrait Gallery, Smithsonian Institution CC0 She was born Edith Newbold Jones on January 24, 1862 to a prominent and wealthy New York family. In 1885, she married Edward Wharton, a wealthy banker. The couple eventually divorced in 1913 after 28 years… Read the full story

It’s National Handwriting Day! Established in 1977, National Handwriting Day is celebrated on the birthday of John Hancock. The American Founding Father is best remembered for his iconic signature on the Declaration of Independence. Image: John Hancock / Library of Congress John Hancock was born on January 23, 1737 in Braintree, Massachusetts. A major figure of the American Revolution, Hancock was the first to sign the Declaration of Independence. His large and stylish signature has become so… Read the full story