Author: Amanda

Are you related to the last tsar of Russia? On this day in 1868, Nicholas II was born in St. Petersburg, Russia. The eldest son of Emperor Alexander III and Empress Maria Feodorovna of Russia, Nicholas succeeded his father as emperor after his death in 1894. With little government experience, Nicholas’s rule saw one of the greatest powers in Europe fall into economic and military ruin. He took command of the Russian army during World War I… Read the full story

We’re back from Raleigh, North Carolina where we had the pleasure of attending the National Genealogical Society 2017 Family History Conference. The city was named after Sir Walter Raleigh, who established the lost Roanoke Colony in what is today Dare County, North Carolina. Between May 10-13, genealogists and family history enthusiasts gathered at the Raleigh Convention Center in downtown Raleigh. On the first day, we were greeted by large crowds of excited genealogists eager to learn more about… Read the full story

Happy birthday, Bono! Today the U2 frontman turns 57. He was born Paul David Hewson in Dublin, Ireland. The second son of Bob Hewson and Iris Rankin, Bono lost his mother at the age of 14 when she died of a brain aneurysm after collapsing at her father’s funeral. While still in high school, he joined the band U2 and was nicknamed “Bono Vox,” which means “good voice” in Latin. It wasn’t until the band… Read the full story

Remember watching Little House on the Prairie? Today star Melissa Gilbert turns 53. Gilbert was adopted a day after her birth by comedian Paul Gilbert and actress Barbara Crane, daughter of The Honeymooners creator Harry Crane. With a showbiz family, it was no surprise that Gilbert would also enter the entertainment industry. In 1974, she was cast as the star of the period drama television series Little House on the Prairie, based on Laura Ingalls Wilder’s widely successful book series…. Read the full story

We’re hitting the road again next week for the National Genealogical Society 2017 Family History Conference in Raleigh, North Carolina. Between May 10-13, genealogists from all over the country will come together for four exciting days of genealogy fun. Attendees will have the opportunity to choose from over 175 sessions designed to help beginners and advanced genealogy researchers and family historians. If you can’t make it, NGS will be live streaming several sessions. The Geni team will… Read the full story

Happy Cinco de Mayo! The holiday commemorates the Mexican Army’s unlikely victory over French forces at the Battle of Puebla on May 5, 1862. In honor of the holiday, were highlighting Benito Juárez, who was at the time the President of Mexico. After the Mexican-American War, Mexico faced a civil war known as the Reform War that left the country bankrupt. In 1861, Juárez suspended all foreign debt repayments. In response, France, Spain, and Britain sent their naval… Read the full story

We’re back from the New England Regional Genealogical Consortium 2017 conference in Springfield, Massachusetts. We had a great time meeting Geni users and introducing Geni to genealogists and family historians who were still unfamiliar with the World Family Tree. This year saw a record number of registrants, while the exhibit hall was also open and free to the public. The Geni booth at NERGC 2017 The conference took place at the MassMutual Convention Center, where… Read the full story

Today we remember comedy legend Lucille Ball, who passed away on this day in 1989 at the age of 77. Born on August 6, 1911 in Jamestown, New York, Ball had an itch to perform at a young age. She enrolled in a New York City drama school where she was classmates with actress Bette Davis. However, she was dismissed from the school after a short period due to her shyness to perform. She began… Read the full story

Do you have Italian heritage? On this day in 1874, Italian inventor Guglielmo Marconi was born in Bologna, Italy. He was known for his pioneering work on long-distance radio transmission and radio telegraph system. Marconi was born on April 25, 1874 into an Italian noble family. He was the second son born to Giuseppe Marconi, a wealthy Italian aristocrat landowner, and Anna Fenwick Jameson, who was Irish and Scottish. His great grandfather was John Jameson, the founder of… Read the full story

Next week, Geni will be heading to the New England Regional Genealogical Consortium 2017 Conference in Springfield, Massachusetts. Held every other year, this year’s conference will focus on “Using the Tools of Today & Tomorrow to Understand the Past.” NERGC 2017 will take place April 26-29, 2017 at the MassMutal Center in Springfield. The exhibit hall will be open April 27-29 and will be open to the general public. Geni will be there at booths B,… Read the full story

Prolific sculptor Daniel Chester French was born on this day in 1850. He is best remembered for the design of his most famous piece, the statue of Abraham Lincoln at the Lincoln Memorial. Born in Exeter, New Hampshire, French spent his childhood growing up in Concord, Massachusetts with writers Ralph Waldo Emerson and Louisa May Alcott as neighbors. In fact, it was thanks to Alcott’s sister Abigail that French pursued a career as a sculptor. Considered one of America’s… Read the full story

No one looks forward to doing their taxes year after year. However, since everyone is expected to pay their taxes each year, tax records make an excellent resource for genealogists. Ohio 1826 tax records / MyHeritage SuperSearch Here are 5 reasons why tax records are great for genealogy research: 1. They are consistent. As Benjamin Franklin once said, “In this world nothing can be said to be certain, expect death and taxes.” Everyone is expected to diligently… Read the full story

When the RMS Titanic sank on April 15, 1912, over 1,500 people died in what was one of the deadliest peacetime maritime disasters in history. Of the estimated 2,240 passengers and crew on board, over 700 survived. Amongst the survivors where two young French boys who were tossed into a lifeboat by their father, who had died in the disaster. Unable to speak English, the identity of the boys was a mystery. The boys were at first misidentified as Louis and… Read the full story

Have you visited the library recently? This week is National Library Week in the United States, which makes it the perfect time to highlight librarian Melvil Dewey, the inventor of the Dewey Decimal system of library classification. Melville Louis Kossuth Dewey was born on December 10, 1851 in Adams Center New York. He was the fifth and youngest child of Joel Dewey and Eliza Green. At the age of 21, Dewey invented the Dewey Decimal… Read the full story

Did your family serve in World War I? On this day 100 years ago, the United States entered World War I and joined the Allies in the fight against Germany. Called the “War to End All Wars,” the Great War would be unlike any war ever seen before. East Oregonian, April 6, 1917 / Library of Congress Upon the announcement, President Woodrow Wilson called on all citizens to volunteer their services to the country. The president declared the… Read the full story

Happy birthday to Doris Day! Today the actress turns 95. Day got an interesting birthday surprise this year when she learned she was actually turning 95 and not 93. The Associated Press obtained her birth certificate which revealed that she was actually born in 1922, making her two years older than what she believed. Day originally thought she was born in 1924. In a comment on her birthday surprise, Day said “I’ve always said that age is just… Read the full story

When you interview your relatives about your family history, the goal is often to gather names, dates, and locations. Sometimes you may lose sight of the stories behind those names, dates, and locations. Some of the greatest insights into your family come from the family stories that relatives remember. It is easy to forget what questions to ask during a family interview, so it is always best to be prepared with a list of questions…. Read the full story

On this day in 1519, Henry II of France was born in the royal Château de Saint -Germain-en-Laye, near Paris, France. He was the second son of Francis I and Claude, Duchess of Brittany, who was the daughter of Louis XII of France. As a child, he and his older brother were captured and held prisoner in Spain. They remained in captivity for over four years. At the age of 14, he married Catherine de’ Medici. However,… Read the full story

Today we remember actress Patty Duke, who passed away on this day one year ago. She was born Anne Marie Duke on December 14, 1946 in Queens, New York. The youngest of three children, Duke experienced a very difficult childhood. Her father was an alcoholic and her mother suffered from clinical depression. At the age of 8, she was placed in the care of talent managers, who added her to their stable of child actors, and forced… Read the full story

On this day in 1969, Dwight D. Eisenhower, the 34th President of the United States, died at the age of 78. Dwight David Eisenhower was born on October 14, 1890 in Denison, Texas. He was the third of seven sons born to David Jacob Eisenhower and Ida Elizabeth Stover. His parents had a strong religious background and set aside time everyday for a daily family Bible reading. Since he was a child, Eisenhower was known by the… Read the full story

During your genealogy research, you’ll often come across the signatures of your ancestors. Signatures are fascinating because they might be the only traces of handwriting you may find in your ancestors’ own hand. Not only are they fun to find, they can also help supplement your genealogy research. Signatures can be a good way to verify if separate documents belong to the same person. For example, by comparing signatures, you may be able to conclude that a deed signed by James Ford is… Read the full story

Who is your favorite James Bond? On this day in 1946, License to Kill star Timothy Dalton was born in Colwyn Bay, Wales. He was the oldest of five children born to Peter Dalton-Leggett and Dorthy Scholes. His father was a captain in the Special Operations Executive during World War II. When he was young, it seemed Dalton would follow his father’s footsteps into the military. As a teen, he was even a member of the Air… Read the full story

It’s St. Patrick’s Day! To celebrate, here are some interesting facts about the holiday that you may not have known: 1. Saint Patrick was not Irish. St. Patrick’s Day is celebrated on the anniversary of the death of Saint Patrick, the patron saint of Ireland. He was actually born in Britain, probably in Scotland. He was kidnapped by pirates at the age of 16 and spent 6 years as a slave in Ireland. He became… Read the full story

Today we celebrate the birthday of Albert Einstein, one of the most brilliant minds in history. Albert Einstein was born on March 14, 1879 in Ulm, in the Kingdom of Wüttemberg in what was then the German Empire. Considered one of the most influential physicists of the 20th century, Einstein’s scientific breakthroughs dramatically changed our understanding of the universe. Albert Einstein / Library of Congress In honor of his birthday, here are some interesting facts about Albert… Read the full story

Have you tried using flip nodes while working in the family tree? Flip nodes are a great way to see more details about a profile without having to leave the tree. With flip nodes, you can have quick access to a profile’s basic information, DNA markers, a peek at the About section, a brief summary of the profile’s history, and a description of how the profile is related to you. You will also have easy access to additional actions right in the tree…. Read the full story

Today the world celebrates International Women’s Day, recognizing the past and present achievements of women all around the world. In honor of the day, we’re highlighting some of the inspiring women in Geni’s World Family Tree who have made their mark in history: Victoria Woodhull (1838-1927) Image: Wikimedia Commons A leader of the women’s suffrage movement, Victoria Woodhull became the first woman to run for President of the United States in 1872. She was a candidate for the Equal… Read the full story

This year’s Oscars was one for the history books. Best Supporting Actor winner Mahershala Ali made Academy Award history last night by becoming the first Muslim actor to win an Oscar. Viola Davis, the first African American actress to receive three Oscar nominations, finally won her first Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress. With her win, she has become the first African American to achieve the “Triple Crown of Acting,” winning an Emmy, a Tony and an Oscar. Full of… Read the full story

Last month, we celebrated the 10th anniversary of Geni’s launch by announcing a chance for one lucky user to win a free year of Geni Pro. For a chance to win, people were asked to answer one question – “What first sparked your interest in genealogy?” We received many great responses from the community and a winner was randomly chosen from our list of valid entries sent to us via Facebook, Twitter and email. Today we’re excited… Read the full story

Remember watching The Golden Girls? On this day in 1934, star Rue McClanahan was born in Healdton, Oklahoma. She was born Eddi-Rue McClanahan to Dreda Rheua-Nell Medaris, a beautician, and William Edwin McClanahan, a building contractor. Her name was was a contraction of her parents’ middle names, but she dropped the “Eddi” when she was mistaken for a boy and drafted into the military in error after finishing school. After graduating from college, McClanahan found work in theater… Read the full story

We had a fantastic time at RootsTech 2017. Each year the conference gets bigger and bigger, and this year was no exception with an estimated 30,000 attendees! RootsTech 2017 We always have a wonderful time getting to see old friends and meeting new people enthusiastic to learn more about collaboration in genealogy. This year curators Anne Brannen and Ashley Odell joined the Geni team at the booth to help introduce Geni to new visitors. Their genealogy expertise… Read the full story

Some of the best stories come from our own families. Often these lasting memories are passed down through generations either through storytelling or in personal journals or diaries. Today take a look back at the wedding stories in your family tree. You may even want to look for their wedding announcements in old newspapers, which sometimes include a story or description of the happy couple’s special day. Below are a few interesting wedding stories we found in old newspapers:… Read the full story

In one week Geni will be heading to Salt Lake City, Utah for RootsTech 2017, the world’s largest genealogy conference. RootsTech has always been a little unique with its interesting blend of genealogy and technology. Open to newbies and experts, RootsTech is the perfect place to meet fellow genealogy researchers and discover new family history technologies. RootsTech will take place February 8-11, 2017 at the Salt Palace Convention Center. The conference will be offering over 200 sessions for… Read the full story

Happy Chinese New Year! This lunar year welcomes the Year of the Rooster, which begins Saturday, January 28.  Also known as the Lunar New Year or the Spring Festival, the holiday is celebrated across 15 days in many countries around the world. At its core, the holiday is about home and family. Steeped in tradition, symbolism and superstition, Chinese New Year is an important time for families to reunite to honor their ancestors. Multiple generations and extended family… Read the full story

Yesterday, beloved TV icon Mary Tyler Moore died in Greenwich, Connecticut at the age of 80. She starred in two classic television shows and helped change the portrayal of women on television. When The Mary Tyler Moore Show first premiered in 1970, it marked the first time a single, never-married, independent career woman was the central character on TV. The show would go on to influence generations of viewers. The Mary Tyler Moore Show / Wikimedia Commons In… Read the full story

Do you have any Confederate ancestors? On this day in 1807, General Robert E. Lee was born at Stratford Hall Plantation in Westmoreland County, Virginia. He was the son of Major General Henry Lee III and his second wife, Anne Hill Carter. During the American Revolution, Lee’s father served as a cavalry officer in the Continental Army, where he earned the nickname “Light-Horse Harry” for his horsemanship. Did you know Lee’s family was one of… Read the full story

When Geni first launched in January 2007, we had one very ambition goal: to create a family tree of the whole world! We invited users to build their family trees and invite their relatives to join them. What began as several smaller family trees naturally led to merging overlapping families, connecting these separate trees into one big tree. Now, thanks to the collaborative efforts of millions of genealogists and family historians, Geni’s World Family Tree has grown to over 112 million profiles! Geni’s… Read the full story

Happy birthday, Betty White! Today the funny actress turns 95. Betty Marion White was born January 17, 1922 in Oak Park, Illinois to Christine Cachikis and Horace White. Her maternal grandfather was born in Greece, while her paternal grandfather was Danish. She got her start in radio and television shortly after graduating high school and by the 1940s, she had her own radio show called The Betty White Show. A pioneer of television, White became one of the first… Read the full story

Have you checked out your family map lately? If the profiles in your family tree have their birth or current locations entered, you can easily see them displayed on a world map. The map page is also a great way to see if you have any relatives in the family tree that are missing these locations on their profiles. To view the map, click on Family at the top of the page and select Map. Here you… Read the full story

On this day in 1913, actress Loretta Young was born in Salt Lake City, Utah. She was born Gretchen Young to John Earle Young and Gladys Royal. When she was two, her parents divorced and she and her two sisters moved to Hollywood with their mother. By the age of three, Young began working as a child extra in silent films. After signing her first film contract, she was given the name Loretta. Over the course… Read the full story

It’s the start of a New Year! Now is the best time to set your genealogy goals for 2017. Check out a few New Year’s resolution ideas to get you started in 2017: Take a DNA test and add your test results to your family tree on Geni Finally break through that troublesome brick wall in your family tree Visit the graves of your ancestors and take photos of their tombstones to add to their profiles Order… Read the full story

Do you remember watching Falcon Crest? On this day in 1917, actress Jane Wyman was born in Saint Joseph, Missouri. She was born Sarah Jane Mayfield to Manning Jefferies Mayfield and Gladys Hope Christian. Shortly after her parents divorced in 1921, her father died unexpectedly. She was taken in by neighbors, while her mother moved to Ohio. During this time, she adopted the surname of her foster parents, Fulks. She began her career in Hollywood during the 1930s… Read the full story

As we come to the end of the year, we take a look back at what we have accomplished in 2016. We are proud the milestones we’ve hit as well as the fantastic new features we’ve introduced this year to make Geni’s World Family Tree even better. Here are our highlights from 2016 on Geni: Geni hit a huge milestone in January when the World Family Tree surpassed 100 million profiles. Thanks to the collaborative efforts of the… Read the full story

Only one day after the death of her daughter, Carrie Fisher, legendary actress Debbie Reynolds passed away on December 28, 2016 at the age of 84. Reynolds launched to fame during the 1950s with a string of musicals, most notably starring in the classic film Singin’ in the Rain alongside Gene Kelly. Only 19 when she shot the film, Reynolds had never danced professionally before. She was born Mary Frances Reynolds on April 1, 1932 in El… Read the full story

On the morning of December 27, 2016, Star Wars icon Carrie Fisher passed away after suffering a heart attack on a flight from London to Los Angeles just four days earlier. Image: Gage Skidmore / Wikimedia Commons  An accomplished author, screenwriter and actress, Fisher was well known for her quick wit and candor. She held memorable parts in When Harry Met Sally and Hannah and Her Sisters, but she will perhaps forever be remembered for her iconic… Read the full story

Do you remember writing letters to Santa Claus? What did you ask for? Every year, children all around the world take a moment to ask Santa for gifts for being good during the year. The Mountainair Independent, December 21, 1916 / MyHeritage SuperSearch Have you ever wondered what your ancestors may have asked for 100 years ago? Newspapers often printed children’s letters to Santa. Common gift requests included dolls, firecrackers, candy, and fruits, particularly apples and… Read the full story

Today we remember actor Alan Thicke, who passed away at the age of 69. Thicke was best remembered as the beloved dad, Jason Seaver, on the 80’s sitcom, Growing Pains. He was born Alan Willis Jeffrey on March 1, 1947 in Kirkland Lake, Ontario to Shirley Isobel Marie Greer, a nurse, and William Jeffrey, a stockbroker. He began his career on Canadian television before moving on to American TV. Although best known for his work in front… Read the full story

Looking for a great gift for the holidays? Whether you are looking for a gift for the family historian or genealogist in your circle of friends and family or just looking to share your love of family history with your relatives, here are some nifty gift ideas for this holiday season. For something nostalgic…   Poster of your family tree A family tree poster is an excellent gift to to give to your family. You can… Read the full story

On December 8, legendary astronaut John Glenn died at the age of 95. A hero of the space age and the last of the original Mercury 7, Glenn inspired generations of scientists and explorers. Image: NASA Remembered best as the first American to orbit Earth, Glenn was also a national war hero and former U.S. Senator. In honor of his memory, here are some interesting facts about the life of the American icon. 1. He grew up… Read the full story

Today marks the 75th anniversary of the attack on Pearl Harbor. On the morning of December 7, 1941, the Imperial Japanese Navy struck the U.S. navel base at Pearl Harbor in a surprise military attack. The attack lasted a couple of hours and left more than 1,000 wounded and 2,400 people dead. Image: U.S. Navy The attack was intended as a preventative action to keep the U.S. Pacific Fleet from interfering with the planned military actions of… Read the full story

We love hearing of stories from users who have discovered a new piece of their family on Geni. Today we share a story from Jens Petter Kleven, who grew up knowing very little about his father’s family. What he found on Geni would open up an entirely new world to him. Jens was born in September 1950 in Oslo, Norway. He describes his childhood as difficult from day one.  His mother had denied his father… Read the full story