Author: Amanda

Yesterday, news broke of the passing of actress Doris Roberts. She was perhaps best remembered for her role on the hit sitcom Everybody Loves Raymond. Roberts was born Doris May Green on November 4, 1925 in St. Louis, Missouri. When she was 10, her father left the family. She would later take on her stepfather’s name Roberts as her own. Roberts discovered acting at an early age and dropped out of college to pursue acting full time…. Read the full story

As British forces prepared to march onto Lexington and Concord on April 18, 1775, two patriots set out on horseback to warn American colonists of the British advancement. While everyone may know the story of Paul Revere’s midnight ride, the story of William Dawes’s ride is often forgotten. Revere and Dawes embarked on different routes across Massachusetts in the event one was be captured. Dawes was assigned to warn John Hancock and Samuel Adams that they were in danger of… Read the full story

We love hearing about stories from the Geni community about their journeys to uncover their family history. Today we’d like to share Anne Brannen’s story. A recent addition to Geni’s team of dedicated volunteer curators, Anne shares her family stories and the path that led her to tackle the medieval lines of the World Family Tree. After 22 years of working in Pittsburgh teaching at Duquesne University, Anne is now living a semi-retired life while… Read the full story

On this day in 1961, Soviet cosmonaut Yuri Gagarin became the first human to travel into outer space. Yuri Alekseyevich Gagarin was born on March 9, 1934 in the village of Klushino in Russia. The son of a carpenter and milkmaid, Yuri was the third of four children. As a young man, Yuri learned to fly while volunteering for weekend training as a Soviet air cadet at a local flying club. He later joined the… Read the full story

On this day in 1814, Napoleon Bonaparte was exiled to the Mediterranean island of Elba. As the Emperor of France, Napoleon established a hegemony over most of continental Europe. Often regarded as one of the greatest military commanders in history, Napoleon was able to establish a large empire through a series of military campaigns that would become known as the Napoleonic Wars. In 1812, Napoleon launched a disastrous invasion of Russia. The existing continental powers… Read the full story

Famous painter Pablo Picasso died on this day in 1973. Named one of the greatest and most influential artists of the 20th century, Picasso proved to be an immensely successful and prolific artist during his lifetime. He was baptized Pablo Diego Jose Francisco de Paula Juan Nepomuceno Maria de los remedios Cipriano de la Santisima Trinidad Ruiz y Picasso, a series of names honoring various saints and relatives. Picasso was born on October 25, 1881… Read the full story

On this day in 1900, actor Spencer Tracy was born. Considered one of the biggest stars of Hollywood’s Golden Age, Tracy captivated audiences with his impressive range and his frequent collaborations with fellow Hollywood legend Katharine Hepburn. Spencer Bonaventure Tracy was born on April 5, 1900 in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. A rambunctious child, Tracy was place in the care of Dominican nuns at the age of 9 in the hopes of transforming his behavior. At the… Read the full story

Happy birthday, Robert Downey, Jr. Today the star turns 51. Born into a creative household, the Iron Man star grew up in New York City’s Greenwich Village. As a child, he was exposed to drugs by his father, filmmaker Robert Downey, Sr. He would eventually overcome his drug addiction, but not before he spent several months in prison for drug related charges. As an actor, he has won great praise for his work. In 1992, he earned his… Read the full story

Now that spring is officially here, it’s the perfect time to do a little genealogy spring cleaning. Take a break from your research to reorganize, refresh and get yourself in the best shape before tackling your next genealogy hurdle. Image: Nationaal Archief, Flickr Here are some quick tips to get started on your genealogy spring cleaning: Time to scan old documents and photos! Do you have a pile of old documents and photos that you’ve been meaning to… Read the full story

World War I was an interesting time for women. As millions of men were off fighting in the Great War, women back home entered the work force in droves. It was the first time in American history that many women began to take on the jobs traditionally held by men. Before the U.S. entered the war, women were relegated to the home or to domestic work. In 1914, when World War I broke out in Europe, the traditional… Read the full story

Are you related to the Tudors? On this day in 1603, Queen Elizabeth I died at the age of 69. She was the daughter of King Henry VIII and his second wife, Anne Boleyn and succeeded to the throne after the death of her elder sister Queen Mary I. The last of the Tudor monarchs, Elizabeth I’s reign was known as the Elizabethan Era and is regarded as a golden age of English history. Her reign… Read the full story

“Give me liberty or give me death!” On this day in 1775, Patrick Henry uttered his famous line in a speech made to the Second Virginia Convention. It was Henry’s impassioned words that was said to have convinced the delegates at the convention to pass a resolution that would mobilize arms against encroaching British forces before the start of the American Revolutionary War. Among the delegates in attendance were George Washington and Thomas Jefferson. Considered one of the Founding… Read the full story

Did you know you can customize how names are displayed on Geni? Since Geni’s World Family Tree is shared by everyone, it’s important to provide you with ways you can personalize how names are displayed without infringing on the preferences of others. These name preferences apply to the family tree, lists and the rest of Geni. You can customize your name preferences in your Account Settings. Select Name Preferences to customize how names are displayed on Geni… Read the full story

Happy birthday, Reese Witherspoon! Today the actress turns 40. Born Laura Jeanne Reese Witherspoon, Reese grew up in Tennessee and began her career as a child actor. From early roles in Election and Legally Blonde to her Academy Award winning role as June Carter Cash in Walk the Line, Reese has found much success on film in a variety of roles. Reese recently celebrated her 40th birthday with a star-studded bash, which included a private concert from her cousin Taylor… Read the full story

It’s St. Patrick’s Day! In celebration of the holiday, we take a look at some famous faces in Geni’s World Family Tree with surprising Irish ancestry. Barack and Michelle Obama Image: Peta Souza / White House The Obamas each have surprisingly deep Irish connections. The President’s Irish ancestry can be traced through his maternal lineage. His third great grandfather, Fulmoth Kearney, was born in Offaly, Ireland in 1830. He would later immigrate to the United States along with… Read the full story

Today we remember former First Lady Pat Nixon on what would have been her 104th birthday. Nixon was born Thelma Catherine Ryan on March 16, 1912 in Ely, Nevada. She was given the nickname “Pat” by her father as a reference to her birthdate and Irish ancestry. She later dropped her first name and used “Pat,” and sometimes “Patricia,” though she never legally changed it. She grew up on a small truck farm in California, and by… Read the full story

Are you related to a U.S. President? On this day in 1767, Andrew Jackson was born near the border of North and South Carolina. The 7th President of the United States, Jackson was born near the end of the colonial era. His parents. Andrew and Elizabeth Jackson, had emigrated from Ireland just two years before Jackson was born. His father died three weeks before his birth. Only 13 during the American Revolution, Jackson worked informally as a militia… Read the full story

Are you familiar with the story of Frankenstein? On this day in 1818, author Mary Wollstonecraft Shelley first published her best known Gothic novel Frankenstein: or, The Modern Prometheus. Mary Wollstonecraft Godwin was born in London, England in 1797 to Mary Wollstonecraft, a feminist philosopher and writer, and journalist William Godwin.  In 1814, she met poet Percy Shelley. The couple traveled around Europe for some time and struggled with financial difficulties and the death of their… Read the full story

What’s in a middle name? Not everyone has one and its significance varies between different cultures. If you come across someone with a middle name during your genealogy research, a closer investigation may give you fascinating insights into family traditions, your ancestors or even clues to missing branches. While the concept of a “middle name” has been around since the Middle Ages, it was not until 1835 that the phrase “middle name” first appeared in the Harvard University… Read the full story

Today we celebrate International Women’s Day, which recognizes the past and present achievements of women all around the world. In honor of the the day, here are some of the remarkable women throughout history found in Geni’s World Family Tree: Ada Lovelace (1815-1852) Image: Wikimedia Commons A gifted mathematician, Ada Lovelace wrote the world’s first computer program nearly a century before the first computers were built. Lovelace envisioned a day when a single machine could be programed for… Read the full story

Are you having trouble searching for your female ancestors? Documentation for women is often difficult to come by in the historical record. Often times, name changes and omissions in favor of male relatives make it difficult to track down your female ancestors. Image: Woodrow Wilson Presidential Library Archives The month of March is designated as Women’s History Month. In honor of the month long celebration, here are some ways you can uncover the maiden names of your… Read the full story

Happy birthday, Jon Bon Jovi! Today the rocker turns 54. John Francis Bongiovi, Jr. was born on March 2, 1962 in Perth Amboy, New Jersey. His parents, John Francis Bongiovi, Sr. and Carol Sharkey, met while in the Marines. Interestingly, his mother was also a former model and one of the first Playboy bunnies. Jon’s interest in music began when he was young, and by his early teens, he knew he wanted to be a rock… Read the full story

Happy birthday, Justin Bieber! Today the pop star turns 22. Bieber was born on March 1, 1994 in London, Ontario, Canada. From a young age, Bieber showed a special talent for music. Growing up, he learned to play the piano, drums, guitar, and trumpet. At the age of 12, his mother uploaded a video of Bieber performing at a local singing competition to YouTube so their family and friends to see. As she continued to upload more… Read the full story

Today is Leap Day! Why do we have leap days? Because it actually takes about 365¼ days for the Earth to orbit the sun. To account for this, an extra day is added every four years to the Gregorian calendar. This occurs every year divisible by four, with the exception of century years, unless it is divisible by 400. Here are some interesting facts about leap day: 1. You can thank Julius Caesar for leap year. The… Read the full story

Congratulations to Leonardo DiCaprio for finally winning his first Oscar! The six-time Academy Award nominee finally took home the coveted prize for Best Actor for his role in the film, The Revenant. The film was inspired by the experiences of American frontiersman Hugh Glass, who had been left for dead by his companions after being mauled by a grizzly bear. Years in the making, DiCaprio earned his first Oscar nomination 22 years ago in 1994. When accepting the award, the audience… Read the full story

Since the first grade, Geni Curator Jim Wile knew what he wanted to be when he grew up. With dreams to become a math teacher, Jim was working towards his degree in education when his birth date was called in the military draft lottery. He enlisted in the U.S. Army and was assigned to the 902nd Military Intelligence Group. Despite his three-year detour, Jim went on to achieve his goal to become a teacher of… Read the full story

After spending time merging duplicates, it’s easy to forget to go back to resolve conflicting data on profiles. Data conflicts arise when two profiles are merged but some of the information on the profiles do not match. Instead of discarding the mismatched information, we allow you to review these conflicts and choose the best data to keep. The information you select will appear on the individual’s profile page. Below we’ll walk you through how to review and… Read the full story

Happy birthday, Drew Barrymore! Today the actress turns 41. Drew Blythe Barrymore was born into the famous Barrymore dynasty of actors. The granddaughter of legendary actor John Barrymore, Drew descends from a long line of performers. John Barrymore’s siblings, Lionel and Ethel, were also renowned stage actors. Not only that, her great grandparents, Maurice Barrymore and Georgiana Drew, were accomplished stage actors as well. Her second great grandparents, John and Louisa Lane Drew, owned and ran their own… Read the full story

Today we mourn the death of brilliant author Harper Lee. She passed away at the age of 89 in her hometown of Monroeville, Alabama. The beloved author of To Kill a Mockingbird was revered by many who grew up reading her classic novel. In honor of her passing, we take a look back at her life. 1. Nelle Harper Lee was the youngest of four children born to Frances Cunningham (Finch) and Amasa Coleman Lee. Her first name was… Read the full story

On this day in 1847, the first rescuers reached the surviving members of the Donner Party, a group of American pioneers stranded in the snow in the Sierra Nevada mountains. Leading the ill-fated wagon train to California were George Donner and James F. Reed. In the spring of 1846, parties led by Reed and Donner joined together to head west to California. Along the way, several other families joined the wagon train. After arriving at Fort… Read the full story

Learning about your genealogy can be a rich and rewarding experience, but many who are eager to discover more often find they are at a loss on to where or how to begin. Family history research doesn’t need to feel so overwhelming. Check out these tips on how to get started on researching your family tree: 1. Start with what you know The easiest way to begin is to start with the information you already know. As… Read the full story

On this day in 1801, Thomas Jefferson was elected the third President of the United States over his running mate, Aaron Burr, who also happened to be his 11th cousin. The election of 1800 was one of the most intense and contentious elections in U.S. history and exposed one of the flaws in the original Constitution. The then Vice President Thomas Jefferson had defeated President John Adams, but due to the rules outlined in the Constitution,… Read the full story

Congratulations to Taylor Swift, who took home the Grammy award for Album of the Year on Monday night! She is the first woman to win the coveted award twice. In her much buzzed about acceptance speech, Swift took a moment to send an empowering message to young women everywhere. She said, “I want to say to all the young women out there, there are going to be people along the way who will try to… Read the full story

Have you found your ancestors’ wedding or anniversary announcements in old newspaper records? These happy announcements can be a wonderful treasure trove of genealogical information. They may also hold stories of the love your relatives shared on their special day. Many of these may even include a photograph of the happy couple! We’ve uncovered a few lovely examples below. Check them out: Sisters married on the anniversary of their parents’ wedding The Ogden Standard, February 14, 1920 A… Read the full story

We had a fantastic time at RootsTech 2016 in Salt Lake City, Utah! This year’s conference was bigger than ever with an estimated 25,000 people attending and over 150,000 watching classes online. The Geni booth at RootsTech 2016 This year, Geni had an amazing booth with plenty of room to accommodate the crowds of visitors eager to learn more about collaborative genealogy in a single family tree. New users starting their family trees on Geni We loved… Read the full story

Do you have ancestors that fought for the Confederacy during the American Civl War? On this day in 1861, Jefferson Davis was notified by telegraph that he had been chosen as the provisional President of the Confederate States of America. Although he was the strongest and first choice to lead the new Confederate States, Davis was reluctant to take the position. He was at his plantation gardening when he received the news that he was unanimously… Read the full story

Recently, actress Jennifer Lawrence and comedian Amy Schumer made headlines with their newfound friendship. The new pals made a splash at the Golden Globes, where they were both up for Best Performance by an Actress in a Motion Picture – Musical or Comedy. Lawrence took home the coveted prize for her performance as the titular character in Joy. But there’s no love lost between the two friends. The duo are reportedly co-writing a screenplay along with Schumer’s sister, where the two actresses will… Read the full story

To kick off Black History Month, today we celebrate the life of abolitionist Frederick Douglass. Frederick Augustus Washington Bailey was born into slavery in Talbot County, Maryland around February 1818. Although the exact date of his birth is not known, he chose to celebrate it on February 14. Years later, after escaping to the North, he took the surname Douglass. As a child, he secretly taught himself to read and write, believing that “knowledge is a pathway… Read the full story

Next week, the Geni team will be heading to RootsTech 2016, the largest family history event in the world. From February 3-6, genealogists and family history enthusiasts from around the country will gather at the Salt Palace Convention Center in Salt Lake City, Utah to attend this unique genealogy conference. From the family history novice to genealogy experts, everyone has the opportunity to learn and discover the latest tools and technologies for researching your family history. This innovative… Read the full story

Do you have Irish ancestry? On this day in 1939, renowned Irish poet William Butler Yeats died in Menton, France. W.B. Yeats was born on June 13, 1865 in Dublin, Ireland to John Butler Yeats and Susan Mary Pollexfen. His mother had come from a wealthy merchant family, who owned a milling and shipping business. Yeats grew up in a creative and artistic family; his father had abandoned his studies of law to become an artist… Read the full story

Today we’re excited to announce that Geni’s World Family Tree now connects over 100 million profiles! Thanks to the collaborative efforts of the entire Geni community, the World Family Tree has quickly become the largest, highest-quality family tree of the world. This significant milestone is the product of the hard work and research done by our dedicated community of users and our trusted team of volunteer Curators. The World Family Tree is the definitive family… Read the full story

Happy birthday, Ellen DeGeneres! Today the beloved comedian and talk show host turns 58. She was born Ellen Lee DeGeneres on January 26, 1958 in Metairie, Louisiana. Ellen got her start in comedy doing stand-up at small clubs and coffee houses. In 1986, Ellen made her first appearance on The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson where she became the first female comedian to be invited by the iconic host to join him for an onscreen chat. Today,… Read the full story

We love hearing stories from our users when they make fascinating new discoveries. Recently, genealogy blogger Kitty Cooper shared an amazing discovery she made just last week thanks to Geni. Through the power of collaboration, she’s found her long lost second cousins in Germany! Kitty shares that her family has always known of family in Bavaria, but surnames and where they lived remained a mystery. According to family lore, Kitty’s great grandfather, Benedict Reiner, was studying to… Read the full story

Have you found your connection to the Spanish monarchy? On this day in 1716, Charles III, King of Spain, was born in Madrid. The third surviving son of Philip V of Spain, but the eldest by his second wife, Charles became the Duke of Parma and Piacenza at the age of 15. As Duke, he conquered the kingdoms of Naples and Sicily and was crowned king on July 3, 1735. He reigned as Charles VII… Read the full story

Family heirlooms are often precious artifacts linking the present to your family’s heritage. They hold stories and memories from the past about the lives of loved ones that are no longer around. Usually passed down from generation to generation, family heirlooms provide us with a greater personal connection to our ancestors, perhaps more so than a census record or death certificate could provide. They often provide a unique insight into your family’s history and hold deep… Read the full story

Today we remember actor Alan Rickman, who has passed away at the age of 69. A versatile actor, Rickman showcased his remarkable talent on both the stage and silver screen. He is perhaps best known for playing Severus Snape in the Harry Potter film franchise as well as his villainous roles in Die Hard and Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves. Born on February 21, 1946 in London, England, Rickman was the second son born to working class parents. His father… Read the full story

On this day in 1968, Johnny Cash performed live at Folsom State Prison. His live album recording At Folsom Prison was a hit and stayed at the top of the charts for weeks. In 1955, Cash first released is single, “Folsom Prison Blues.” He was inspired to write the song from the perspective of the incarcerated after watching the movie, Inside the Walls of Folsom Prison, while serving in the United States Air Force Security Service. Not only had the… Read the full story

News spread today of the death of iconic singer-songwriter David Bowie after an 18-month battle with cancer. He died on January 10, just two days after his 69th birthday. Herald as an innovator and pioneer, Bowie seemed to reinvent himself for each new generation of fans. Bowie constantly transformed his sound and appearance to the delight and surprise of audiences around the world. In remembrance of Bowie’s extraordinary life, we take a look at a few things… Read the full story

On this day in 1885, woman’s right activist and suffragist Alice Paul was born. She was born on January 11, 1885 in Mount Laurel Township, New Jersey to William Mickle Paul and Tacie Parry and was the eldest of four children. An influential figure of the women’s right movement, Paul was the leader and strategist of the 1910 campaign for the Nineteenth Amendment, which prohibits sex discrimination in the right to vote. She founded the… Read the full story

The traditional, solitary pursuit of genealogy is a thing of the past. Geni’s World Family Tree has made collaboration the easiest, fastest and most exciting way to uncover your family’s heritage. You can collaborate instantly with your relatives by inviting them to join the family tree on Geni. When your relatives join the tree, they can contribute their own knowledge of your family’s history and help research exciting, new branches of your ancestry. As more relatives are invited and the tree expands, you… Read the full story