Author: Amanda

Are you a fan of NCIS? Today star Mark Harmon celebrates his 63rd birthday! He was born Thomas Mark Harmon on September 2, 1951 in Burbank, California. His parents were Heisman Trophy winner and broadcaster Tom Harmon and artist Elyse Knox. A gifted athlete, he was the starting quarterback for the UCLA Bruins football team in college. Forgoing a career as a professional athlete after college, he decided to pursue a career as an actor. Throughout… Read the full story

Who are you researching this Labor Day weekend? Take a break with these articles from around the web! Image: 100 Year Old Life Hacks that Still Work Today / Guff.com The Genealogy Sphere Tuesday’s Tip – Records from Mental Hospitals (Your Swedish Heritage blog) – A great tip to check mental hospital records in your research The Well-Dressed Couple Again and Solving a Group Photo Mystery (Family Tree Magazine blog) – Photo detective Maureen Taylor figures… Read the full story

Tonight’s season finale of the popular genealogy show Who Do You Think You Are? features British actress Minnie Driver. Known for her roles in Good Will Hunting and The Riches, Driver will embark on a journey to learn more about the life of her secretive father. She was born Amelia Fiona Driver on January 31, 1970 to Ronnie Driver, a successful businessman, and Gaynor Millington, a designer and former couture model. Her parents separated when she was 6, but it… Read the full story

Have you ever ridden on a steamboat? On August 26, 1791, inventor John Fitch was granted a U.S. patent for the steamboat. Fitch was born January 21, 1743 on a farm that is part of present-day South Windsor, Connecticut. He served briefly during the American Revolution, working mostly as a gunsmith for the New Jersey militia. By 1785, Fitch began working on ideas for a steam-powered boat. Two years later, he successfully demonstrated his steamboat… Read the full story

Make any great genealogy finds this this weekend? Kickstart your week with these family history articles from around the web! Image: Nephew finds WW2 PoW’s grave in Poland after 29 years / BBC News The Genealogy Sphere Still ‘Drinkable’: 200-Year-Old Booze Found in Shipwreck (LiveScience) – Cheers! Researchers discover well preserved bottle of alcohol in shipwreck 15 Century-Old Toys We Still Want to Buy (mental_floss) – Did your ancestors play with any of these toys? Man… Read the full story

On August 22, 1485, Richard III of England was killed at the Battle of Bosworth Field. Richard III served as king of England for only two years. He was the last king of the House of York and the last of the Plantagenet dynasty. When his brother Edward IV died, Richard was named Lord Protector of the realm for Edward’s 12-year-old son. However, before the young king could be crowned, his parent’s marriage was declared invalid,… Read the full story

Discovering your family history is one of the most rewarding experiences you can have. We always love to hear stories from our users about their journeys as they research their genealogy. In 2012, Kitty Cooper launched Kitty Cooper’s Blog to keep track of her family’s DNA tests as well as her genealogical research. Written for her relatives with simple step-by-step pictorial explanations, the blog soon became extremely popular for her articles on genetics and genealogy…. Read the full story

Do you remember watching Dirty Dancing? On this day in 1987, the classic movie starring Patrick Swayze and Jennifer Grey was released in theaters. A gifted dancer, Swayze had studied ballet for years under the tutelage of his mother Patsy, who was the director of the Houston Jazz Ballet Company. The surprise box office hit instantly established Swayze as one of Hollywood’s leading men. He would go on to star in many more notable films, including Ghost, Point Break and Donnie Darko. Today… Read the full story

Do you remember watching Kelsey Grammer as Dr. Frasier Crane on the sitcoms Cheers and Frasier? On tonight’s episode of Who Do You Think You Are?, the star will explore his family heritage. His journey reveals surprising stories and hardships about his grandmother’s family. Along the way, he also discovers his family’s connection to the Oregon Trail, one of the greatest migrations in American history. Did you know Grammer is related to his former Cheers co-star Ted Danson? Ted Danson is his 12th cousin thrice removed! Before… Read the full story

Nothing brings a genealogist more joy than the discovery of old family photographs. These pictures give us faces to the names on our family trees and bring with them stories that help enhance our understanding of how our relatives once lived. Today, we can instantly preserve and share memories with anyone around the world with just a click of a button. However, while it’s hard to imagine now, it hasn’t always been so easy to snap a… Read the full story

Take a break from your Monday grind with these fascinating articles from the past week! Image: 100 Years On: Uncovering the Identities of Missing WW1 Soldiers / Readers Digest UK The Genealogy Sphere Long-lost family Bible returned to East Vandergrift woman (Triblive.com) – After 40 years, a family Bible is finally returned Heartrending letter exhausted First World War soldier penned to his wife just weeks before he was killed which she carried in her handbag… Read the full story

On this day in 1920, the Nineteenth Amendment to the U.S. Constitution was ratified, guaranteeing women the right to vote. The long struggle for women’s equal right to vote began with the Seneca Falls Convention in 1848. Organized by Elizabeth Cady Stanton and Lurcretia Mott, the event was the first women’s rights convention of its kind to be held in the U.S. Stanton is credited as one of the founders of the American suffrage movement. It was… Read the full story

Happy birthday, Halle Berry! Today the famous actress turns 48. She was born Maria Halle Berry in Cleveland, Ohio to Judith Ann Hawkins, a psychiatric nurse, and Jerome Jesse Berry, a hospital attendant in the same psychiatric ward where her mother worked. Her parents divorced when she was four years old. Before becoming an actress, Berry entered several beauty contests, winning Miss Ohio USA in 1986. She has tackled a wide variety of roles throughout… Read the full story

Yesterday, Hollywood lost yet another iconic figure, actress Lauren Bacall, who passed away at the age of 89. The husky-voiced actress was considered one of the greatest actresses from Hollywood’s Golden Age. Lauren Bacall was born Betty Joan Perske on September 16, 1924 in the Bronx, New York. She was the only child of Natalie Weinstein-Bacal, who later legally changed her surname to Bacall, and William Perske. Both of her parents were Jewish. Her mother emigrated… Read the full story

Tonight actress Valerie Bertinelli explores her family history in the newest episode of Who Do You Think You Are?. She is perhaps best known for her roles in the television comedies One Day at a Time and Hot in Cleveland. In tonight’s episode, Bertinelli travels to England where she makes a surprising discovery about her ancestral connections to the British aristocracy. Have you discovered royal connections in your family tree? Before tuning in, explore Valerie Bertinelli’s family tree on Geni… Read the full story

Today we remember actor Robin Williams, who passed away yesterday at the age of 63. After rising to fame as the alien Mork on the television series Mork & Mindy, Williams went on to establish a successful film career, earning multiple Oscar nominations and a win in 1997 for Best Supporting Actor for his role in Good Will Hunting. He was born on July 21, 1951 in Chicago, Illinois to Lara McLaurin, a former model, and Robert… Read the full story

Kickstart your week with these great articles from around the web! Image: Obituaries from the First World War / The Telegraph The Genealogy Sphere Obituaries from the First World War (The Telegraph) – UK’s The Telegraph shares obituaries of those who fought and survived the Great War Couple who could never forget one another reunited 70 years after their families forced them to break up in China (DailyMail UK) – The amazing story of a couple… Read the full story

“You are the stars and the world is watching you. By your presence, you send a message to every village, every city, every nation. A message of hope. A message of victory.” Today we remember Eunice Kennedy Shriver, who passed away on August 11, 2009 at the age of 88. A member of the Kennedy family, Eunice was the fifth of nine children born to Joseph P. Kennedy, Sr. and Rose Elizabeth Fitzgerald. A passionate… Read the full story

On this day in 1974, President Richard Nixon announced his resignation from the office of the President in a nationwide television address. In doing so, he became the first president in American history to resign the office. Born in Yorba Linda, California on January 9, 1913, Nixon’s early life was marked by hardship. He later quoted a saying of Eisenhower to describe his childhood, “We were poor, but the glory of it was we didn’t… Read the full story

As we learn more about our family history, some of us may have the fortune to discover the military records of our ancestors. One of the oldest military awards still given to members of the U.S. military is the Purple Heart. Did you know that the Purple Heart was originally known as the Badge of Military Merit? On August 7, 1782, George Washington, then commander-in-chief of the Continental Army, ordered the creation of the Badge of… Read the full story

On this day in 1903, famed paleoanthropologist and archaeologist Louis Leakey was born in Kabete, Kenya. He was born to British Christian missionaries, who had been sent to live among the Kikuyu, Kenya’s largest tribe. Growing up in Africa, Leakey had always had a keen interest in his natural surroundings, amassing a personal collection of natural objects and stone arrowheads and tools. It was this early interest that would spark his lifelong passion towards the study… Read the full story

Are you enjoying watching this season’s crop of stars on Who Do You Think You Are? Tonight’s episode features actress Rachel McAdams and her sister Kayleen as they investigate their Canadian roots. Their search reveals an English ancestor who worked as a footman. Rachel McAdams was born on November 17, 1978 in London, Ontario. She is best known for her roles in The Notebook, Mean Girls, and Sherlock Holmes.  Do you have English or Canadian roots?… Read the full story

On August 5, 1962, actress Marilyn Monroe passed away at the age of 36. She was born Norma Jean Mortenson in Los Angeles, California on June 1, 1926. Soon after her birth, her last name was changed to Baker. After spending much of her childhood in foster homes, Monroe began a career as a model and small parts in film. She soon caught the attention of major studios, and went on to star in films… Read the full story

We hope you had a great genealogy-fun filled weekend! Let’s start off the new week with these family history articles from around the web. Image: Australian transitions 1914-2014 / ABC News Australia The Genealogy Sphere We Are Family: A Family Tree of the Entire Human Race (mental_floss) – Best selling author AJ Jacobs penned this great article about creating the family tree of the entire world and the Global Family Reunoin 10 Heroic Women of World… Read the full story

Have you seen today’s Google doodle commemorating the 180th birthday of English philosopher John Venn? He is most famous for inventing the Venn diagram, a useful way to describe logical relationships between sets. Image: Google John Venn was born August 4, 1834 in Kingston upon Hull, Yorkshire to Martha Sykes and Henry Venn, who was the rector of the parish of Drypool. Venn was descended from a long line of church evangelicals, including his grandfather Rev…. Read the full story

Do you have any frontiersmen in your family tree? On this day in 1903, American frontierswoman and folk hero Calamity Jane died in South Dakota. She was born Mary Jane Cannary on May 1, 1852 and was the eldest of six children. Little hard facts are known about her life and much of what was said was likely embellished or fabricated by writers and storytellers of the day. However, it is known that by the… Read the full story

While researching your genealogy, you will come across lots of records that will help you solve the puzzle of your family history. One of the best resources for family history information are obituaries. Obituaries can contain a wide range of information for the deceased, including: First and last name Maiden name Birth and death dates Cause of death Names of family members Birth and death location Place of burial Religious affiliation In many cases, obituaries… Read the full story

Happy birthday to J.K. Rowling! Today the “Harry Potter” author turns 49. She was born Joanne Rowling in Yate, England on July 31, 1965. Rowling adopted the pen name “J.K.” after her publishers asked her to use two initials, rather than her full name, anticipating that the target audience of young boys might not want to read a book written by a woman. She chose “K” as the second initial of her pen name from her… Read the full story

Are you a fan of the television show Modern Family? Tonight star Jesse Tyler Ferguson learns more about the life of his great grandfather, Jesse Wheat Uppercu, and his journey on the Alaskan trail in 1898. Uppercu had assembled a group of 65 men for an expedition to the Alaskan Klondike in search for gold. Along the way, Ferguson also discovers a shocking crime in his family. Did you know his Modern Family sibling is also… Read the full story

On July 29, 1567, James VI was crowned King of Scotland at the age of 13 months. In 1603, he succeeded Elizabeth I as King of England and Ireland, reigning as James I. His mother Mary, Queen of Scots’s reign was marred by scandal. Her unpopularity intensified after the death of James’s father, Henry Stuart, Lord Darnley. Only months after Lord Darnley was found murdered, Mary married James Hepburn, 4th Early of Bothwell, who was widely… Read the full story

Did you have fun researching your genealogy this weekend? Keep the fun going by checking out these articles from around the web. Image: Child Migrants Have Been Coming to America Alone Since Ellis Island / Mother Jones The Genealogy Sphere Old days in S.F. not so good (SF Gate) – San Francisco historian recounts how life in “good old days” were not so good in old San Francisco Tour the Beautiful Cemetery Where New York’s… Read the full story

Do you remember reading The Tale of Peter Rabbit? On July 28, 1866, author Beatrix Potter was born in Sawrey, England. From a young age, she had developed a love of nature and animals, often sketching her favorite subjects as she roamed the countryside with her brother, Bertram. Her artistic talents were recognized early on, and she was encouraged to develop them with private art lessons. In 1902, she published The Tale of Peter Rabbit and it… Read the full story

Do you remember reading The Call of the Wild? On this day in 1897, author Jack London set sail for the Klondike. At the age of 21, London embarked on this perilous trek to join the hundreds of thousands of prospectors looking to strike gold. He stayed in the Klondike for almost a year, living for a time in the frontier town of Dawson City. However, the harsh, cold climate of the Klondike left London… Read the full story

Happy Pioneer Day! On July 24, 1847, Brigham Young led the first group of Mormon pioneers into Utah’s Salt Lake Valley. Seeking religious and political freedom, Young and his fellow pioneers made the long 17 month journey west. Upon setting eyes on the valley, Young declared, “This is the place.” The first group of pioneers instantly made preparations for the thousands of Mormon migrants that would follow, thus establishing the foundations of what would become Salt Lake… Read the full story

The Global Family Reunion is only a year away and A.J. Jacobs has been busy spreading the word to all his cousins. AJ recently sat down with Caroline Modarressy-Tehrani on HuffPost Live’s Thrive on Live to discuss his quest to hold the largest family reunion in history and the importance of knowing our genealogy. He is joined via video chat by Mike Mallin, MyHeritage’s Chief Product Officer, and genealogists Thomas MacEntee and Jen Baldwin. AJ is… Read the full story

Tonight the popular genealogy show Who Do You Think You Are? returns with actress Cynthia Nixon as she uncovers a surprising mystery about her family history. Best known for her role in the HBO series Sex and the City, Nixon has received multiple awards, including Emmy, Grammy and Tony awards. In tonight’s episode, she discovers her third great grandmother Martha Mary Curnutt was once incarcerated in the Missouri State Penitentiary. In fact, Curnutt was only the second… Read the full story

Do you have aviators in your family tree? On this day in 1933, aviator Wiley Post became the first person to fly solo around the world. He accomplished this feat in 7 days, 18 hours and 49 minutes. Post was instantly recognizable by the patch he wore over his left eye, which he injured in an oil field accident. Today, he is remembered for making the first major practical advances in pressurized flight. In 1934,… Read the full story

Start the week with these interesting articles from around the web! Image: Time Travel Vacations Using Stereographs / FamilyTree Magazine blog The Genealogy Sphere 11 Childcare Inventions from 1900’s (ViralNova) – Oh my! These “helpful” childcare inventions from the early 20th century are a little scary Couple Married 63 Years Dies on the Same Day (The Huffington Post) – The bittersweet story of a couple married for 63 years and died within hours of each… Read the full story

Today we remember James Garner, who passed away July 19 at the age of 86. Garner was born in Norman, Oklahoma on April 7, 1928 and was the youngest of three children. Near the end of World War II, he joined the United States Merchant Marine at just 16 years old. However, he suffered from chronic seasickness and was soon back at school. Later, he served in the U.S. Army during the Korean War. He… Read the full story

Do you love playing board games with your family? Most cultures and societies have been playing board games throughout history. From ancient Egypt and Rome to our homes today, board games have been a staple of entertainment for families all around the world. Here’s a brief history of some early board games, some of which we still play today: The Mansion of Happiness The Mansion of Happiness / Library of Congress The first board game… Read the full story

Happy 93rd birthday, John Glenn! The legendary space pioneer was born in Cambridge, Ohio on July 18, 1921. An original member of the Mercury Seven, Glenn was one of the first people ever in space and the first American to orbit the Earth. After retiring from NASA,  he entered politics and represented Ohio in the U.S. Senate for 24 years. On October 15, 1998, Glenn made history yet again by becoming the oldest person in space…. Read the full story

Happy birthday to Camilla, the Duchess of Cornwall! She was born Camilla Rosemary Shand on July 17, 1947 in London, England. She is the eldest child of Major Bruce Shand, an officer in the British army and wine merchant, and the Honorable Rosalind Cubitt, who was the daughter of the 3rd Baron Ashcombe. In 2005, Camillia and Prince Charles were married in a civil ceremony attended by her son from her first marriage and Prince… Read the full story

Do you remember reading the poem “A Visit from St. Nicholas”? On July 15, 1779, author Clement Clarke Moore was born in New York City. The famous poem was first published anonymously in the Troy, New York, Sentinel on December 23, 1823. It wasn’t until years later that Moore acknowledged that he was the poem’s author. Did you know “A Visit from St. Nicholas” is largely responsible for our conception of Santa Clause today? The poem… Read the full story

Get your genealogy news fix with these family history articles from around the web. Image: Before and After: 30 of the Most Creative Recreations of Childhood Photos / BoredPanda The Genealogy Sphere Genealogy research reveals blood feud between local families (Tbo.com) – A local Tampa man researching his genealogy learns of an old family blood feud Mystery haunts woman left on doorstep as baby (NorwalkReflector.com) – A woman who discovered she was abandoned on a doorstep… Read the full story

This year marks the 100th anniversary of the outbreak of World War I. On July 28, 1914, the Austro-Hungarian Empire invaded Serbia, beginning a war unlike any others. The devastating war would last 4 years and see the deaths of more than 9 million soldiers. Do you have ancestors who served in the Great War? From now until the end of July, MyHeritage is offering free access to the following military record collections: Silver War Badge… Read the full story

On this day in 1804, Vice President Aaron Burr mortally wounded Alexander Hamilton in a duel. Burr and Hamilton were long time political enemies. Tensions were high during the 1800 presidential elections when Thomas Jefferson and Aaron Burr were running mates for the Democratic-Republican party. At the time, presidents and vice presidents were voted for separately by the House of Representatives. Although Burr was always intended to be Jefferson’s vice president, the vote resulted in… Read the full story

This week legislation was introduced to honor American Revolutionary War hero Bernardo de Gálvez. Two-hundred years after his death, the Spanish general may be posthumously granted honorary American citizenship for his invaluable support to the 13 American colonies both before and after Spain’s official entry into the Revolutionary War. Gálvez successfully defeated the British at the Siege of Pensacola, which significantly diluted the British’s strength in the south. The Continental Congress formally declared their gratitude to… Read the full story

One of the best things about Geni’s World Family Tree is the ability to discover how we’re all related to each other and to historical figures and celebrities. While you are finding these new connections, you may see relationships such as “second cousin once removed” or “sixth cousin twice removed.” With all the talk about “cousins” and “removes,” do you ever wonder, “What exactly does this mean?” This short video created by CGP Grey gives… Read the full story

Did you have an excellent 4th of July weekend? Kickstart the new work week right with these family history articles from around the web. Image: Many English Last Names Began as Nicknames – Here are their Original Meanings / Business Insider The Genealogy Sphere Calculating age at death – and why (Vita-Brevis.org) – A good explanation of how early colonial America calculated the deceased’s age in years, months and days for tombstone engravings Many English… Read the full story

On July 4, 1804, American novelist Nathaniel Hawthorne was born in Salem, Massachusetts. Throughout his lifetime, Nathaniel published several short stories and novels, including The House of Seven Gables and The Scarlet Letter. His third great grandfather, William Hathorne, was the first of his ancestors to arrive in the New World in 1630. He became an important member of the Massachusetts Bay Colony, where he held many political positions including magistrate and judge, becoming infamous for his harsh… Read the full story