Author: Amanda

Are you a fan of The Princess Bride? On this day in 1962, star Cary Elwes was born in Westminster, London, England. Image: Cary Elwes / Gage Skidmore, Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 3.0) Elwes was born Ivan Simon Cary Elwes on October 26, 1962 to Dominic Elwes, a portrait painter, and Tessa Kennedy, an interior designer. His paternal grandfather, Simon Elwes, was a prominent portrait painter who counted presidents and members of the British Royal… Read the full story

On this day in 1400, poet Geoffrey Chaucer died in London, England. Known as the Father of English literature, Chaucer is often considered to be the greatest English poet of the Middle Ages. Image: Geoffrey Chaucer / The National Library of Wales, Wikimedia Commons Chaucer was born around 1343 to a family of wine merchants. His father worked as a deputy to the King’s butler and his position helped Chaucer acquire his own positions early in… Read the full story

Do you have any daredevils in your family? On this day in 1901, Annie Edson Taylor became the first person to survive a trip over Niagara Falls in a barrel. She was also celebrating her 63rd birthday. Image: Annie Edson Taylor / Library of Congress Taylor was born on October 24, 1838 in Auburn, New York. She studied to become a school teacher, and at the age of 17, married David Taylor. After her husband died in… Read the full story

Do you remember watching The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson? Today we celebrate what would have been host Johnny Carson’s 98th birthday. Image: Johnny Carson / State Library and Archives of Florida John William Carson was born on October 23, 1925 in Corning, Iowa to Homer Homer Lloyd “Kit” Carson and Ruth Hook. As a child, Carson developed his entertainment skills by performing magic for his family and friends. He called himself “The Great Carsoni” and… Read the full story

Do you like scary movies? On this day in 1882, horror film legend Bela Lugosi was born. Image: Bela Lugosi / Wikimedia Commons He was born Béla Ferenc Dezső Blaskó on October 20, 1882 to Paula de Vojnich and István Blaskó, a banker, in Lugos, Hungary. Around the age of 11, he left home and took on odd jobs to support himself in his travels. It was during this time that he began acting on stage and… Read the full story

Did your ancestors fight in the American Revolutionary War? On this day in 1781, British General Charles Cornwallis surrendered at Yorktown, Virginia, effectively bringing an end to the American Revolution. Image: Wikimedia Commons During his early days in the war, Cornwallis had successfully driven George Washington’s troops out of New Jersey. In 1779, Cornwallis became a leading figure in the British “southern strategy” to gain control of the southern colonies. Although Cornwallis had generally been successful in his battles, including… Read the full story

Have you read Moby-Dick? On this day in 1851, Herman Melville’s classic novel was published for the first time in London, England. Image: Herman Melville / Library of Congress Initially published under the title, The Whale, Melville’s signature novel followed the story of a sea captain’s obsessive quest to hunt down the white whale, Moby Dick. Melville drew upon his own experiences working at sea to write the book. While writing the novel, Melville developed a close friendship with… Read the full story

On this day in 1915, American playwright Arthur Miller was born in Harlem, New York. Image: Arthur Miller / Nationaal Archief Arthur Asher Miller was born to Augusta Barnett and Isidore Miller. His father owned a successful women’s clothing manufacturing business and the family lived a comfortable lifestyle until nearly losing everything during the Great Depression. In 1956, he married for the second time to actress Marilyn Monroe. Their high profile relationship thrusted him into the Hollywood spotlight. Shortly… Read the full story

On this day in 1854, Irish writer Oscar Wilde was born. Considered one of London’s most popular playwrights in his day, Wilde was known for his brilliant intellect, quick wit, and flamboyant personality. Image: Oscar Wilde / Library of Congress He was born Oscar Fingal O’Flahertie Wills Wilde on October 16, 1854 in Dublin, Ireland. Wilde was the second child born to Sir William Wilde, a prominent surgeon and author, and Jane Wilde, an Irish… Read the full story

Happy birthday to Paul Simon! Today the musician and songwriter turns 82. With a music career that has spanned over six decades, Simon is widely regarded as one of the greatest songwriters in history. Image: Paul Simon / Nationaal Archief, CC0 Paul Frederick Simon was born on October 13, 1941 in Newark, New Jersey. His mother, Belle Schulman, was a elementary school teacher and his father, Louis Simon, was a professional musician and performed on television shows… Read the full story

On this day in 1798, Pedro I of Brazil was born in Lisbon, Portugal. Nicknamed  “the Liberator,” Pedro declared Brazil’s independence from Portugal in 1822 and became the country’s first Emperor. Image: Pedro I of Brazil / Wikimedia Commons Generally known as Dom Pedro, he was the fourth child of King John VI of Portugal and Carlota Joaquina, who was the daughter of King Carlos IV of Spain. When Napoleon conquered Portugal in 1807, the royal family fled to Brazil, Portugal’s… Read the full story

Today we celebrate the birthday of former First Lady Eleanor Roosevelt! Image: Eleanor Roosevelt / Library of Congress Anna Eleanor Roosevelt was born on October 11, 1884 to Elliot Roosevelt and Anna Rebecca Hall. Orphaned by the age of 10, Eleanor was raised by her maternal grandmother, Mary Livingston Ludlow. Her family was a part of New York’s high society and she grew up in a world of immense privilege. She was also the niece… Read the full story

Today we remember Norwegian explorer, scientist, and Nobel Peace Prize laureate Fridtjof Nansen, who was born on this day in 1861 in Oslo, Norway. Image: Fridtjof Nansen / National Library of Norway, Flickr A champion skier and ice skater in his youth, Nansen had a passion for adventure from a young age. He studied Zoology in school, which enabled him to combine his scientific interests, his athletic abilities, and his sense of adventure in his work. In 1888, Nansen successfully led… Read the full story

“A dream you dream alone is only a dream. A dream you dream together is reality.” Today we remember singer John Lennon on what would have been his 83rd birthday. Image: John Lennon / Library of Congress Lennon was born on October 9, 1940 in Liverpool, England to Julia Stanley and Alfred Lennon. He was named John Winston after his paternal grandfather, John “Jack” Lennon, and then-Prime Minister Winston Churchill. By the age of 4,… Read the full story

Today we remember actress Carole Lombard, who was born on this day in 1908. Image: Carole Lombard / Wikimedia Commons She was born Jane Alice Peters in Fort Wayne, Indiana and was the third child and only daughter of Frederick and Elizabeth Peters. Discovered by a director while playing baseball with friends, Lombard made her first film appearance at the age of 13. She went on to star in more than 20 silent films and… Read the full story

“It is difficult to say what is impossible, for the dream of yesterday is the hope of today and the reality of tomorrow.” On this day in 1882, rocket pioneer Robert H. Goddard was born in Worcester, Massachusetts. Dubbed the “father of modern rocketry,” Goddard is credited with creating, building, and launching the world’s first liquid-fueled rocket. It was his groundbreaking work that helped make spaceflight possible. Image: Robert H. Goddard / NASA Goddard was the… Read the full story

Silent film star Buster Keaton was born on this day in 1895. Known for his stoic, deadpan expression, Keaton is remembered as one of the greatest comedic performers in the history of cinema. Image: Buster Keaton / Library of Congress Keaton was born Joseph Frank Keaton, VI on October 4, 1895 in Piqua, Kansas. His parents, Joseph “Joe” Keaton and Myra Cutler, were vaudeville performers and traveled together performing various medicine and vaudeville shows. His… Read the full story

Happy birthday to Gwen Stefani! Today the singer and The Voice coach turns 54. Image: Gwen Stefani / Liton Ali, Wikimedia Commons, cropped (CC BY 2.0) Stefani was born on October 3, 1969 in Fullerton, California. As a teen, she joined her brother, Eric, in forming the band No Doubt. Her brother eventually left the band to pursue a career in animation working on The Simpsons. It wasn’t until the release of their third album in 1995 that the band would… Read the full story

Today we remember Mahatma Gandhi, who was born on this day in 1869. Regarded as “the father of the nation” in India, Gandhi led the country to independence from British rule through nonviolent civil disobedience. His actions would help inspire civil rights movements all across the globe. Image: Mahatma Gandhi / Nationaal Archief, Wikimedia Commons CC0 He was born Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi on October 2, 1869 to a Hindu merchant caste family. He studied law in London and spent 21 years in… Read the full story

Remember reading Don Quixote? Author Miguel de Cervantes is believed to have been born on this day in 1547. Image: Miguel de Cervantes / Wikimedia Commons Although not many details are known about the early years of his life, Cervantes was known to have lived an adventurous one. He enlisted in the Spanish Navy and fought in the Battle of Lepanto, where he was injured after taking three gun shots, two to the chest and one to his… Read the full story

On this day in 1928, Alexander Fleming discovered penicillin. The accidental find would become one of the most important discoveries in the history of science. Image: Alexander Fleming / Navy Medicine, Flickr Commons Before leaving for a vacation with his family, Fleming left out a stack of unwashed petri dishes containing cultures of bacteria in the sink. On September 28, 1928, Fleming returned to his lab and noticed something unusual. Mold had grown in a petri dish and the staph bacteria… Read the full story

On this day in 1722, American Founding Father Samuel Adams was born in Boston in the British colony of Massachusetts. Image: Samuel Adams / Library of Congress Adams was one of twelve children born to Samuel Adams, Sr. and Mary Fifield and was one of three to live beyond the age of three. After leaving college at Harvard, Adams became a brewer and launched a newspaper before devoting his work to politics. An important political… Read the full story

Today we remember singer and actress Olivia Newton-John on what would have been her 75th birthday. Image: Olivia Newton-John / Nationaal Archief, CC0 Newton-John was born on September 26, 1948 in Cambridge, England to Brinley “Bryn” Newton-John and Irene Helene Born. During World War II, her father was an MI-5 officer assigned to the Enigma codebreaking unit at Bletchley Park. Her maternal grandfather was Max Born, a German Nobel Prize-winning physicist. When she was five… Read the full story

Remember reading The Sound of the Fury? Today we remember author William Faulkner, who was born on this day in 1897. Image: William Faulkner / Library of Congress The author was the first of four sons born to Murry Cuthbert Falkner and Maud Butler. Born in Albany, Mississippi, Faulkner’s experiences growing up in the South greatly influenced his writings. He was named after his great-grandfather, William Clark Falkner, and grew up hearing stories about the “Old Colonel,” who was a successful… Read the full story

English physicist Michael Faraday was born on September 22, 1791 in Newington, Surrey. Considered one of the greatest scientists of the 19th century, Faraday’s groundbreaking discoveries in electromagnetism was crucial to understanding how electricity can be used in technology. Faraday was the son of James Faraday, a blacksmith, and Margaret Hastwell, a former servant. His father was often ill and was incapable of maintaining steady work. As a result, the family lived in poverty and often had… Read the full story

Happy birthday to Bill Murray! Today the legendary comedian turns 73. Image: Bill Murray / Gage Skidmore, Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 2.0) Murray was born on September 21, 1950 in Evanston, Illinois to Lucille Collins, a mailroom clerk, and Edward Joseph Murray, II, a lumbar salesman. One of nine children, Murray was a bit of a troublemaker growing up. He got his start in comedy after joining his older brother at Chicago’s Second City, an… Read the full story

On this day 145 years ago, author Upton Sinclair was born. A prolific writer, Sinclair wrote over 100 books and other works across various genres throughout his life. His is perhaps best remembered for his famous novel, The Jungle, which exposed the horrific conditions of the meatpacking industry. Image: Upton Sinclair / Library of Congress Sinclair was born on September 20, 1878 in Baltimore, Maryland. Although he grew up in poverty, he often spent time with his maternal… Read the full story

Do you remember watching Batman on TV? On this day in 1928, actor Adam West was born. Image: Adam West / Gage Skidmore, Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 2.0) Although he was known professionally as “Adam West,” he was actually born William West Anderson on September 19, 1928 in Walla Walla, Washington. His father, Otto West Anderson, worked as a farmer, and his mother, Audrey Volenne Speer, was an opera singer and concert pianist. After serving in the… Read the full story

Do you have Swedish roots? On this day in 1905, Swedish actress Greta Garbo was born in Stockholm, Sweden. Image: Greta Garbo / Library of Congress She was born Greta Lovisa Gustafsson to Anna Lovisa Karlsson and Karl Alfred Gustafsson. She grew up in poverty and daydreamed about becoming an actor from an early age. At 13, she dropped out of school to care for her sick father, who died in 1920. After getting her… Read the full story

What’s your favorite Agatha Christie novel? On this day in 1890, the crime novelist was born in Torquay, England. Image: Agatha Christie / Nationaal Archief, CC0 She was born Agatha Mary Clarissa Miller to a wealthy upper-middle class family. From a young age, Christie was an avid reader with a vivid imagination. During World War I, Christie joined the war effort as a volunteer for the Voluntary Aid Detachment and worked as a nurse to tend wounded soldiers… Read the full story

On this day in 1901, William McKinley, the 25th President of the United States, died eight days after he was shot by an anarchist. Immediately after his death, Theodore Roosevelt was sworn in as the 26th President. Image: William McKinley / National Portrait Gallery, Smithsonian Institution CC0 McKinley was born on January 29, 1843 in Niles, Ohio to William McKinley, Sr. and Nancy Allison. At the outbreak of the Civil War, McKinley joined the Union… Read the full story

“Somewhere inside all of us is the power to change the world.” – Roald Dahl, Matilda Image: Roald Dahl / Library of Congress On this day in 1916, beloved author Roald Dahl was born in Llandaff, Wales to Norwegian parents, Harald Dahl and Sofie Magdalene Hesselberg. Dahl was named after famed Norwegian explorer Roald Amundsen, who became the first person to reach the South Pole only a few years earlier. During World War II, Dahl served in… Read the full story

Who are the athletes in your family tree? On this day in 1913, Olympic champion Jesse Owens was born in Oakville, Alabama. He made history at the 1936 Olympic Games in Berlin, Germany when he went home with four gold medals and single handedly defeated Adolf Hitler’s ideas of Aryan supremacy. Image: Jesse Owens / Library of Congress James Cleveland Owens was the youngest of ten children born to Henry Cleveland Owens, a sharecropper, and Mary Emma… Read the full story

Have you read “The Gift of the Magi”? On this day in 1862, author O. Henry was born. His comedic and ironic stories, often with surprised endings, made Henry one of the most popular short story writers of his time. Image: O. Henry / Wikimedia Commons He was born William Sidney Porter on September 11, 1862 in Greensboro, North Carolina. Before he began his career as a writer, Porter held a variety of jobs. At 15, he began… Read the full story

Genealogy is not just about compiling a list of names and dates; it’s about discovering the stories, experiences, and personalities of our ancestors. When exploring your family history on Geni, you have the opportunity to go beyond the basics and add rich context to your ancestors’ profiles. Our ancestors are more than just names on a pedigree chart or entries in dusty records. They were living, breathing individuals who navigated the triumphs and tribulations of… Read the full story

It’s Star Trek Day! On September 8, 1966, the iconic science fiction series Star Trek premiered its first episode. In honor of Star Trek Day, we’re highlighting everyone’s favorite Vulcan, Leonard Nimoy. Image: Leonard Nimoy / Gage Skidmore, Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 2.0) Over 50 years ago, Gene Roddenberry introduced his vision of future exploration and discovery in Star Trek. Cast as the leader of the Starship Enterprise was William Shatner as Captain James T. Kirk and Leonard… Read the full story

Have you found your connection to the Tudors? On this day in 1533, Elizabeth I of England was born in Greenwich Palace. Image: Elizabeth I of England / Wikimedia Commons Elizabeth was the second child of Henry VIII of England and the daughter of Henry’s second wife, Anne Boleyn. She was only 2 years old when her mother was executed by beheading. Just eleven days after her mother’s death, her father married Jane Seymour, who gave birth… Read the full story

On this day in 1860, social activist Jane Addams was born in Cedarville, Illinois. A leader in social reform, women’s suffrage and world peace, Addams was the first American woman to be awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 1931. Image: Jane Addams / Library of Congress Addams was the youngest of eight children born to a prominent Illinois family. Her father, John Addams, was a prosperous businessman and served as a state senator. He was a founding member… Read the full story

Who are the black sheep in your family? On this day in 1847, American outlaw Jesse James was born in Kearny, Missouri. Image: Jesse James / Library of Congress Jesse Woodson James was the third of four children born to Robert James, a Baptist minister, and Zerelda Elizabeth Cole. When Jesse was 3 years old, his father abandoned his family and traveled to the gold fields of California. During the Civil War, Jesse and his older brother, Frank,… Read the full story

French monarch Louis XIV died on this day in 1715, just 4 days before his 77th birthday. Image: Louis XIV / National Portrait Gallery, Smithsonian Institution, CC0 When he was born on September 5, 1638 in the Château de Saint-Germain-en-Laye, Louis’s parents had already been married for 23 years. His mother had experienced 4 stillbirths throughout the marriage, and so, when Louis was born, his birth was seen as a miracle and gift from God. He… Read the full story

On this day in 1880, Wilhelmina of the Netherlands was born. She reigned as Queen of the Netherlands for nearly 58 years, longer than any other Dutch monarch. Image: Wilhelmina of the Netherlands / Library of Congress Wilhelmina was born on August 31, 1880 in Noordeinde Palace in The Hague, Netherlands. She was the only child of King William III and his second wife, Emma of Waldeck and Pyrmont. At the time of her birth,… Read the full story

On this day in 1797, English novelist Mary Shelley was born. Today, Shelley is best remembered as the author of the Gothic novel Frankenstein, which is often considered to be one of the earliest examples of science fiction. Image: Mary Shelley / Wikimedia Commons Shelley was born Mary Wollstonecraft Godwin on August 30, 1797 in London, England to William Godwin, a radical political philosopher, and Mary Wollstonecraft, a philosopher and feminist. Her mother died just eleven days after her birth of childbed… Read the full story

Today we remember legendary film star Ingrid Bergman, who was born on this day in 1915. She passed on her 67th birthday in 1982. Image: Ingrid Bergman / Wikimedia Commons Bergman was born on August 29, 1915 in Stockholm, Sweden. After losing both her parents while she was young, Bergman went to live with her aunt and uncle. At the age of 17, she earned a scholarship to the Royal Dramatic Theatre School, but left after a… Read the full story

Do you have German ancestry? On this day in 1749, German writer, poet and statesman Johann Wolfgang von Goeth was born in Frankfurt, then an Imperial Free City of the Holy Roman Empire. Image: Johann Wolfgang von Goethe / Library of Congress A literary celebrity by the age of 25, Goethe’s works are considered the beginning of the Sturm und Drang movement in German Romantic literature. His is perhaps best remembered for his two-part poetic drama Faust, which… Read the full story

Do you have family ties to Dutch royalty? On this day in 1772, William I of the Netherlands, the first King of the Netherlands, was born. Image: William I of the Netherlands / Wikimedia Commons He was the son of William V, Prince of Orange of the Dutch Republic, and Wilhelmina of Prussia. In 1791, he married his first cousin, Wilhelmina, who was the daughter of King Frederik William II of Prussia. After the French… Read the full story

Remember watching Singin’ in the Rain? On this day in 1912, star Gene Kelly was born in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Image: Gene Kelly / Wikimedia Commons Eugene Curran Kelly was born on August 23, 1912 to James Kelly, a phonograph salesman, and Harriet Curran. At the age of 8, his mother enrolled Kelly and his siblings in dance classes. As a young man, he often created dance routines with his brother to earn prize money in local talent contests… Read the full story

French composer Claude Debussy was born on August 22, 1862. Known as the first impressionist composer, Debussy is often regarded as one of the most influential composers of the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Image: Bergen Public Library Norway, Flickr Debussy was the eldest of five children born to Manuel-Achille Debussy and Victorine Manoury. His father ran a china shop and his mother worked as a seamstress. As a young child, Debussy began taking piano classes and… Read the full story

On this day in 1765, William IV of the United Kingdom was born. The third son of George III, William became king after the death of his elder brother George IV. Image: William IV / Wikimedia Commons William was born at Buckingham Palace on August 21, 1765. As the third son born to King George III and Queen Charlotte, William was never expected to inherit the crown. He joined the Royal Navy at the age… Read the full story

Happy birthday to Robert Redford! Today the actor turns 87. Image: Robert Redford / San Diego Air and Space Museum Archive, Flickr Charles Robert Redford, Jr. was born on August 18, 1936 in Santa Monica, California to Charles Robert Redford, Sr. and Martha Hart. Redford began his career on the stage and television before launching to stardom in the Paul Newman film, Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid. Since then, he has starred in many blockbuster… Read the full story

American frontiersman and folk hero Davy Crockett was born on this day in 1786. During his lifetime and even after his death, many of his adventures and exploits were immortalized in larger-than-life stories and almanacs, making him one of the most well known figures in American history. Image: Davy Crockett / National Portrait Gallery, Smithsonian Institution, CC0 Crockett was born on August 17, 1786 in what is now Greene County, Tennessee. His father, John Crockett, was… Read the full story