Author: Amanda

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

Are you a baseball fan? Today we remember legendary baseball player Babe Ruth, who died on this day in 1948. Image: Babe Ruth / Library of Congress He was born George Herman Ruth, Jr. on February 6, 1895 in Baltimore Maryland. He was one of eight children born to Catherine Schamberger and George Herman Ruth, Sr., a saloon owner. As a child, Ruth often found trouble and by the age of 7, his parents sent him… Read the full story

On this day in 1769, French Emperor Napoleon I, also known as Napoleon Bonaparte, was born. Considered one of the greatest military strategists in history, Napoleon established hegemony over most of continental Europe. Image: Napoleon I / Wikimedia Commons Napoleon was born on August 15, 1769 to Carlo Maria Buonaparte and Maria Letizia Romolino in his family’s ancestral home, Casa Buonaparte, in the French town of Ajaccio. He gained military and political prominence during the latter stages… Read the full story

Happy birthday to Steve Martin! Today the actor turns 78. Image: Steve Martin / David Shankbone, Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 3.0) Born in Waco, Texas on August 14, 1945, Martin grew up in Southern California. He landed his firs job as a teen selling guidebooks at Disneyland and later, worked at the Magic Shop in the park where he frequently performed magic tricks for patrons. Martin’s big break came in 1976 when he hosted his first episode… Read the full story

On this day in 1919, American industrialist and philanthropist Andrew Carnegie died at the age of 83. A titan of the American steel industry in the late 19th century, Carnegie devoted his last years of his life to large-scale philanthropy, directing much of his wealth towards public libraries and education. Image: Andrew Carnegie / Library of Congress Carnegie was born on November 25, 1835 in Dunfermline, Fife, Scotland in a one room cottage. At the age… Read the full story

On this day in 1874, Herbert Hoover, the 31st President of the United States, was born in West Branch, Iowa. Image: Herbert Hoover / Library of Congress Hoover was the son of Hulda Randall Minthorn and Jesse Hoover, a blacksmith. Sadly, by the age of 9, he was an orphan. He was raised by his uncle, John Minthorn, a physician and businessman. Before the presidency, Hoover worked as an engineer in China. He and his… Read the full story

Today we remember legendary singer Whitney Houston, who was born on this day in 1963. Image: Whitney Houston / U.S. National Archives and Records Administration Houston was born on August 9, 1963 in Newark, New Jersey to John Russel Houston, Jr. and Emily “Cissy” Drinkard. Her father was a Newark city administrator and theatrical manager and her mother was a successful gospel singer and a backup singer for several notable artists such as Elvis Presley… Read the full story

On this day in 1866, Arctic explorer Matthew Henson was born. He is best remembered for being the first to reach the North Pole alongside explorer Robert E. Peary in 1909. Image: Matthew Henson / Library of Congress Henson was born on August 8, 1866 on a farm in Charles County, Maryland. His parents were sharecroppers and free people of color before the Civil War. An orphan by the age of 12, Henson joined a merchant… Read the full story

Happy birthday to actress Charlize Theron! Today the star turns 48. Image: Charlize Theron / Gage Skidmore, Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 2.0) Theron was born on August 7, 1975 in Benoni, Gauteng, South Africa and grew up on her family’s farm outside of Johannesburg. She spent her childhood studying ballet, and although she saw herself as a dancer, she began her career as a model. After an injury left her unable to pursue a career as… Read the full story

On this day in 1835, American inventor Elisha Gray was born in Barnesville, Ohio. The co-founder of the Western Electric Manufacturing Company, Gray is perhaps best remembered for the controversy surrounding the invention of the telephone. Image: Elisha Gray / Wikimedia Commons Gray was born into a Quaker family in Ohio and grew up on a farm. An electrical engineer, he held over 70 patents and is often considered the father of the modern music synthesizer. On February… Read the full story

On this day in 1770, explorer William Clark was born in Caroline County, Virginia. From 1804 to 1806, Clark helped lead the famous Lewis and Clark Expedition across the country to the Pacific Ocean. Image: William Clark / Wikimedia Commons Clark was the ninth of ten children born to John Clark and Ann Rogers. Five of his older brothers fought during the American Revolution, including his second-oldest brother, George Rogers Clark, who rose to the… Read the full story

Did your ancestors fight in the American Civil War? On this day in 1816, Union general George H. Thomas was born. Image: George H. Thomas / Library of Congress Thomas was born on July 31, 1816 in Newsom’s Depot, Virginia to John Thomas and Elizabeth Rochelle. At the outbreak of the American Civil War, Thomas chose to stay with the U.S. Army despite his Virginian heritage. His decision to remain loyal to the Union caused… Read the full story

On this day in 1929, former First Lady Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis was born. Image: Library of Congress Jacqueline Lee Bouvier was born on July 28, 1929 in Southampton, New York. Her father, John Vernou Bouvier III, was a wealthy Wall Street stockbroker whose family had come from France in the early 1800s. Her mother, Janet Norton Lee, was a socialite and accomplished equestrian with Irish heritage. In 1961, she became First Lady of the United States… Read the full story

Today we remember Bob Hope, who passed away on this day in 2003 at the age of 100. A comedy legend, Hope entertained audiences all around the world in almost every entertainment medium, from vaudeville and Broadway, to radio, television, and film. Image: Bob Hope / State Library of New South Wales, Flickr He was born Leslie Townse Hope on May 29, 1903 in Eltham, near London, England. He was the fifth of seven sons born… Read the full story

Remember reading Brave New World? On this day in 1894, author Aldous Huxley was born. Image: Aldous Huxley / Archivo Historico Sinaloa, Flickr Huxley was the third son of Leonard Huxley, a writer and school master, and Julia Arnold, founder of Prior’s Field School. The Huxley family was a prominent and well-educated family in Britian. Huxley’s paternal grandfather, Thomas Henry Huxley, was a biologist and specialist in comparative anatomy. He was instrumental in developing scientific education in Britain and became… Read the full story

Did your ancestors fight in the American Revolutionary War? On this day in 1750, American Revolutionary War General Henry Knox was born. Image: Henry Knox / National Portrait Gallery, Smithsonian Institution, CC0 Knox was born in Boston, Massachusetts on July 25, 1750. To help support his family, he left school at the age of 9 and began working at a bookstore. He educated himself by reading the books in the store and eventually was able to open… Read the full story

Today we celebrate the 126th birthday of pioneering aviator Amelia Earhart! Image: Amelia Earhart / National Portrait Gallery, Smithsonian Institution Earhart was born on July 24, 1897 in Atchison, Kansas in the home of her maternal grandfather, Alfred Gideon Otis. Since she was a child, Earhart had a strong sense of adventure. During World War I, she trained as a nurse’s aide in Toronto. On December 28, 1920, Earhart took her first plane ride that… Read the full story

Today we remember singer Tony Bennett, who has passed away at the age of 96. Image: Tony Bennett / Nationaal Archief, CC0 Bennett was born Anthony Dominick Benedetto on August 3, 1926 to John Benedetto and Anna Suraci, who were first cousins. His father was from Calabria, in Southern Italy, and immigrated to the United States in 1906. His mother was born in the U.S.; her family had emigrated from the Calabria region in 1899…. Read the full story

Who are the adventurers in your family tree? On this day in 1919, explorer and mountaineer Sir Edmund Hillary was born in Auckland, New Zealand. Image: Sir Edmund Hillary / Wikimedia Commons Before gaining fame as a mountaineer, Hillary worked as a beekeeper like his father before him. He joined the Royal New Zealand Air Force during World War II, but was badly burned during a boat accident. After the war, he decided to pursue his love… Read the full story

On this day in 1834, French painter and sculptor Edgar Degas was born. Degas is often regarded as one of the founders of Impressionism. Image: Edgar Degas / Wikimedia Commons Degas was born in Paris, France to a moderately wealthy family. His father, Augustine De Gas, was a banker, and his mother, Célestine Musson, was from New Orleans, Louisiana and came from a prominent Creole family. Through his mother, Degas was a first cousin once removed to inventor Norbert… Read the full story

On this day in 1867, American socialite and philanthropist Margaret Brown was born. A survivor of the sinking of the RMS Titanic, Brown was dubbed “The Unsinkable Molly Brown” by historians for her legendary tales of heroism during the disaster. Image: Margaret Brown / Library of Congress She was born Margaret Tobin in Hannibal, Missouri in a two-room cottage to John Tobin and Johanna Collins. In 1886, she married James Joseph “J.J.” Brown, a self-educated entrepreneur… Read the full story

Today we remember comedian Phyllis Diller, who was born on July 17, 1917 in Lima, Ohio. Image: Phyllis Diller / Allan Warren, Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 3.0) The only daughter of Perry Marcus Driver and Frances Ada Romshe, Diller studied the piano for many years but decided against pursing a career in music. In 1939, she eloped with Sherwood Diller and together, the couple had six children (one died in infancy). She got her start in comedy… Read the full story

At a recent press conference for her latest film Golda, Helen Mirren was presented with a surprising discovery from the researchers at MyHeritage – she is in fact distantly related to Golda Meir, the former Israeli Prime Minister! In the film, Mirren stars as the iconic politician and follows the enormous responsibilities and decisions Meir faced during the Yom Kippur War. The film is set to premier at the opening of the 40th Jerusalem Film… Read the full story

Today we remember folk singer Woody Guthrie on what would have been his 111th birthday.  Image: Woody Guthrie / Library of Congress He was born Woodrow Wilson Guthrie on July 14, 1912 in Okemah, Oklahoma. His parents named him after Woodrow Wilson, who had become the Democratic candidate for president just weeks before his birth.  The Great Depression hit his family hard. In 1935, he join the thousands of “Okies” migrating West in search for… Read the full story

Happy birthday to Harrison Ford! Today the actor turns 81. Image: Harrison Ford / Gage Skidmore, Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 2.0) Ford was born on July 13, 1942 in Chicago, Illinois to John William “Christopher” Ford, an advertising executive and former actor, and Dorothy Nidelman, a radio actress. In college, Ford discovered a fascination for acting and moved to Los Angeles to pursue a career as an actor. However, frustrated with his lack of success,… Read the full story

Did your family own a Kodak camera? On this day in 1854, inventor George Eastman was born in Waterville, New York. Image: George Eastman / Library of Congress He was the youngest child of George Washington Eastman and Maria Kilbourn. After the death of his father in 1862 and the death of his older sister in 1870, a 16 year old Eastman left school to start working to help support his family. In 1888, he received a… Read the full story

On this day in 1767, John Quincy Adams, the sixth President of the United States, was born. Image: John Quincy Adams / Library of Congress Adams was born in Braintree, Massachusetts on July 11, 1767. He was the eldest son of the second U.S. President, John Adams, and his wife, Abigail, and was named after his mother’s maternal grandfather, Colonel John Quincy. As a young boy, Adams witnessed the Battle of Bunker Hill from a hill… Read the full story

Happy birthday to Nikola Tesla! Today marks what would have been the inventor’s 167th birthday. Image: Nikola Tesla / Library of Congress Tesla was born on July 10, 1856 in the village of Smiljan in the Austrian Empire (modern-day Croatia) to Serbian parents. His father and his maternal grandfather were Orthodox priests. Although his father wished for him to also enter the priesthood, Tesla was firmly interested in the sciences. After arriving in American in 1884, Tesla worked briefly as an… Read the full story

On this day in 1861, geneticist Nettie Stevens was born. The pioneering geneticist changed the way the world looked at the human chromosome. Stevens is recognized as the first researcher to discover that sex is determined by X and Y chromosomes. Image: Nettie Stevens / Wikimedia Commons She was born on July 7, 1861 in Cavendish, Vermont. A brilliant student, Stevens graduated at the top of her class and studied at Stanford University, before obtaining her Ph.D at… Read the full story

On this day in 1907, Mexican artist Frida Kahlo was born. Known for her many self-portraits, Kahlo is often regarded as one of Mexico’s greatest artists. Image: Frida Kahlo / Library of Congress Kahlo was born on July 6, 1907 in Coyoacán, Mexico in her family home known as La Casa Azule (The Blue House). She would spend much of her childhood and adult life in the home. Her father, Willhelm “Guillermo” Kahlo, was a… Read the full story

On this day in 1810, showman P.T. Barnum was born. Known for founding the famous “Barnum & Bailey Circus,” Barnum found huge success with his strange menagerie of performers. Image: P.T. Barnum / Library of Congress He was born Phineas Taylor Barnum in Bethel, Connecticut to Philo Barnum, an innkeeper and tailor, and Irene Taylor. Barnum showed a gift for selling at an early age, peddling cherry rum to innkeepers by the age of 12…. Read the full story

Today we remember actor Alan Arkin, who passed away yesterday at the age of 89. Image: Alan Arkin / Gordon Correll, Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 2.0) Arkin was born on March 26, 1934 in Brooklyn, New York to David Arkin, a painter and writer, and Beatrice Wortis, a teacher. Since he was a child, Arkin knew he wanted to be a performer. He began taking acting classes at the age of 10 and after dropping… Read the full story

On this day in 1861, English poet Elizabeth Barrett Browning died at the age of 55. Remembered as one of the most popular poets of the Victorian Era, Elizabeth was very well known during her lifetime in Europe and America. Image: Elizabeth Barrett Browning / Library of Congress The eldest of twelve children, Elizabeth Barrett Moulton-Barrett was born on March 6, 1806 in Coxhoe Hall in County Durham, England. Her father’s family had acquired their wealth in… Read the full story

Happy birthday to Kathy Bates! Today the star turns 75. Image: Kathy Bates / Gage Skidmore, Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 2.0) She was born Kathleen Doyle Bates on June 28, 1948 in Memphis, Tennessee. She is the youngest of three daughters born to Langdon Doyle Bates and Bertye Kathleen Talbert. Her paternal grandfather, Finis L. Bates, was a lawyer and the author of The Escape and Suicide of John Wilkes Booth. In the book, he… Read the full story

On June 27, 1880, Helen Keller was born in Tuscumbia, Alabama. Image: Helen Keller / Library of Congress At just 18 months old, Keller contracted an illness that left her blind and deaf. During the early years of her childhood, Keller had very limited methods of communication and became very unruly. Her mother hired Anne Sullivan to help teach Keller. Sullivan began to teach Keller words by drawing the letters into her hands. After a… Read the full story

How are you related to royalty? On this day in 1830, George IV died at the age of 67. Image: George IV / Wikimedia Commons, Rijksmuseum Born on August 12, 1762, George was the eldest son of King George III and Queen Charlotte. In 1810, he became regent as his father’s health and mental stability deteriorated. He ascended to the throne in 1820 after his father’s death. Known for his extravagant, indulgent lifestyle and heavy drinking, George… Read the full story

Today we remember British mathematician Alan Turing, who was born on this day in 1912. Considered the father of computer science and artificial intelligence, Turing is remembered as one of the most influential minds of the 20th century. Image: Alan Turing / Wikimedia Commons Turing was born on June 23, 1912 in London, England to Julius Mathison Turing, and Ethel Sara Stoney. From a young age, Turing was a natural at mathematics. During World War… Read the full story

On June 21, 1982, William, Prince of Wales, was born. Image: Prince William, Duke of Cambridge / USAID,Vietnam William was born in St. Mary’s Hospital in London during the reign of his grandmother Queen Elizabeth II. He is the eldest child of King Charles III and Diana, Princess of Wales and the heir apparent to the British throne. Sadly, at the age of 15, William lost his mother in a horrific car crash in Paris,… Read the full story

Happy birthday to Lionel Richie! Today the singer and songwriter turns 74. Image: Lionel Richie / U.S. State Department Photo, Public Domain He was born Lionel Brockman Richie on June 20, 1949 in Tuskegee, Alabama. He grew up at the Tuskegee Institute, where two generations of his family worked. After first gaining popularity as one of the founding members of the Commodores, Richie branched out on his own and established a highly successful solo career…. Read the full story

Today we remember baseball legend Lou Gehrig, who was born on this day in 1903. Considered one of the greatest hitters in baseball history, Gehrig was nicknamed “the Iron Horse” for his durability. He set the record for most consecutive games played and led his team to six World Series titles. Image: Lou Gehrig / Library of Congress He was born Heinrich Ludwig Gehrig in Manhattan, New York to German immigrant parents. From an early age, Gehrig… Read the full story

On this day in 1902, American scientist Barbara McClintock was born. In 1983, McClintock was awarded the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine for her discovery of genetic transposition. Image: Barbara McClintock / Smithsonian Institution Archives, Flickr McClintock was born on June 16, 1902 in Hartford, Connecticut to Thomas Henry McClintock, a physician, and Sara Handy. From a young age, McClintock had a passion for science. While studying at Cornell, she developed an interest in… Read the full story

Today we remember Norwegian composer Edvard Grieg, who was born on this day in 1843. Considered one of the leading Norwegian composers of the Romantic Era, Grieg successfully brought the music of Norway to international audiences. Image: Edvard Grieg / Bergen Public Library Norway, Flickr Grieg was born on June 15, 1843 in Bergen, Norway to Alexander Greig, a merchant and vice-consul in Bergen, and Gesine Judithe Hagerup, a music teacher. Grieg grew up in a… Read the full story

Remember reading Uncle Tom’s Cabin? On this day in 1811, abolitionist and author Harriet Beecher Stowe was born in Litchfield, Connecticut. Image: Harriet Beecher Stowe / U.S. National Archives and Records Administration Stowe was the seventh of thirteen children born to Lyman Beecher, a Calvinist preacher, and Roxana Foote, who died when Stowe as just five years old. Her great grandfather, Andrew Ward V, was a general in the American Revolutionary War. Growing up, Stowe received… Read the full story

Image: William Butler Yeats / Library of Congress Have you read the poems by William Butler Yeats? On June 13, 1865, the Irish poet was born in Dublin, Ireland to John and Susan Yeats. Considered one of the foremost figures of 20th century literature, Yeats writings were a  driving force behind the Irish Literary Revival. In 1923, he became the first Irishman to be awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in Literature. Aware of the significance,… Read the full story

Today we remember Victorian writer Charles Dickens, who died on this day in 1870 at the age of 58. Image: Charles Dickens / Library of Congress Charles John Huffam Dickens was born on February 7, 1812 in Portsmouth, England. He was the second child of John Dickens, a clerk in the Navy Pay Office, and Elizabeth Dickens. When his father was imprisoned for debt, a twelve-year-old Dickens was forced to leave school and work in a… Read the full story

Architect Frank Lloyd Wright was born on this day in 1867 in the farming town of Richland Center, Wisconsin. Considered one of the greatest architects in history, Wright has designed some of the most iconic buildings in the world. Image: Frank Lloyd Wright / Library of Congress He was born Franklin Lincoln Wright on June 8, 1867 to William Cary Wright, a music teacher and minister, and Anna Lloyd Jones, a country school teacher. He was… Read the full story

On this day in 1917, singer and actor Dean Martin was born in Steubenville, Ohio. Image: Dean Martin / Wikimedia Commons He was born Dino Paul Crocetti to Gaetano Alfonso Crocetti and Angela Barra. At home, Martin first learned to speak Italian and didn’t learn to speak English until he first went to school at the age of 5. After dropping out of high school, Martin bootlegged liquor, served as a speakeasy croupier, worked as a blackjack… Read the full story

Who are your Patriot ancestors? On this day in 1755, Nathan Hale, soldier and spy for the Continental Army, was born in Coventry, Connecticut. Image: Nathan Hale / New York Public Library He was born to Richard Hale and Elizabeth Strong and was the great grandson of Reverend John Hale, who was one of the most prominent figures of the Salem Witch Trials. At the age of 14, Hale went to study at Yale College and became… Read the full story

On this day in 1840, Victorian poet and novelist Thomas Hardy was born in Dorset, England. Considered one of the most renowned writers in the history of English literature, Hardy’s works were often critical of Victorian society and the decline of rural life. Image: Thomas Hardy / National Science and Media Museum, Flickr Hardy was the eldest of four children born to Thomas Hardy, a stonemason and local builder, and his wife, Jemima Hand. His early… Read the full story

Today we remember Hollywood icon Marilyn Monroe on what would have been her 97th birthday. Image: Marilyn Monroe / Wikimedia Commons She was born Norma Jean Mortenson on June 1, 1926 in Los Angeles, California to Gladys Pearl Baker. Shortly after her birth, her name was changed to Baker. Her father’s identity remains unknown. Marilyn’s mother suffered from mental illness and spent much of her life in and out of hospitals. Growing up, Marilyn lived with… Read the full story