Author: Amanda

Today we remember iconic singer Whitney Houston, who passed away on Saturday, February 11 at the age of 48. A six-time Grammy winner, Houston achieved massive success with her signature song, “I Will Always Love You” from her film, The Bodyguard. An inspiration to musicians all over the world, Houston will be remembered as one of the greatest artists in history. Whitney Houston’s profile is not yet connected to Geni’s World Family Tree. Perhaps you can… Read the full story

Tonight, an all new episode of Who Do You Think You Are? features Oscar winning actress Marisa Tomei and her journey to Italy to learn the truth about the death of her great grandfather. Marisa Tomei’s family tree on Geni is still pretty small and not yet connected to the World Family Tree. After tonight’s episode, perhaps you will be able to help connect her to over 60 million profiles on Geni!   View Marisa… Read the full story

RootsTech did a great job streaming several of the presentations live. Did you catch Noah Tutak’s session online? Here are the slides to his presentation, “Privacy in a Collaborative Environment.” Description: When we work together on genealogy, we’re no longer are constrained to “My tree” or “Your tree.” Suddenly, we’re all working on “Our tree.” In this presentation, Noah Tutak, CEO of Geni.com, will explain how to properly handle private and public data in a… Read the full story

On February 9, 1945, actress Mia Farrow was born. She is best known for her role as a woman pregnant with Satan’s baby in the film Rosemarry’s Baby. She has devoted much of her life to humanitarian efforts and is a strong advocate of children’s rights. As an UNICEF Goodwill Ambassador, Farrow has worked extensively to raise awareness for children in Africa. Mia Farrow is connected to over 60 million profiles in Geni’s World Family Tree. How… Read the full story

The winners of the RootsTech‘s Developer Challenge were announced on the second day of the conference. The challenge called for developers to create a new application or service that introduces a new concept or innovation in family history. The grand prize went to Jimmy Zimmerman for NoteFuser, which brings the power of Evernote to your genealogical research. After receiving his award, Jimmy stopped by the Geni booth to give us a brief demo of NoteFuser with Geni…. Read the full story

On February 8, 1828, French author Jules Verne was born. A pioneer of the science fiction genre, Verne wrote about space, air and underwater travel before the practical means of air travel and submarines had been invented and before any means of space travel had been devised. He is best known for his novels, Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Sea, A Journey to the Center of the Earth and Around the World in Eighty Days…. Read the full story

We had a great showing for each of our sessions at Rootstech. For those of you who couldn’t make it to our presentations, we’ll be posting the slides to the blog throughout the week. Be sure to keep an eye out for all four presentations! Below you’ll find Michael Berkovich’s presentation, “Better Genealogy Through APIs.” Description: With the advent of online and cooperative genealogy, APIs have become vital in the progression of the industry. In… Read the full story

On February 7, 1477, philosopher Sir Thomas More was born. More is best remembered for his controversial book, Utopia. In the last years of his life, More served as Lord Chancellor and an important councilor to King Henry VIII of England. However, when he refused to accept the king as the head of the Church of England, More was tried for treason and beheaded. Today, he is recognized as a saint within the Catholic Church…. Read the full story

We had a great time meeting everybody at Rootstech in Salt Lake City, Utah. Charles and I were joined by our CEO Noah Tutak, CTO Justin Balthrop and our amazing engineer Michael Berkovich. We had a blast talking to many Geni users who stopped by the booth. Many even came in Geni T-shirts! The first day kicked off on a high note. In Thursday’s keynote, Geni was mentioned during the announcement of a new Chrome browser… Read the full story

Did you watch the Super Bowl yesterday? In a tense and exciting game, the New York Giants defeated the New England Patriots 21 – 17. Today we highlight Giants quarterback Eli Manning, who was named Super Bowl XLVI MVP. Manning now has two Super Bowl wins under his belt, and was previously named MVP after the Giants’ 2008 Super Bowl win. Eli Manning is connected to over 60 million profiles in Geni’s World Family Tree…. Read the full story

In anticipation for RootsTech 2012 genealogy conference in Salt Lake City, Utah, we interviewed Geni Curator Randy Stebbing, who graciously agreed to share with us his experience working on projects about Mormon genealogy on Geni. Below is part 2 of his interview. You can find part 1 here. What are some of the biggest challenges of doing Mormon genealogy? One of the challenges is working with profiles that lived recently. Many of these profiles are initially… Read the full story

Season 3 of Who Do You Think You Are? kicks off tonight with an all new episode centered around actor Martin Sheen. Did you know that Martin Sheen’s real name is Ramón Estévez? Tune in tonight to watch Sheen discover his family history. Martin Sheen is not yet connected to the world family tree. Perhaps after tonight’s episode you may be able to help connect him to over 61 million profiles on Geni!   View Martin… Read the full story

In anticipation for RootsTech 2012 genealogy conference in Salt Lake City, Utah, we interviewed Geni Curator Randy Stebbing, who graciously agreed to share with us his experience working on projects about Mormon genealogy on Geni. Here is part 1 of his interview. Check back tomorrow for part 2. You’ve been instrumental in creating several projects about Early Mormon Leaders and Pioneers. What first sparked your interest in this area? You might say its “in my… Read the full story

Today, is the first day of Rootstech! In honor of this event, we’re highlighting Brigham Young‘s Geni profile. Brigham Young was an early leader of the Latter Day Saint movement and founder of Salt Lake City, Utah. Young even served as the first governor of the Utah Territory. Brigham Young is connected to over 61 million profiles in Geni’s World Family Tree. How are you related?   View Brigham Young’s Geni Profile  

On February 1, 1901, actor Clark Gable was born. Considered an acting legend, Gable is perhaps best remembered for his role as Rhett Butler in the 1939 classic film Gone with the Wind. Did you know that during World War II, Gable enlisted in the U.S. Army Air Corps? He joined shortly after his third wife, actress Carole Lombard died in a plane crash while returning from a World War II Bond tour. Clark Gable… Read the full story

On January 31, 1919, baseball player Jackie Robinson was born in Cairo, Georgia. Robinson broke the baseball color barrier when he debuted with the Brooklyn Dodgers in 1947, becoming the first black Major League Baseball player. Jackie Robinson is not yet connected to Geni’s World Family Tree. Check out his profile and help connect him to over 61 million profiles on Geni!   View Jackie Robinson’s Geni Profile  

Check out some great links from the past week! The Genealogy Sphere There’s no place like home…for 100 years: Centenarian lives in the house where she was born (and these days it has running water and electricity) (Daily Mail) – A woman lives in the same cottage for 100 years 8 Ways to Avoid Barking Up the Wrong Family Tree (About.com) – Genealogist Kimberly Powell offers great advice about how to avoid those wrong turns… Read the full story

Today, we highlight Brazilian architect Oscar Niemeyer. Specializing in modern architecture, Niemeyer was a pioneer in exploring the formal possibilities of reinforced concrete solely for their aesthetic impact. In 1988, Niemeyer was awarded the Pritzker Architecture Prize, the most prestigious award in architecture, for the Cathedral of Brasília. Oscar Niemeyer is connected to over 61 million profiles in Geni’s World Family Tree. How are you related?   View Oscar Niemeyer’s Geni Profile  

In anticipation of the new season of the television show Who Do You Think You Are?, we’re highlighting the Who Do You Think You Are? project on Geni! Originating in the U.K., the popular celebrity genealogy series has spawned several international adaptations of the show. Season 3 of the U.S. version premieres next week on February 3 with an all new episode featuring actor Martin Sheen. The project aims to gather all the celebrities who have appeared… Read the full story

On January 27, 1850, Captain Edward Smith was born. He was an English naval reserve officer and captain of the RMS Titanic. He died when the ship sank in 1912. This year will mark the 100th anniversary of the sinking of the RMS Titanic. Have you checked out the RMS Titanic project on Geni? Take a look and become a project collaborator to help identify and list the survivors and casualties of the sinking of the Titanic. Perhaps… Read the full story

On January 26, 1958, comedian and talk show host Ellen DeGeneres was born in Metairie, Louisiana. DeGeneres is beloved by children as the voice of Dory in the Pixar film Finding Nemo. She has won thirteen Emmy awards and numerous other awards for her work and charitable efforts. Ellen DeGeneres is connected to over 60 million profiles in Geni’s World Family Tree. How are you related?   View Ellen DeGeneres’s Geni Profile  

RootsTech‘s annual conference in Salt Lake City, Utah is just around the corner. This one of a kind genealogy conference brings techies and genealogists together to discover new technologies in family history research. RootsTech will be held from February 2 – 4, 2012. Several Geni team members will be in attendance and we can’t wait to meet all of you, so be sure to head on over to our booth to say hi! If your… Read the full story

On January 25, 1882, English author Virginia Woolf was born. She is widely regarded as one of the most important figures in modernist literature and one of the greatest innovators of the English language. Her most famous novels include Mrs. Dalloway, The Lighthouse and Orlando. Virginia Woolf is connected to over 60 million profiles in Geni’s World Family Tree. How are you related?   View Virginia Woolf’s Geni Profile  

Early this morning, the 2012 Academy Award nominations were announced. Breaking her previous record, actress Meryl Streep received her 17th Oscar nomination with her nod for Best Actress, thus making her the most-nominated actor in history. Streep is nominated for her portrayal of Margaret Thatcher, the first woman to be elected Prime Minister of the UK, in the film The Iron Lady. Meryl Streep is connected to over 60 million profiles in Geni’s World Family… Read the full story

Today, January 23 is Chinese New Year! One of the most important traditional Chinese holidays, Chinese New Year marks the start of the Lunar New Year. According to the Chinese zodiac, 2012 is the Year of the Dragon, which symbolizes power, strength and good luck. In addition to Mainland China and Hong Kong, Chinese New Year is celebrated in many countries and territories with significant Chinese populations, including Taiwan, Singapore, Thailand, Indonesia, Mayasia, and Chinatowns throughout the… Read the full story

Catch up on some genealogy articles by checking out the links below. The Genealogy Sphere Cause of Death – Benzol Poisoning (Adventures in Genealogy) – Genealogy blogger Deb Ruth finds cause of death in an old newspaper article Early African American Newspapers, Tell So Much (My Ancestor’s Name) – Genealogist Angela Walton-Raji discusses early African-American newspapers in genealogy GenealogyBank Adds Irish Vital Records to Historical Newspaper Archive (GenealogyBank) – Irish vital records found in old… Read the full story

On January 23, 1944, Norwegian painter Edvard Munch died at the age of 80. An important pioneer of the Expressionist movement, Munch is perhaps best known for his painting, The Scream, which acquired an iconic status in popular culture during the late twentieth century. Edvard Munch is connected to over 60 million profiles in Geni’s World Family Tree. How are you related?   View Edvard Munch’s Geni Profile  

Record Search We’ve made it even easier to search for records from Archives.com, Find A Grave and GenealogyBank on Geni. You can discover even more about your relatives by entering more information for more accurate search results. To start your search, simply click on the Research tab at the top of the page and select Record Search. Enter in your relative’s name, birth surname, location and birth/death dates and click Search Results to start searching… Read the full story

Today we remember blues singer Etta James, who passed away early this morning at the age of 73. The “At Last” singer died from complications from leukemia. James powerhouse voice is regarded by many as having bridged the gap between rhythm and blues and rock and roll. She’s won six Grammy Awards and in 1993, she was inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame. James’s music has inspired a wide variety of musicians… Read the full story

Yesterday marked the 108th anniversary of Cary Grant‘s birth. Grant was born Archibald Alexander Leach in Bristol, England in 1904. Before gaining fame as one of Hollywood’s classic leading men, Grant joined a circus troupe and performed as a stilt walker, acrobat, juggler and mime. Today, he is remembered as one of the greatest stars of all time. What’s your favorite Cary Grant film? Cary Grant is connected to over 60 million profiles in Geni’s… Read the full story

Did you know that school districts take a census each year to determine the state’s allocation of funds to each district? Many of these documents have been digitized online and if you’re researching your family tree, it may be worth while to trace down your ancestors in the school census records. You may find lots of valuable genealogical information to help build your family tree. What can I find in school census records?  Names of… Read the full story

On January 19, 1943, American singer and songwriter Janis Joplin was born in Port Arthur, Texas. Known for her powerful and original voice, Joplin rose to fame in the late 1960s as the lead singer of Big Brother and the Holding Company and later as a solo artist. Some of her greatest hits include, “Me and Bobby McGee,” “Mercedes Benz” and “Try (Just a Little Bit Harder).” Sadly, Joplin’s life was cut short after succumbing to… Read the full story

Today the U.S. observes Martin Luther King, Jr. Day, which commemorates what would have been the civil rights icon’s birthday 83rd birthday. Are you working on your family tree during the holiday? Take a minute to check out some pretty interesting genealogy related articles from the past week. The Genealogy Sphere Frankie Meyer: Quaker history reveals hidden genealogy (The Joplin Globe) – Journal entries lead a genealogist to discover new information about his family Family… Read the full story

Today, January 16, is Martin Luther King, Jr. Day in the U.S. Observed on the third Monday of January each year, the holiday honors iconic civil rights leader Martin Luther King, Jr. King was the leading activist for nonviolent protest against racial discrimination during the United States Civil Rights Movement. His leadership was fundamental to the movement’s success and inspired others to continue his work for many years to come. In 1964, he received the Nobel Peace Prize… Read the full story

Today we highlight actor Mark Wahlberg, whose new movie Contraband opens today in the U.S. Wahlberg transformed his career from rapper to an Academy Award nominated actor. Did you know that Wahlberg is the youngest of nine children? Mark Wahlberg is connected to over 60 million profiles in Geni’s World Family Tree. How are you related?   View Mark Wahlberg’s Geni Profile  

On January 11, 1757, economist Alexander Hamilton was born. Hamilton was a Founding Father of the United States and the first United States Secretary of the Treasury. In 1776, Hamilton signed the Declaration of Independence. He also co-wrote the Federalist Papers, a series of articles promoting the ratification of the U.S. Constitution. Alexander Hamilton is connected to over 60 million profiles in Geni’s World Family Tree. How are you related?   View Alexander Hamilton’s Geni Profile… Read the full story

On January 10, 1869, mystic Grigori Rasputin was born. Rasputin held the prominent role of adviser to the Romanov family in Russia. He soon became a controversial figure due to his dissolute lifestyle and dominance over the royal family. In 1916, Rasputin was killed by a group of nobles who believed his influence over the Romanov family was a great threat to the empire.   View Grigori Rasputin’s Geni Profile

Here are this week’s links: The Genealogy Sphere Be Careful in Your Assumptions (Thoughts from Polly’s Granddaughter) – Don’t assume you know all the facts! What Can I do to Restore an Old Photo? (Family Search) – Great tips on how to restore old photographs Searching Mexico’s census for clues about American history (CNN) – Actor Edward James Olmos talks about genealogy in the Latin community and the digitization of the 1930 Mexican census Indigenous… Read the full story

Today we highlight Austrian-American actress Hedy Lamarr. A celebrated star of Hollywood’s Golden Age, Lamarr is best remembered as the star of Cecil B. DeMille‘s epic Samson and Delilah. It is perhaps less well known that this glamorous actress co-invented an early technique for spread spectrum communications and frequency hoping, which forms the basis for wireless communication today. In 1941, Lamarr and composer George Antheil received a patent for a Secret Communication System. Their invention would eventually lead… Read the full story

On January 6, 1960, food writer and television personality Nigella Lawson was born. Lawson is best known for her best-selling cookbooks and various cooking programs and specials on television. Nigella Lawson is connected to over 60 million profiles in Geni’s World Family Tree. How are you related?   View Nigella Lawson’s Geni Profile  

Today we remember Sonny Bono, who died January 5, 1998 in a tragic skiing accident. Bono is best remembered for his singing career alongside his then wife Cher. He wrote and produced some of their greatest hits, including “I Got You Babe” and “The Beat Goes On.” Bono entered politics in the late 1980’s when he successfully ran for mayor of Palm Springs, California. In 1994, Bono was elected to the U.S. House of Representatives…. Read the full story

Since many of you found our list of 2011 genealogy conferences helpful last year, we thought it would be great to offer up our list for 2012. Below you’ll find a list of genealogy conferences in the U.S. for the coming year, with more to be added as the dates become available. Conferences in bold are those that will be attended by Geni. By no means is this list comprehensive, so if you know of any additional… Read the full story

On January 4, 1785, jurist and writer Jacob Grimm was born. Along with his brother Wilhelm, the Brothers Grimm embarked on a project to compile a written collection of oral folktales. This important collection was later published as the Grimm’s Fairy Tales, which included such classics as “Hansel and Gretel,” “Little Red Riding Hood” and “Snow White.” What’s your favorite Grimm fairy tale? Jacob Grimm is connected to over 60 million profiles in Geni’s World Family Tree…. Read the full story

We hope everyone had a great holiday and a happy new year! Here’s a recap of what you may have missed in the world of genealogy over the last couple of weeks. The Genealogy Sphere Seeking Kin: An Israeli finds his American cousins (JTA) – An Israeli man is reunited with his American cousins through genealogy Take research beyond names, dates and maps (Tampa Bay Online) – Suggestions on how to put your ancestors into… Read the full story

On January 3, 1793, Lucretia Mott, an early proponent of the women’s rights movement, was born in Nantucket, Massachusetts. She was an ardent anti-slavery activist and participated in several public lectures in support of the anti-slavery movement. In 1848, Mott and fellow abolitionist Elizabeth Cady Stanton organized the Seneca Falls Convention, the first women’s rights convention of its kind to be held in the United States. Lucretia Mott is connected to over 60 million profiles… Read the full story

With the New Year upon us, we thought this would be the perfect time to reflect on some of the great things Geni has accomplished in the past year. 2011 in Retrospect We spent the first couple of months of 2011 further enhancing and refining popular features. Enhancements to documents, sourcing and projects have really helped to make it easier to share and collaborate with other users. As the year progressed, we pursued features to… Read the full story

On December 30, 1865, English poet and author Rudyard Kipling was born in Bombay, India. Kipling was an innovative story teller and best remembered for his adventure novel The Jungle Book and his poems, Gunga Din and If. In 1907, Kipling received the Nobel Prize for Literature. Rudyard Kipling is connected to over 60 million profiles in Geni’s World Family Tree. How are you related?   View Rudyard Kipling’s Geni Profile  

On December 29, 1938 actor Jon Voight was born. Voight rose to fame in the late 1960s with his role in Midnight Cowboy and found continued success in the films Deliverance and The Champ, for which he won the Academy Award for Best Actor. Did you know he is also the father of actress Angelina Jolie? Jon Voight is connected to over 60 million profiles in Geni’s World Family Tree. How are you related?  … Read the full story

Update: We’re back! (6:02pm PST) We’ll be down for scheduled maintenance for approximately 1 hour beginning at 5pm PST tonight. Thanks for your patience.

On December 27, 1831, Charles Darwin set sail on the HMS Beagle, beginning a five-year survey expedition of the southern Atlantic and Pacific oceans.  His discoveries during his voyage led him to form the basis of his theories in evolution. In 1859, he published On the Origin of Species, his groundbreaking piece of scientific literature which laid out his theories of evolution through natural selection. Charles Darwin is connected to over 60 million profiles in Geni’s World… Read the full story