Author: Amanda

Poet and playwright Robert Browning was born on May 7, 1812 in Camberwell, England. Widely recognized as a master of dramatic monologue, Browning is considered to be one of the foremost poets of the Victorian age. Image: Robert Browning / Library of Congress Browning was the only son of Sara Anna Wiedermann, an accomplished pianist, and Robert Browning, a clerk for the Bank of England. Browning grew up surrounded by books. His father had amassed… Read the full story

On this day in 1915, Orson Welles was born. An actor, writer, director, and producer, Welles is remembered as one of the most influential filmmakers in history. Image: Orson Welles / Library of Congress Welles was born on May 6, 1915 in Kenosha, Wisconsin to Beatrice Ives, a pianist, and Richard Head Welles, an inventor of a popular bicycle lamp. After his father’s death in 1930, Welles traveled to Ireland, where he made his acting debut… Read the full story

On this day in 1864, journalist Nellie Bly was born. A pioneer in her field, Bly helped launch a new kind of investigative journalism. Image: Nellie Bly / Library of Congress Bly was born Elizabeth Jane Cochran on May 5, 1864 in Cochran’s Mills, Pennsylvania. The town of Cochran’s Mills was named after her father, Michael Cochran, who was a mill owner and judge. As a journalist, she wrote under the pen name “Nellie Bly.”… Read the full story

On this day in 1729, Russian Empress Catherine the Great was born. Image: Catherine the Great / British Library, Flickr Although she is remembered as one of Russia’s most renowned and longest-ruling female leaders, Catherine was not born in Russia. She was born Sophie Friederike Auguste von Anhalt-Zerbst in Stettin, Pomerania, in the Kingdom of Prussia and was the eldest daughter of a minor Prussian prince. At the age of 15, Catherine married the grandson of Peter the Great and… Read the full story

On this day in 1852, American frontierswoman and folk hero Calamity Jane was born near Princeton, Missouri. Image: Calamity Jane / Library of Congress Calamity Jane’s early life is a mystery. Much about what is known comes from an autobiographical booklet from 1896. The booklet, dictated by Calamity Jane, was written for publicity purposes, and thus, some of the information was likely exaggerated or false. What is known is that she was born Martha Jane… Read the full story

On this day in 1662, Mary II, Queen of England, Scotland, and Ireland, was born. Image: Mary II / National Portrait Gallery, Smithsonian Institution, CC0 Mary was born on April 30, 1662 at St. James’s Palace in London. She was the eldest daughter of James, Duke of York (the future King James II and VII) and his first wife, Anne Hyde. At the age of 15, she married her first cousin, William of Orange. Since… Read the full story

Happy birthday to Willie Nelson! Today the music icon turns 92. Image: Willie Nelson / Library of Congress Nelson was born on April 29, 1933 in Abbott, Texas to Ira Doyle Nelson and Myrle Marie Greenhaw. Raised by his grandparents in Arkansas, music was an important part of his upbringing. At the age of 6, his grandfather gifted him his first guitar and by 7, he had written his first song. During the 1960s, Nelson… Read the full story

On this day in 1926, author Harper Lee was born. Today Lee’s novel, To Kill a Mockingbird, is one of the mostly widely read books in the United States. Image: Harper Lee receiving the Presidential Medal of Freedom from President George W. Bush / NARA She was born Nelle Harper Lee on April 28, 1926 in Monroeville, Alabama to Amasa Coleman Lee, a lawyer, and Frances Cunningham Finch. The youngest of four children, Lee received… Read the full story

Are you a jazz fan? Today we celebrate legendary singer Ella Fitzgerald’s birthday! Image: Ella Fitzgerald / Library of Congress The “Queen of Jazz” was born in Newport News, Virginia on April 25, 1917 to William and Temperance Fitzgerald. At the age of 17, she made her singing debut at the famous Apollo Theater in Harlem, New York. Her performance set her career in motion and onto a path of stardom. Her extraordinary vocal range… Read the full story

Happy 83rd birthday to Barbra Streisand! Image: Barbra Streisand / Library of Congress Barbra Streisand was born on April 24, 1942 in Brooklyn, New York. With music running in her family, it was of no surprise that Streisand would also be a gifted singer. Her mother, Diana Ida Rosen, was a soprano singer when she was young before later becoming a school secretary. Her maternal grandparents emigrated from the Russian Empire, where her grandfather had been a… Read the full story

It’s not uncommon to let things slide as you are researching your family history. Sometimes you are on a roll and don’t take the time to clear a data conflict after a merge or research an inconsistency warning in the tree. You may say to yourself, “I’ll get to it later” and then before you know it, the work has piled up. With spring in the air, now is the perfect time to do a… Read the full story

Happy birthday to Jack Nicholson! Today the actor turns 88. Image: Jack Nicholson / Georges Biard, Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 3.0) Nicholson was born on April 22, 1937 in Neptune, New Jersey. His biological mother was June Nicholson, although he spent the first 37 years of his life believing that she was his older sister. Only 17 years old and unmarried at the time, June’s parents agreed to raise Nicholson as their own child and… Read the full story

Today we highlight the profile of naturalist and advocate John Muir, who was instrumental in preserving the wilderness of the United States. Image: John Muir / National Portrait Gallery, Smithsonian Institution, CC0 Muir was born on April 21, 1838 in Dunbar, Scotland and immigrated with his family to the United States when he was eleven years old. The family settled in Wisconsin, where Muir developed a fascination and wonder for the natural world. Muir devoted much… Read the full story

As the British began their approach towards Lexington and Concord on the night of April 18, 1775, Patriots Paul Revere and William Dawes set out on horseback to warn the American colonists of the approaching British troops. Image: Paul Revere’s Ride / Wikimedia Commons The British had planned to capture Patriot leaders Samuel Adams and John Hancock, who were known to be hiding in Lexington, and confiscate supplies stored by the Massachusetts militia at Concord. Revere and… Read the full story

Do you enjoy baseball? On this day in 1820, Alexander Cartwright, the “Father of Modern Baseball,” was born in New York City, New York.  Image: Alexander Cartwright / Hawaii State Archives, Wikimedia Commons Alexander Joy Cartwright, Jr. was the son of Alexander Cartwright, Sr., a merchant sea captain, and Esther Rebecca Burlock. A volunteer firefighter, Cartwright often played bat-and-ball games with other volunteers. He founded the Knickerbocker Base Ball Club in New York and is often credited with… Read the full story

Image: Wilbur Wright / Library of Congress Do you have any aviators in your family tree? On April 16, 1867, Wilbur Wright was born in Millville, Indiana. One half of the famous Wright Brothers, Wilbur and his brother Orville had shared a passion and curiosity for flight at a young age. Together they invented the world’s first successful airplane, making the first successful man-powered airplane flight near Kitty Hawk, North Carolina on December 17, 1903. The… Read the full story

On this day in 1452, Renaissance painter, sculptor, architect, inventor Leonardo da Vinci was born. A true Renaissance man, da Vinci is remembered as not only a gifted artist but a brilliant intellect whose ideas were ahead of his time. Image: Leonardo da Vinci / Library of Congress Da Vinci was born on April 15, 1452 in a farmhouse outside of the village of Anchiano in Tuscany, Italy. He was born out of wedlock to… Read the full story

On this day in 1866, American educator Anne Sullivan was born in Feeding Hills, Massachusetts. Sullivan is best remembered as the teacher and life-long campion of Helen Keller. Image: Helen Keller & Anne Sullivan / Library of Congress Born Johanna Mansfield Sullivan, Sullivan was the child of Irish immigrants who came to the United States during the Great Famine. At the age of 8, she contracted trachoma, which eventually made her nearly blind. In 1880,… Read the full story

On this day in 1869, Norwegian sculptor Gustav Vigeland was born. Considered one of the most important artists in Norwegian history, Vigeland is perhaps best known for his creation of Vigeland Park in Oslo, Norway. The impressive art installation is the world’s largest sculpture park made by a single artist. Image: Gustav Vigeland / National Library of Norway, Flickr Vigeland was born Adolf Gustav Thorsen on April 11, 1869 in Mandal. Born to a family of… Read the full story

Today we celebrate what would have been actor Omar Sharif’s 93rd birthday! A Hollywood legend, Sharif was best known for his roles in Doctor Zhivago and Lawrence of Arabia. Image: Omar Sharif / Wikimedia Commons He was born Michel Demetri Chalhoub on April 10, 1932 in Alexandria, Egypt. After studying mathematics and physics at the University of Cairo, Sharif worked at his father’s precious wood business before leaving to study acting in London, England. In 1955, he converted to Islam… Read the full story

On this day in 1865, Confederate General Robert E. Lee surrendered to Union General Ulysses S. Grant, effectively ending the American Civil War. Image: Library of Congress During the first year of the war, Lee served as a senior military advisor to Confederate President Jefferson Davis. In 1882, he assumed command of the Army of Northern Virginia and lead many battlefield victories. However, Lee’s defeat at the Battle of Gettysburg was a crushing blow to the Confederate. The… Read the full story

On this day in 1892, actress Mary Pickford was born. A pioneer of the American film industry, Pickford was one of the most popular actresses of the silent film era. Image: Mary Pickford / Library of Congress Pickford was born Gladys Louise Smith on April 8, 1892 in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. After the death of her father, Pickford’s mother began taking in boarders to earn extra money to support her young family. One of the… Read the full story

Do you enjoy reading poetry? On this day in 1770, English Romantic poet William Wordsworth was born in the Wordsworth House in Cockermouth, Cumberland, England. Image: William Wordsworth / National Library of Wales Although orphaned by the age of 13, Wordsworth’s parents encouraged his education. He wrote his first pieces of poetry while in grammar school and went on to study at Cambridge. Before his final semester, he went on a walking tour of Europe…. Read the full story

Today we remember poet and civil rights activist Maya Angelou on what would have been her 97th birthday. The award-winning author published numerous books of poetry, essays, and autobiographies which dealt with themes of economic, racial, and sexual oppression. Image: Maya Angelou / Wikimedia Commons Angelou was born Marguerite Annie Johnson on April 4, 1928 in St. Louis, Missouri to Bailey Johnson, a doorman and navy dietitian, and Vivian Baxter, a nurse and card dealer. By the… Read the full story

Do you remember reading “The Legend of Sleepy Hollow”? On April 3, 1783, author Washington Irving was born in New York City, New York. Image: Washing Irving / National Portrait Gallery, Smithsonian Institution CC0 Irving was one of eleven children born William Irving, Sr. and Sarah Saunders. The family belonged to the city’s small, vibrant merchant class. Born just as the American Revolution came to its end, Irving’s mother named him after the hero of… Read the full story

Today we remember actor Val Kilmer, who passed away at the age of 65. Image: Val Kilmer / Georges Biard, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 3.0 Kilmer was born on December 31, 1959 in Los Angeles, California to Gladys Ekstadt and Eugene Dorris Kilmer. He studied at the prestigious Juilliard School, where he was the youngest student at the time to be accepted in the school’s drama division. In 1984, Kilmer made his film debut in… Read the full story

On this day in 1932, actress Debbie Reynolds was born. Image: Debbie Reynolds / Wikimedia Commons She was born Mary Frances Reynolds on April 1, 1932 in El Paso, Texas. She was the second child of Maxine “Minnie” Harmon and Raymond Francis Reynolds, a carpenter for the Southern Pacific Railroad. A proud supporter of scouting, Reynolds was once a Girl Scout herself and a troop leader. After winning Miss Burbank at the age of 16,… Read the full story

Are you a country music fan? Today American country music singer Reba McEntire turns 70. Image: Gage Skidmore / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 2.0) She was born on March 28, 1955 in McAlester, Oklahoma to Jacqueline and Clark Vincent McEntire. Named after her maternal grandmother Reba Estelle Smith, the music legend learned to sing and play guitar at a young age. Her father and grandfather were both champion steer ropers, so as a child, she… Read the full story

Do you remember watching Sunset Boulevard? On this day in 1899, legendary actress Gloria Swanson was born. Image: Gloria Swanson / Library of Congress Swanson was born on March 27, 1899 to Joseph Theodore Swanson and Adelaide Klanowski in a small house in Chicago, Illinois. Since her father was a soldier in the army, she moved frequently. She spent part of her childhood in Puerto Rico, where she learned Spanish and saw her first films…. Read the full story

Happy birthday to Diana Ross! Today the singer turns 81. Image: Diana Ross / Nationaal Archief, CC0 Ross was born on March 26, 1944 in Detroit, Michigan. She was the second child of Ernestine Moten, a schoolteacher, and Fred Ross, a former Army soldier. As a teen, she began singing with a group of friends and eventually, they formed the successful music group The Supremes. The group became the first all-female music group to have… Read the full story

Today we remember music icon Aretha Franklin on what would have been her 83rd birthday. Image: Aretha Franklin / Wikimedia Commons Franklin was born on March 25, 1942 at her family’s home in Memphis, Tennessee. Her father, Clarence LaVaughn Franklin, was a Baptist minster and civil rights activist, while her mother, Barbara Siggers, was an accomplished piano player and vocalist. Franklin began singing at a young age and would accompany her father on his “gospel… Read the full story

On this day in 1874, illusionist Harry Houdini was born in Budapest, Hungary. Image: Harry Houdini / Library of Congress The legendary magician was born Erik Weisz to Rabbi Mayer Samuel and Cecilia Weisz. One of seven children, Houdini took on several odd jobs as a child. He made his public debut at the age of 9 as a trapeze artist and called himself “Ehrich, the Prince of the Air.” When he launched his career… Read the full story

On this day in 1806, Benito Juarez was born. Juarez was the President of Mexico and is today remembered as a national hero for his resistance of French occupation and victory in overthrowing Emperor Maximilian I. Image: Benito Juarez / Library of Congress Juarez was born to a Zapotec peasant family on March 21, 1806 in a small adobe house in San Pablo Guelato, Oaxaca, Mexico. He was an orphan by the age of three… Read the full story

Remember watching Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood growing up? Today we remember everyone’s favorite neighbor Fred Rogers on what would have been his 97th birthday. Image: Fred Rogers awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom by President George W. Bush / U.S. National Archives and Records Administration Fred McFeely Rogers was born on March 20, 1928 in Latrobe, Pennsylvania to James and Nancy Rogers. Rogers did not originally intend to pursue a career in television. After college, he studied to… Read the full story

Do you have outlaws or lawmen in your family tree? On this day in 1848, Wyatt Earp was born. An iconic figure of the American Wild West, Earp is best remembered for his involvement in the famous gunfight at the O.K. Corral in Tombstone, Arizona. Image: Wyatt Earp / Wikimedia Commons He was born on March 19, 1848 in Monmouth, Illinois. An American frontiersman, gambler, and lawman, Earp moved constantly throughout his life. He eventually… Read the full story

On March 18, 1837, Grover Cleveland was born. He was the first U.S. President to serve non-consecutive terms, serving as the 22nd and 24th President of the United States. Image: Grover Cleveland / National Portrait Gallery, Smithsonian Institution, CC0 He was born Stephen Grover Cleveland to Ann Neal and Richard Falley Cleveland in Caldwell, New Jersey. The fifth of nine children, he was named Stephen in honor of the first pastor of the First Presbyterian Church… Read the full story

We’re back from a wonderful trip to Salt Lake City, Utah, where we had an amazing experience at RootsTech 2025! This global conference never fails to bring together passionate family history enthusiasts, and this year was no exception. From engaging conversations with Geni users to unveiling an exciting new feature, our time at RootsTech was packed with some unforgettable moments. The Geni Booth The Geni booth had a steady number of visitors throughout the conference…. Read the full story

It’s St. Patrick’s Day! The holiday is observed on March 17, the day of death of Saint Patrick, the patron saint of Ireland. Image: Saint Patrick / Library of Congress Kidnapped by pirates at the age of 16, Saint Patrick was held captive as a slave in Ireland for six years before escaping and returning home to Britain. He became deeply devoted to Christianity and eventually returned to Ireland as a missionary to spread the… Read the full story

Happy birthday to Albert Einstein! Today marks the 146th birthday of one of the most brilliant minds in history. Image: Albert Einstein / Library of Congress Einstein was born on March 14, 1879 in Ulm, in the Kingdom of Württemberg in what was then the German Empire. Shortly after his birth, his family moved to Munich where his father, Hermann Einstein and his uncle, Jakob, founded Elektrotechnische Fabrik J. Einstein & Cie, a company that manufactured electrical… Read the full story

On this day in 1855, astronomer Percival Lowell was born in Boston, Massachusetts. The founder of the Lowell Observatory in Flagstaff, Arizona, Lowell’s research would form the beginnings of the work that led to the discovery of Pluto 14 years after his death. Image: Percival Lowell / Library of Congress Lowell was born to a wealthy and prominent New England family. His great grandfather, John Lowell, was one of the first Judges to be appointed by President George Washington,… Read the full story

Happy birthday to Liza Minnelli! Today the legendary icon turns 79. Image: Liza Minnelli / Wikimedia Commons The eldest daughter of legendary actress Judy Garland and director Vincente Minnelli, Liza was destined to become a star. She was born on March 12, 1946 in Los Angeles, California and made her film debut at the age of 3 in the musical In the Good Old Summertime, which starred her mother. As a teen, Minnelli left school to pursue… Read the full story

Today we remember Scottish microbiologist Alexander Fleming, who died on March 11, 1955. Image: Alexander Fleming / Wikimedia Commons Fleming was born in Ayrshire, Scotland on August 6, 1881 to Hugh Fleming, a farmer, and Grace Stirling Morton. He studied medicine before serving as a physician during World War I. In 1928, Fleming made history when he discovered the world’s first antibiotic, penicillin. He stumbled on this revolutionary discovery by accident. Upon returning to his… Read the full story

On this day in 1765, French inventor Nicéphore Niépce was born in Chalon-sur-Saône-et-Loire, France. He is best remembered as the inventor of photography and one of the most important pioneers of the field. Nicéphore Niépce / Wikimedia Commons The son of a wealthy lawyer, Niépce’s entire family fled during the French Revolution, but he returned to serve in the French army under Napoleon. After returning home to manage his family’s estate, Niépce developed an interest in… Read the full story

We’re thrilled to announce the newest addition to Geni’s family tree views – the fan chart! The fan chart view illustrates the family tree in a new and exciting way, offering a different perspective on your family history. With this new addition, there are now three options to view the family tree – standard view, pedigree view, and fan chart view. Similar to the pedigree view, the fan chart will include only direct ancestors, but… Read the full story

Do you have any Brazilian roots in your family tree? Today we remember one of Brazil’s greatest composers in history, Heitor Villa-Lobos, who was born on March 5, 1887. Image: Heitor Villa-Lobos / Arquivo Nacional Collection, Public Domain Described as “the single most significant figure in 20th-century Brazilian art music,” Villa-Lobos has become one of the most well-known Latin American composers to date. He was born in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil to Raul Villa-Lobos and Noêmia dos… Read the full story

Do you have Portuguese ancestors? On this day in 1394, Henry the Navigator was born in Porto, Portugal. Image: Henry the Navigator / Wikimedia Commons The third child of the Portuguese king, John I, Henry was noted for his early exploration and expansion of Portuguese trade. At the age of 21, Henry, his brother and father captured the Moorish port of Ceuta in northern Morocco. The site had long been the base for Barbary pirates, who… Read the full story

There’s just a few more days until we head to the largest genealogy event in the world! RootsTech 2025 will take place on March 6-8, 2025 in Salt Lake City, Utah and will be both in-person and online. This year RootsTech has some exciting keynote speakers including Emmy-winning singer Rachel Platten, Olympic and Paralympic gold medalists Tara Davis-Woodhall and Hunter Woodhall, and activist and author Ndaba Mandela, who is the grandson of Nelson Mandela. See… Read the full story

“Ahoy!” That’s the greeting Alexander Graham Bell first proposed for answering the telephone. The inventor and engineer was born on March 3, 1847 in Edinburgh, Scotland. Image: Alexander Graham Bell / Library of Congress The second son born to Alexander Melville Bell and Eliza Grace Symond, Bell had two brothers who would later die of tuberculosis. His mother was mostly deaf and his father was a phonetician and taught elocution to the deaf. Born just “Alexander Bell,” the… Read the full story

On this day in 1901, chemist and activist Linus Pauling was born in Portland, Oregon. Regarded as one of the most influential scientists in history, Pauling is often considered to be the founder of the fields of quantum chemistry and molecular biology. Image: Linus Pauling / Smithsonian Institution, Flickr The eldest child of Herman Henry Pauling and Lucy Darling, Pauling showed an interest in science at a young age. He contributed many discoveries across several scientific fields. The… Read the full story

One of the challenges of building and maintaining the World Family Tree is balancing personal preferences within a shared, collaborative environment. A perfect example of this is how names are displayed on Geni. From surnames in all caps to displaying birth surnames instead of last names, Geni’s flexible Name Preferences settings offers you the chance to view profile names exactly how you want them without imposing your preference on others.  Today we’re excited to take… Read the full story