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Since releasing our new enhancements to Geni relationship paths, users have been having a blast finding new and surprising connections in the World Family Tree. Now Geni will find the shortest blood path and the shortest in-law path between two individuals, if either can be found. Here’s some of the great feedback we’ve heard so far: “My heroes! Been praying someone would develop an app that could do this!” – Debbie G. “Oh my goodness. This… Read the full story

MyHeritage has released the full schedule for MyHeritage LIVE 2019 in Amsterdam, Netherlands. The second annual MyHeritage user conference will take place September 6-8, 2019. Attendees will have the opportunity to choose from three tracks: Genealogy, DNA, and hands-on workshops. The conference has a full line-up of international speakers and local experts as well as several MyHeritage staff members, including MyHeritage Founder and CEO Gilad Japhet. See the full MyHeritage LIVE 2019 schedule Geni’s General Manager, Mike… Read the full story

We had a great time at the Southern California Genealogical Society’s 50th Genealogy Jamboree. The annual conference is a favorite for us because it is located right in our own backyard in Burbank, California. The Geni booth before the start of the conference Many genealogists flocked to the Los Angeles Marriott Burbank Airport Hotel to participate in this fun and engaging conference. The exhibit hall was open to the public, so even those who didn’t… Read the full story

Next week Geni will be heading to the Southern California Genealogical Society’s Genealogy Jamboree in Burbank, California. This year is extra special because Jamboree is also celebrating their 50th birthday! The conference has grown into four great events, Jamboree, Genetic Genealogy, JamboFree, and Workshops, with the exhibit hall open May 31 – June 2 at the Los Angeles Marriott Burbank Airport Hotel. The exhibit hall will be free to the public, so if you’re in the area, feel free to stop by… Read the full story

We’re back from St. Charles, Missouri, where we attended the National Genealogical Society 2019 Family History Conference. A total of 2,324 people were in attendance for this fun and informative gathering of genealogists and family history buffs. Doors to the exhibit hall A number of events were lined up throughout the conference including a wide array of sessions for all skill levels. Several sessions were even live streamed for those who couldn’t be there in person. The… Read the full story

If you missed Geni General Manager Mike Stangel’s webinar, “Advanced Features on Geni.com,” on Legacy Family Tree Webinars, you can now watch it online for free! In the webinar, Mike gives an overview of some of the more advanced features on Geni. If you are just getting started on your tree or if you are a longtime Geni user, you’ll find this webinar quite informative. Watch to learn more about how our new GEDCOM importer works, how to… Read the full story

Join Geni’s General Manager Mike Stangel for a free webinar, “Advanced Features on Geni.com” with Legacy Family Tree Webinars on Tuesday, May 14, 2019. Take a deep dive into some of Geni’s more advanced features to grow and connect your family tree to the World Family Tree of over 130 million profiles. Learn about GEDCOM imports, merging duplicates, managing profiles, uploading images and documents, and much more. The live webinar will take place Tuesday, May… Read the full story

This week Geni is heading to St. Charles, Missouri for the National Genealogical Society 2019 Family History Conference. The conference will take place May 8-11 at the St. Charles Convention Center. Come visit Geni in the exhibit hall at booth #506 and learn more about what’s new in the World Family Tree. The exhibit hall is free and open to the public, so if you’re in the area, feel free to stop by and say hi! Pick… Read the full story

Do you remember the first time you found out you were related to a famous historical figure or celebrity? Filmmaker Erik Anderson recently created the short film “Charlemagne” after learning he was a direct descendant of the Holy Roman Emperor. The film is a humorous take on one man’s reaction to discovering his connection to Charlemagne thanks to Geni’s World Family Tree. We took a little time to get to know a little more about Erik and how… Read the full story

Geni’s World Family Tree currently connects over 130 million profiles from all over the world and enables people of all nationalities and cultures to work together to discover and preserve their shared ancestry. In order to better facilitate the collaboration between a multilingual community, we introduced the support of multilingual  profiles on Geni. This feature is perfect for when an individual is known by different names in multiple languages. Recently GeneaVlogger and Geni curator Jarrett Ross released a new video tutorial on how… Read the full story

We’re back from NERGC 2019 in Manchester, New Hampshire. This was a great opportunity to meet Geni users and connect with new members who were eager to learn more about collaboration and the World Family Tree. The conference offered many workshops, sessions, and special events for genealogists and family history enthusiasts of all experience levels. The Geni booth before the start of the conference The exhibit hall was free and open to the public and everyone was encouraged… Read the full story

While at RootsTech 2019 in Salt Lake City, Utah, GeneaVlogger and Geni Curator Jarrett Ross took some time to interview Geni’s General Manager Mike Stangel at the Geni booth. Jarrett and Mike at the Geni booth at RootsTech See our Highlights from RootsTech 2019 During their discussion, they talked about the history of Geni’s World Family Tree and our acquisition by MyHeritage in 2012. Mike also talked about the recent release of our new and improved GEDCOM importer and shared what new features… Read the full story

Next week Geni is heading to Manchester, New Hampshire for the 15th New England Regional Genealogical Conference. NERGC 2019 will take place April 3-6 at the Doubletree by Hilton Hotel. The conference will offer presentations, workshops, and fun events, such as the Ancestors Road Show and Society Fair. The exhibit hall will be free and open to the public. If you are planning to attend or are in the area, come visit the Geni booth (105/107). We’re happy to hear your family stories… Read the full story

We’re back from RootsTech in Salt Lake City, Utah! From February 27 – March 2, 2019, thousands of genealogists and family history enthusiasts gathered at the Salt Palace Convention Center to attend the largest genealogy conference in the world. The Geni booth before the exhibit hall opened Geni had a booth in the exhibit hall with computers available for attendees to get a chance to get started with some hands-on help from Geni staff and curators. The… Read the full story

This week the Geni team will be heading to RootsTech 2019, the world’s largest genealogy conference. The conference will be held on February 27 – March 2, 2019 at the Salt Palace Convention Center in Salt Lake City, Utah. Over 300 sessions for all experience levels are available for attendees. If you’re unable to make it, there will be several sessions will be live streamed for free. This year, RootsTech has lined up an exciting group of keynote speakers, including Emmy award-winning… Read the full story

To celebrate Valentine’s Day, we asked you to share with us your favorite family love stories for a chance to win a free 1-year subscription of Geni Pro. The stories could be anything from an anecdote of how your grandparents first met, a memorable proposal, or even the story behind a sentimental photo. We enjoyed reading some wonderful and funny stories ranging from first date woes to contemporary stories of finding love online. Entries were submitted through email, Facebook, and… Read the full story

After the success of MyHeritage LIVE 2018 in Oslo, Norway, MyHeritage, Geni’s parent company, will be hosting the conference for a second time! Today MyHeritage announced that MyHeritage LIVE 2019 will be held on September 6-8, 2019 in Amsterdam, Netherlands. We had a great time participating in the conference last year and we look forward to doing it again in Amsterdam. Check out our highlights from MyHeritage LIVE 2018. In addition to a plenary session from MyHeritage’s Founder and… Read the full story

As Valentine’s Day approaches, we thought it would be the perfect opportunity to hear some wonderful love stories from your family’s history. And in celebration of the most romantic day of the year, we are also  giving away a free 1-year subscription of Geni Pro! Stories bring families together and nothing warms the heart more than hearing about some of the amazing love stories from your own family’s history. It’s important to share these stories to keep these wonderful memories from being forgotten. Whether… Read the full story

Did you miss MyHeritage LIVE? If you were unable to attend the first-ever MyHeritage user conference in Oslo, Norway and missed the live stream, now is your chance to watch all 24 classes online for free courtesy of Legacy Family Tree Webinars. All classes from both the genealogy and DNA track are available for free on Legacy Family Tree and each one is jam-packed with information. Even if you watched the live stream, you may want to catch the lectures… Read the full story

From November 2-4, 2018, MyHeritage hosted their first-ever user conference, MyHeritage LIVE, in Oslo, Norway. Over 400 attendees from 28 different countries around the world headed over to the Radisson Blu Scandinavia Hotel to participate in this unique conference. Another 60,000 tuned in to watch some of the many genealogy and DNA track sessions live streamed on the conference website and the MyHeritage Facebook page. Attendees had multiple presentations and hands-on workshops to choose from, each offering a unique… Read the full story

The month of October was Family History Month. In honor of the month-long celebration of family history, we offered the Geni community the chance to win a free 1-year Geni Pro subscription. Participants simply had to send us their answer to the question, “What’s the most surprising or interesting discovery you’ve made in your family tree?” A lucky winner was chosen at random from the many eligible entries submitted through comments on the blog, Facebook, Twitter, and email. We’re happy to congratulate John… Read the full story

We’re only one week away from MyHeritage LIVE, the first-ever MyHeritage user conference in Oslo, Norway! Geni will be there on the weekend of November 2-4, 2018 at the Radisson Blu Scandinavian hotel located right in the center of Oslo. A full schedule of expert speakers and hands-on workshops are planned throughout this immersive conference. In fact, there will be two lecture tracks – Genealogy and DNA – to educate you on some of MyHeritage’s powerful products and… Read the full story

October is Family History Month and to celebrate, we’re giving away a free 1-year subscription of Geni Pro! With a Geni Pro subscription, you will have access to advanced tools to help you grow your tree faster on Geni. These features include: Tree Matches – access Tree Matches to grow your family tree faster and connect with new relatives Enhanced search – get full access to Geni’s search engine Priority support – communicate directly with our expert… Read the full story

We are excited to share that Geni will be participating in the first-ever MyHeritage user conference and you’re invited! MyHeritage LIVE will take place on the weekend of November 2-4, 2018 in Oslo, Norway. The conference is open to anyone around the world who would like to learn more about Geni and MyHeritage. The conference will feature a keynote speech from MyHeritage Founder and CEO Gilad Japhet, a lecture and workshop from Geni’s General Manager,… Read the full story

Last week we had a great time at the Federation of Genealogical Societies 2018 Conference in Fort Wayne, Indiana. The conference took place at the Grand Wayne Convention Center, which was conveniently located across the street from the Allen County Public Library. The library is home to one of the largest collections of genealogical materials in the country. We enjoyed chatting with attendees as they stopped by the Geni booth to learn more about Geni’s World Family Tree…. Read the full story

Next week Geni will be at the Federation of Genealogical Societies 2018 Conference in Fort Wayne, Indiana. The conference will take place August 22-25, with the exhibit hall opening for everyone on the 23rd. The theme of this year’s conference is “On the Three Rivers – Past, Present & Future.” The conference is being held at the Grand Wayne Convention Center and is conveniently located right across the street from the Allen County Public Library, which holds one… Read the full story

We had a fun time at the 49th Annual Southern California Genealogy Jamboree! From May 31 – June 2, a few members of the Geni team headed over to the Los Angeles Marriott Burbank Airport Hotel in Burbank, California to participate in this exciting and engaging conference. The Geni booth before the doors opened For the first time, the exhibit hall was open on the Thursday, which is usually reserved for DNA Day. This year the day was packed with… Read the full story

Will you be at the 49th Annual Southern California Genealogy Jamboree next week in Burbank, California? Geni will be there May 31 – June 2, 2018 at the Los Angeles Marriott Burbank Airport Hotel. We look forward to this fun conference every year! A few changes are in store for this year’s conference. By popular demand, this year, the exhibit hall will be open a day early on Thursday, May 31 during the Genetic Genealogy Conference. Jamboree will then… Read the full story

We’re back from Grand Rapids, Michigan where the Geni team was at the National Genealogical Society 2018 Family History Conference. Over 2,000 people were in attendance for the genealogy conference, which took place May 2-5 at the DeVos Place Convention Center in Grand Rapids, Michigan. It was exciting to introduce Geni to those who were still unfamiliar with the concept of the World Family Tree and they were quickly intrigued by the idea of connecting the… Read the full story

This week we’ll be in Grand Rapids, Michigan for the National Genealogical Society 2018 Family History Conference. This exciting conference will take place May 2-5, 2018. Will you be there? NGS 2018 is the perfect opportunity to learn from over 175 lectures on a variety of genealogy topics for all skill levels. Explore the exhibit hall and come visit Geni at booth 206! We’re excited to share the power of collaboration in Geni’s World Family Tree and meet Geni… Read the full story

Congratulations to the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge! The royal couple welcomed their third child, a healthy baby boy, on April 23, 2018 at 11:01 local time at St. Mary’s Hospital in Paddington, West London. The prince weighed 8 pounds and 7 ounces. Welcome to the family. pic.twitter.com/nKSd5kh5bZ — Kensington Palace (@KensingtonRoyal) April 23, 2018 While the public awaits for the official announcement of the prince’s name, here are some interesting facts about the newest addition to… Read the full story

Some people are lucky to have found old letters during their genealogy research. They may be thoughtful love letters sent home from soldiers at war or general greetings from one cousin to another across the country. But did you know that in the early days of the U.S. parcel service, some parents tried to send their babies by mail? Smithsonian Institution / Flickr After the parcel service was introduced in 1913, a few children were sent via parcel post with… Read the full story

We’re back from RootsTech 2018 and we had a wonderful time! Thousands of genealogists from all around the world gathered at the Salt Palace Convention Center in Salt Lake City, Utah to attend the largest family history conference in the world. Throughout the conference, the Geni booth was packed with people eager to learn more about collaboration  and Geni’s World Family Tree. Several users stopped by to say hi and tell us how much they enjoy using the… Read the full story

Next week the Geni team will be heading to Salt Lake City, Utah for RootsTech 2018, the world’s largest genealogy conference. Between February 28 – March 3, thousands of genealogists from around the world will gather at the Salt Palace Convention Center to learn more about the latest in the world of genealogy. This year has an exciting group of keynote speakers, including Olympic gold medalist Scott Hamilton and renowned genealogist Henry Louis Gates, Jr. With… Read the full story

Happy Chinese New Year! Also known as the Lunar New Year or Spring Festival, the new year is celebrated according to the lunar calendar with each year associated with one of the 12 animals in the Chinese zodiac. Today marks the first day of the Year of the Dog on the lunar calendar. In celebration of the new year, here are some things to know about the holiday: 1. At the core of the holiday is family… Read the full story

We recently asked this question on Facebook, “What’s the oldest photograph you have of an ancestor?” We received so many great responses that we thought it would be great to share some of the beautiful photographs we received. Check out a few of our favorite photos below and feel to share some from your own collection of old photographs in the comments below! Felipe Vargas Brignardello: The oldest picture I have is from 1864, in the middle is… Read the full story

What are your genealogy goals for 2018? Get the new year started on the right foot by laying out what you  hope to accomplish this year. Here are a few ideas to get you started: 1. Get your relatives to take a DNA test If you’ve already taken a DNA test for genealogy, make a plan to encourage your relatives to take a DNA test too. This is especially important for your older relatives. Connect their results to the… Read the full story

Do you have any vintage holiday cards? It’s an old practice to send holiday cards to friends and loved ones during the holidays. They are also a great find for genealogists. Old postcards can often provide some important clues for your family history and can provide an intimate connection with your family’s past. They may even provide you with a new name or give you a clue as to how someone is related. With the holidays only a few days away, here’s a… Read the full story

In a very special live segment on Good Morning America, a mother and daughter were reunited for the first time in over 30 years thanks to MyHeritage DNA. In 1986, Angie Oracoy placed her daughter, Meribeth, up for adoption. Only 19 years old at the time, the young mother never had the chance to hold her daughter before she was taken away. Angie hoped Meribeth would be adopted by a loving family who could give her daughter the life that she… Read the full story

On November 11, the United States celebrates Veterans Day to give thanks, honor, and celebrate the brave men and women who have served in the nation’s armed forces. Originally observed as Armistice Day, which commemorated the end of World War I at the 11th hour of the 11th day of the 11th month in 1918, the holiday was renamed Veterans Day in 1954. Not to be confused with Memorial Day, which honors those who died while in… Read the full story

This may be a familiar sight to you – you have old photographs of your ancestors but no one is smiling! It’s not often you will find 19th century photographs of a smiling subject. While photographs provide us with a glimpse into who our ancestors were and what they looked like, don’t assume that no one is smiling because they were perpetually unhappy. c.1885 / Library of Congress Long exposure times? During the 19th century,… Read the full story

Carole Forsman was born a twin in Omaha, Nebraska on October 7, the anniversary of the hospital. To celebrate, the hospital gifted the all the mothers who gave birth that day no hospital bill. And she even got her picture in the local newspaper! Carole Forman A writer, a board member for the Danish Cemetery in Omaha, Nebraska and a member of the local Danish Club, Carole’s path to genealogy began after she became interested… Read the full story

We’re back from the Federation of Genealogical Societies 2017 National Conference in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. From August 30 – September 2, genealogists and family historians from all around the country gathered at the David L. Lawrence Convention Center for a wide variety of sessions held by numerous genealogy experts. The exhibit hall entrance before opening day Many attendees also had the opportunity to visit a wide variety of vendors in the exhibit hall. The Geni booth was the perfect place for… Read the full story

Next week Geni will be heading to Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania for the Federation of Genealogical Societies 2017 Conference. The conference will take place August 30 – September 2 at the David L. Lawrence Convention Center. Hosted by the Western Pennsylvania Genealogical Society, this year’s them is “Building Bridges to the Past.” The conference will have a wide variety of sessions available for all skill levels. Geni will be at booth 123 eager to meet attendees, help answer… Read the full story

We’re back from Orlando, Florida, where the Geni team attended the 37th IAJGS International Conference on Jewish Genealogy. It was a great opportunity to meet new people and chat with many excited Geni users. The Geni booth before the doors opened The Geni booth was a popular stop during the conference. To our surprise, we ran out of Geni water bottles faster than any other conference! Randy Schoenberg giving his Geni.com World Family Tree lecture On the first… Read the full story

We’re excited to be headed to Orlando, Florida for the 37th IAJGS International Conference on Jewish Genealogy! The conference will take place July 23 – 28 at the Walt Disney World Swan Resort. IAJGS is always a lively affair with genealogists from all over the world coming together to see old friends, meet new people and learn more about the world of Jewish genealogy. Come see Geni at the exhibit hall, which is open July 23… Read the full story

Geni’s World Family Tree aims to connect people from all parts of the world. With an international user base, we love to hear the diverse stories from our users as they research their family histories. Sharmalan (right) with his mother Elaveni, his grandmother Visalatchy, his wife Vasuge and his daughter Vaishnavi Sharmalan Thevar was born in 1984 in Malaysia. A colorful nation made up of many different cultures and ethnicities, it’s not surprising for Malaysians… Read the full story

We had a great time at the 48th Annual Southern California Genealogy Jamboree! It’s always a delight to see old friends and meet new users right here in Burbank, California. The Geni computers were often occupied throughout the conference Our booth was packed much of the time with many people eager to ask questions about how they can be a part of Geni’s World Family Tree of 114 million people. Jamboree attendees got to take advantage… Read the full story

We’re excited for the 48th Annual Southern California Genealogy Jamboree next week in Burbank, California. The conference will take place June 8-11 at the Los Angeles Marriott Burbank Airport Hotel. The theme of this year’s Jamboree is “Hunting Your Heritage.” Jamboree will hold DNA Day on June 8, which will provide attendees with an excellent opportunity to learn more about DNA and genealogy from experts in the field. The exhibit hall will be open June 9-11 and it… Read the full story

We’re back from Raleigh, North Carolina where we had the pleasure of attending the National Genealogical Society 2017 Family History Conference. The city was named after Sir Walter Raleigh, who established the lost Roanoke Colony in what is today Dare County, North Carolina. Between May 10-13, genealogists and family history enthusiasts gathered at the Raleigh Convention Center in downtown Raleigh. On the first day, we were greeted by large crowds of excited genealogists eager to learn more about… Read the full story