Community

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

We’re hitting the road again next week for the National Genealogical Society 2017 Family History Conference in Raleigh, North Carolina. Between May 10-13, genealogists from all over the country will come together for four exciting days of genealogy fun. Attendees will have the opportunity to choose from over 175 sessions designed to help beginners and advanced genealogy researchers and family historians. If you can’t make it, NGS will be live streaming several sessions. The Geni team will… Read the full story

We’re back from the New England Regional Genealogical Consortium 2017 conference in Springfield, Massachusetts. We had a great time meeting Geni users and introducing Geni to genealogists and family historians who were still unfamiliar with the World Family Tree. This year saw a record number of registrants, while the exhibit hall was also open and free to the public. The Geni booth at NERGC 2017 The conference took place at the MassMutual Convention Center, where… Read the full story

Next week, Geni will be heading to the New England Regional Genealogical Consortium 2017 Conference in Springfield, Massachusetts. Held every other year, this year’s conference will focus on “Using the Tools of Today & Tomorrow to Understand the Past.” NERGC 2017 will take place April 26-29, 2017 at the MassMutal Center in Springfield. The exhibit hall will be open April 27-29 and will be open to the general public. Geni will be there at booths B,… Read the full story

The following post is written by Jennifer Payen, who embarked on a mission to find her paternal grandfather. Read how DNA testing and a family tree on Geni were instrumental to solving this family mystery and gave Jennifer the opportunity to finally share with her father where he came from. At the age of thirteen, my 85-year old grandfather Frank had a stroke. Little did I realize that as a result, my father would reveal a secret that had been tightly-compacted to… Read the full story

Last month, we celebrated the 10th anniversary of Geni’s launch by announcing a chance for one lucky user to win a free year of Geni Pro. For a chance to win, people were asked to answer one question – “What first sparked your interest in genealogy?” We received many great responses from the community and a winner was randomly chosen from our list of valid entries sent to us via Facebook, Twitter and email. Today we’re excited… Read the full story

We had a fantastic time at RootsTech 2017. Each year the conference gets bigger and bigger, and this year was no exception with an estimated 30,000 attendees! RootsTech 2017 We always have a wonderful time getting to see old friends and meeting new people enthusiastic to learn more about collaboration in genealogy. This year curators Anne Brannen and Ashley Odell joined the Geni team at the booth to help introduce Geni to new visitors. Their genealogy expertise… Read the full story

In one week Geni will be heading to Salt Lake City, Utah for RootsTech 2017, the world’s largest genealogy conference. RootsTech has always been a little unique with its interesting blend of genealogy and technology. Open to newbies and experts, RootsTech is the perfect place to meet fellow genealogy researchers and discover new family history technologies. RootsTech will take place February 8-11, 2017 at the Salt Palace Convention Center. The conference will be offering over 200 sessions for… Read the full story

Happy Chinese New Year! This lunar year welcomes the Year of the Rooster, which begins Saturday, January 28.  Also known as the Lunar New Year or the Spring Festival, the holiday is celebrated across 15 days in many countries around the world. At its core, the holiday is about home and family. Steeped in tradition, symbolism and superstition, Chinese New Year is an important time for families to reunite to honor their ancestors. Multiple generations and extended family… Read the full story

Yesterday, beloved TV icon Mary Tyler Moore died in Greenwich, Connecticut at the age of 80. She starred in two classic television shows and helped change the portrayal of women on television. When The Mary Tyler Moore Show first premiered in 1970, it marked the first time a single, never-married, independent career woman was the central character on TV. The show would go on to influence generations of viewers. The Mary Tyler Moore Show / Wikimedia Commons In… Read the full story

When Geni first launched in January 2007, we had one very ambition goal: to create a family tree of the whole world! We invited users to build their family trees and invite their relatives to join them. What began as several smaller family trees naturally led to merging overlapping families, connecting these separate trees into one big tree. Now, thanks to the collaborative efforts of millions of genealogists and family historians, Geni’s World Family Tree has grown to over 112 million profiles! Geni’s… Read the full story

It’s the start of a New Year! Now is the best time to set your genealogy goals for 2017. Check out a few New Year’s resolution ideas to get you started in 2017: Take a DNA test and add your test results to your family tree on Geni Finally break through that troublesome brick wall in your family tree Visit the graves of your ancestors and take photos of their tombstones to add to their profiles Order… Read the full story

On the morning of December 27, 2016, Star Wars icon Carrie Fisher passed away after suffering a heart attack on a flight from London to Los Angeles just four days earlier. Image: Gage Skidmore / Wikimedia Commons  An accomplished author, screenwriter and actress, Fisher was well known for her quick wit and candor. She held memorable parts in When Harry Met Sally and Hannah and Her Sisters, but she will perhaps forever be remembered for her iconic… Read the full story

On December 8, legendary astronaut John Glenn died at the age of 95. A hero of the space age and the last of the original Mercury 7, Glenn inspired generations of scientists and explorers. Image: NASA Remembered best as the first American to orbit Earth, Glenn was also a national war hero and former U.S. Senator. In honor of his memory, here are some interesting facts about the life of the American icon. 1. He grew up… Read the full story

We love hearing of stories from users who have discovered a new piece of their family on Geni. Today we share a story from Jens Petter Kleven, who grew up knowing very little about his father’s family. What he found on Geni would open up an entirely new world to him. Jens was born in September 1950 in Oslo, Norway. He describes his childhood as difficult from day one.  His mother had denied his father… Read the full story

November 1 and 2 marks the celebration of the Day of the Dead or Día de los Muertos, a traditionally Mexican holiday focused on the remembrance of friends and family who have died. Although the holiday is particularly a Mexican holiday, the Day of the Dead is observed by many cultures throughout the world. The colorful and festive holiday is celebrated with family and friends in remembrance of their loved ones who have died. In honor of… Read the full story

We love to hear stories from our users about the fascinating discoveries they have made on Geni. Below we share a story from Angela Sinickas Shiromani, who connected with descendants of her grandmother’s siblings through Geni. This amazing discovery finally united two lines of the family after being separated across two continents for over 60 years. In June 2013, while on a trip to Lithuania to speak at the Lithuanian World Economic Forum, Angela decided… Read the full story

Born in Minneapolis, Minnesota, Barbara Zinn first became interested in family history in 1998 when her husband’s aunt sent the couple his family history. Since then, Barbara had been doing her husband’s genealogy off and on.  After researching her husband’s family for a number of years, Barbara became interested in seeing what she could find about her own family. Mary Louise Spencer (Barbara’s paternal grandmother) / Courtesy of Barbara Zinn “Because of my upbringing, and… Read the full story

We love hearing stories of families reunited through Geni. Recently, Eli Rabinowitz finally found his first cousin Zara Smushkovich after being separated for over 35 years! The discovery was made thanks to the help of a friendly person on Facebook who found the family tree on Geni. Zara’s father, David, and Eli’s mother, Rachel Zara’s father, David Zeldin, and Eli’s mother, Rachel, were siblings. During World War II, David had joined the Soviet Army. His children, Mendel and… Read the full story

It’s Family History Month! Throughout the month of October, we’ll be sharing stories from the Geni community in celebration of genealogy and family history. Read below of one Geni user’s journey into genealogy and her excitement for the endless possibilities of connecting and collaborating in the World Family Tree. Born in Brooklyn, New York, Tamar Weinberg likes to call herself a professional hustler. A work-at-home mom with 4 kids under the age of 7, Tamar… Read the full story

In the days just before Labor Day weekend, the Geni team went to Springfield, Illinois for the FGS 2016 National Conference hosted by the Federation of Genealogical Societies. The genealogy conference was held from August 31 – September 3. The home of Abraham Lincoln in Springfield, Illinois It was amazing to spend some time in the “Land of Lincoln” surrounded by so much history with some of the country’s leading family history researchers and genealogists. A big crowd in the… Read the full story

Next week Geni will be heading to Springfield, Illinois for the Federation of Genealogical Societies 2016 National Conference. From August 31 – September 3, genealogists and family historians will come together at the Prairie Capital Convention Center in Springfield. This year’s theme is “Time Travel: Centuries of Memories” with tracks geared to inspire and enrich your family history. Attendees will have the opportunity to choose from a wide variety of sessions offered by many of the… Read the full story

Geni curators spend a great deal of time working hard to ensure the World Family Tree is the highest-quality family tree of the entire world. Always eager to collaborate and interact in discussions and projects, our dedicated group of volunteers have assisted many Geni users over the years. If you haven’t yet had the pleasure of working with a curator, we thought it would be fun to get to know some members of the curator… Read the full story

This past week, Geni headed to Seattle, Washington for the 36th IAJGS International Conference on Jewish Genealogy. We had an amazing time seeing old friends and meeting new visitors eager to learn more about collaborative genealogy in Geni’s World Family Tree. The Geni booth at IAJGS 2016 The conference got off to a fantastic start with the Share Fair on Sunday. The exhibit hall had a steady crowd all day with people reuniting with old friends and learning… Read the full story

Next week, Geni will be at the 36th IAJGS International Conference on Jewish Genealogy in Seattle, Washington. The conference will be held from August 7-12, 2016 at the Sheraton Seattle Downtown Hotel. The local host this year is the Jewish Genealogical Society of Washington State. This year’s theme is “The Wandering Jew.” Come join us at one of the largest Jewish genealogy conferences in the world! If you’re planning to attend, be sure to stop by… Read the full story

For her 86th birthday, Marie Frey got an extra special gift – her 86th great-grandchild! Recently, the Today Show shared Marie’s amazing celebration. The family welcomed Blakely Grace Frey on June 23. Blakely is the fifth child born to Marie’s grandson, Kenny. Being one of seven children, Marie had lots of experience growing up in a large family. She and her husband Gerald were married for nearly 60 years before he passed at the age of 83…. Read the full story

How’s this for a birthday gift? For her 100th birthday, Dorothy Martell witnessed the birth of her great-great grandson! KPNX reports that Weston Alexander Heiser was born on June 6, 2016, exactly 100 years to the day since Dorothy was born. Weston is the first son of Dorothy’s great granddaughter, Alyssa Heiser. Since finding out about her pregnancy, Alyssa had hoped she might give birth on her great grandmother’s birthday. She had gone into early labor… Read the full story

This weekend the Geni team headed over to the Los Angeles Marriott Burbank Airport for the 47th annual Southern California Genealogy Jamboree. Over 1,400 people attended this year’s conference. The Geni booth before the exhibit hall opened We had a wonderful time catching up with old friends, chatting with Geni users and introducing the power of collaboration on Geni’s World Family Tree to newcomers. The conference flew by as the exhibit hall was filled with attendees throughout… Read the full story

We’re excited for the 47th Annual Southern California Genealogy Jamboree taking place on June 3-5, 2016 at the Los Angeles Marriott Burbank Airport Hotel. Jamboree has always been one of the most fun genealogy events of the year. A short drive from the Geni office, Jamboree is a great opportunity to reunite with old friends and meet new faces. This year’s theme is “Giving to the Future by Preserving the Past.” Presentations will be held on a… Read the full story

We had a great time meeting everyone at the NGS 2016 Family History Conference in Fort Lauderdale, Florida! Between May 4-7, genealogists and family historians from all around the country gathered at the Greater Fort Lauderdale/Boward County Convention Center to enjoy a fascinating array of genealogy lectures and learn more about what’s going on in the world of genealogy. The Geni booth at NGS 2016 before opening day At the Geni booth, we welcomed many people interested in… Read the full story

It was reported recently that a Northern Idaho family has finally broken their 100 year old streak – the Underdahl family finally welcomed their first baby girl after 101 years. The record was finally broken when Scott and Ashton Underdahl welcomed Aurelia Marie Ann on April 12. The couple have a son, Archer, and had been hoping to finally bring a girl into the family. After a century-long streak of boys, baby Aurelia was born at 8lbs 3oz…. Read the full story

Next week Geni is heading to Fort Lauderdale, Florida for the NGS 2016 Family History Conference. From May 4-7, genealogists and family historians from all around the country will come together at the Greater Fort Lauderdale/Broward County Convention Center to learn more about the latest in genealogy. Attendees will have the opportunity to choose from over 150 lectures on a wide range of topics. The theme to this year’s conference is “Exploring the Centuries: Footprints… Read the full story

We love hearing about stories from the Geni community about their journeys to uncover their family history. Today we’d like to share Anne Brannen’s story. A recent addition to Geni’s team of dedicated volunteer curators, Anne shares her family stories and the path that led her to tackle the medieval lines of the World Family Tree. After 22 years of working in Pittsburgh teaching at Duquesne University, Anne is now living a semi-retired life while… Read the full story

Since the first grade, Geni Curator Jim Wile knew what he wanted to be when he grew up. With dreams to become a math teacher, Jim was working towards his degree in education when his birth date was called in the military draft lottery. He enlisted in the U.S. Army and was assigned to the 902nd Military Intelligence Group. Despite his three-year detour, Jim went on to achieve his goal to become a teacher of… Read the full story

Today we mourn the death of brilliant author Harper Lee. She passed away at the age of 89 in her hometown of Monroeville, Alabama. The beloved author of To Kill a Mockingbird was revered by many who grew up reading her classic novel. In honor of her passing, we take a look back at her life. 1. Nelle Harper Lee was the youngest of four children born to Frances Cunningham (Finch) and Amasa Coleman Lee. Her first name was… Read the full story

We had a fantastic time at RootsTech 2016 in Salt Lake City, Utah! This year’s conference was bigger than ever with an estimated 25,000 people attending and over 150,000 watching classes online. The Geni booth at RootsTech 2016 This year, Geni had an amazing booth with plenty of room to accommodate the crowds of visitors eager to learn more about collaborative genealogy in a single family tree. New users starting their family trees on Geni We loved… Read the full story

Next week, the Geni team will be heading to RootsTech 2016, the largest family history event in the world. From February 3-6, genealogists and family history enthusiasts from around the country will gather at the Salt Palace Convention Center in Salt Lake City, Utah to attend this unique genealogy conference. From the family history novice to genealogy experts, everyone has the opportunity to learn and discover the latest tools and technologies for researching your family history. This innovative… Read the full story

We love hearing stories from our users when they make fascinating new discoveries. Recently, genealogy blogger Kitty Cooper shared an amazing discovery she made just last week thanks to Geni. Through the power of collaboration, she’s found her long lost second cousins in Germany! Kitty shares that her family has always known of family in Bavaria, but surnames and where they lived remained a mystery. According to family lore, Kitty’s great grandfather, Benedict Reiner, was studying to… Read the full story

Family heirlooms are often precious artifacts linking the present to your family’s heritage. They hold stories and memories from the past about the lives of loved ones that are no longer around. Usually passed down from generation to generation, family heirlooms provide us with a greater personal connection to our ancestors, perhaps more so than a census record or death certificate could provide. They often provide a unique insight into your family’s history and hold deep… Read the full story

News spread today of the death of iconic singer-songwriter David Bowie after an 18-month battle with cancer. He died on January 10, just two days after his 69th birthday. Herald as an innovator and pioneer, Bowie seemed to reinvent himself for each new generation of fans. Bowie constantly transformed his sound and appearance to the delight and surprise of audiences around the world. In remembrance of Bowie’s extraordinary life, we take a look at a few things… Read the full story

Do you have twins in your family tree? It’s not often you will find a pair of twins with different birthdays. However, for one San Diego couple, that’s just what they got. Not only were their twins born on different days, but they were not even born in the same year! A San Diego mother gave birth to twins, but one was born in 2015, the other in 2016. https://t.co/G7qBusgyDu pic.twitter.com/3so9OwMNz6 — WFMY News 2 (@WFMY)… Read the full story