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We love hearing from Geni users about their experiences in genealogy. Today we want to share the story of Virginia Lee Oldham (Hopper)’s journey uncovering her family history. She was born in Princeton, Kentucky at the family home on Baldwin Avenue. In 1967, Virginia married Billy Joe Oldham and together, had two daughters, Sara Lee and Heather Jo. Between 1979-1989, Virginia was the owner and instructor of a downtown craft supply store. She was the… Read the full story

If you are lucky, you may have an entire treasure trove of old family photographs tucked away somewhere. Do you know who is the oldest person born to be photographed in your family? Two of the earliest people born known to be photographed are Hannah Gorby (Stilley) and Conrad Heyer. Hannah Gorby (Stilley) The exact date of Hannah Gorby (Stilley) is not known, but it is believed she was born around 1746. The photograph is believed… Read the full story

On this day in 1851, American inventor Isaac Merrit Singer was granted a patent for his iconic sewing machine. Although not the first to invent the sewing machine, Singer made important improvements to make the machine more practical and efficient than ever before. Sewing with a Singer sewing machine / State Library of Queensland Thanks to increasing affordability and practicality, the Singer sewing machines would find their way into almost every household. Isaac Merrit Singer / Wikimedia Commons Isaac Merrit… Read the full story

Today we remember comedian and actor Robin Williams, who was born on July 21, 1951. Although the beloved actor passed away nearly a year ago on August 11, the world continues to miss his enthusiasm and warm, infectious spirit. Image: Eva Rinaldi, Wikimedia Commons In honor of his memory, here are some things you may not know about his family tree: 1. Robin’s second great grandfather, Anselm J. McLaurin, was a prominent politician in Mississippi. One of… Read the full story

Do you have French ancestry in your family tree? Today France celebrates Bastille Day to commemorate the storming of the notorious prison fortress. Here are some interesting facts about the French holiday: On July 14, 1789, French revolutionaries stormed the medieval fortress that served as a symbol of the Bourbon monarchy’s tyranny. A few years later, King Louis XVI and his wife, Marie Antoinette, would be executed by guillotine. The event sparked the beginning of the French Revolution…. Read the full story

News broke today that celebrated actor Omar Sharif passed away July 10, 2015 at the age of 83. Known for his roles in Doctor Zhivago and Lawrence of Arabia, Sharif was a Hollywood legend. In honor of his memory, here are some things you may not have known about the international star: 1. He was born Michel Demetri Chalhoub in Alexandria, Egypt on April 10, 1932. In 1955, he changed his name after marring his co-star Faten… Read the full story

Today we remember Holocaust hero Nicholas Winton, who passed away yesterday at the age of 106. Nicholas George Wertheim was born on May 19, 1909 in Hampstead, London. Often called the “British Schindler,” Winton was a young stockbroker when he organized the transport of 669 Jewish children out of Nazi-occupied Czechoslovakia to Britain in 1939. His actions saved the lives of hundreds Jewish children who would have been destined for Nazi concentration camps. Shortly before Christmas in 1938, Winton had… Read the full story

This Sunday the U.S. celebrates Father’s Day in honor of all the fathers, grandfathers and other paternal figures in our lives. Celebrations often include family get-togethers and barbecues. Father’s Day had long been celebrated before it became and official holiday in 1972. The founding of Father’s Day is credited to Sonora Louise Smart of Spokane, Washington. Inspired by Mother’s Day, Sonora sought to establish a day to honor her father’s sacrifices and hard work. Her father… Read the full story

We had a great time at the Global Family Reunion! The event drew thousands to the New York Hall of Science on Saturday, June 6. Hosted by best-selling author A.J. Jacobs, the Global Family Reunion was an epic event bringing together people from all around the world. Although the morning saw a little rain, the Geni and MyHeritage teams were eager to welcome everyone. Visitors could easily find us by the large Geni and MyHeritage balloons we had… Read the full story

On this day in 1937, the Golden Gate Bridge opened to the public. Do you have any relatives who worked on the bridge? Or maybe relatives who were present on opening day? Today the bridge is one of the most internationally recognized symbols of San Francisco, California and the United States. Check out some fun facts you may not know about one of the most photographed bridges in the world: Image: Golden Gate Bridge / Wikimedia Commons… Read the full story

The Global Family Reunion is only a few weeks away! Today we’re excited to share that Geni users will receive a special discount on Global Family Reunion tickets – 25% off! Best-selling author A.J. Jacobs is hosting the largest family reunion event in history and you’re invited! The Global Family Reunion has been dubbed an “ancestry Lollapalooza” by The New York Times. It will feature over 50 speakers and more than 400 activities and exhibits. As the home of… Read the full story

Today we celebrate the 70th anniversary of Victory in Europe Day! On May 8, 1945, millions of people throughout Western Europe took to the streets to celebrate the unconditional surrender of Nazi Germany and the end of World War II in Europe. Image: City of Toronto Archives Once the announcement was made of Germany’s surrender, jubilant celebrations erupted throughout the streets of Europe. Millions danced, waved flags, threw streamers and even kissed strangers. This important day had… Read the full story

This weekend, the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge welcomed their second child! The new little princess has been named Charlotte Elizabeth Diana. Kate gave birth to her daughter on Saturday, May 2 at 8:34am London time, less than three hours after she checked into St. Mary’s Hospital. The princess weighed 8 pounds and 3 ounces. Now that her name has been officially released, here are some things to know about the newest addition to the… Read the full story

We love hearing from our users, especially when they are as passionate and enthusiastic for the World Family Tree as Theresa Renée Eléna Delgado-Tossas, also known as the artist, Renée Walker. Theresa Renée was born in Berlin, Germany on an Air Force instillation where her parents were stationed. An artist and performer, she splits her time between Arecibo, Puerto Rico and the Mannheim/Heidelberg areas of Germany. Several events sparked her quest into her family’s genealogy,… Read the full story

Do you have any siblings? Today is National Siblings Day! Even when your siblings annoy you to no end, there’s always that special bond of unconditional love and support. National Siblings Day was founded by Claudia A. Evart to honor the memory of her brother and sister, both of whom had died at early ages. This special day is celebrated every year on April 10, the birthday of Evart’s sister, Lisette. Although the day is not federally recognized,… Read the full story

The Great Depression was hard for many people. With little money at their disposal, families had to learn ways to improvise and cook cheaply. Some families have cookbooks passed down from this era detailing some of the dishes many families had to create. Others may have had living family who were willing to teach them some Great Depression recipes. Clara Cannucciari grew up during the Great Depression and remembered her mother’s Depression era dishes with… Read the full story

Judith (Judi) Elaine Mckee Burns was born in Bloomington, Indiana. Retired, she spends much of her time these days working on preserving her family history. She first became interested in family history after the movie Roots had come out. “My parents had never talked of the family – but when we would go ‘home’ as they called it [Lyons, Green County, Indiana] there were people always around that seemed to be tightly connected to each… Read the full story

The Global Family Reunion is only a few months away! Will you be there? We’re excited to let you know that the Global Family Reunion has launched a crowdfunding campaign with two very important goals in mind: unite the world and battle Alzheimer’s. Throwing the epic family get-together is best-selling author A.J. Jacobs, and he’s inviting all 7 billion of his cousins to come to what will be the largest, most inclusive family reunion in history. The event… Read the full story

On February 27, 2015, the world lost beloved actor Leonard Nimoy. He was 83. With a career that spanned over 60 years, Leonard will perhaps always be remembered for his iconic portrayal of Mr. Spock on Star Trek. In honor of his memory, here are some things about his life you may not have known: Image: Wikimedia Commons 1. Leonard was born on March 26, 1931 in Boston, Massachusetts. He grew up in Boston’s West End and sold newspapers… Read the full story

Remember those school projects about your family history? Whether it was writing a story or mapping out your family tree, you’ve likely taken that dip into our family’s past in school. When Geni Curator Randy Schoenberg’s son, Joey, came home with such a project, Randy saw it as a great opportunity to make some new family connections. With the news that his son’s fifth-grade class was participating in the worldwide “My Family Story” competition sponsored by Beit Hatfusot, the Museum of the… Read the full story

What an amazing few days at RootsTech! This year saw the largest crowd ever with over 20,000 genealogists and family historians coming together for the largest genealogy conference in the world. The Geni and MyHeritage teams together again It was wonderful to be together again with our MyHeritage family, many of whom flew in from across the world! With offices in Israel, Utah and California, it’s a rare treat to have this many of us together in… Read the full story

Valentine’s Day is just around the corner! Will you be sending a Valentine to a special someone? If you need a little bit of inspiration, check out these Valentine’s Day greetings from the early 20th century: Will You Be Mine? Library of Congress, 1919 To My Valentine Library of Congress, 1919 Funny Valentine National Library of Norway, c.1900 Say You’ll Be Mine “Pray Sweetheart, send me just a line to say you’ll be my Valentine.” Library… Read the full story

Can you image discovering rare, undeveloped photographs from WWII and then being the first person to ever view them? Recently, photographer Levi Bettweiser made such a discovery after coming across 31 undeveloped rolls of film shot by a soldier during World War II. Bettweiser launched the Rescued Film Project in an effort to find and rescue old and undeveloped rolls of film. In 2014, he found the undeveloped batch of rolls at an auction in Ohio. Other than the… Read the full story

Best-selling author A.J. Jacobs is organizing the largest family reunion in history and he’s inviting all 7 billion of his cousins to the party! During this holiday season, the Global Family Reunion team is holding a fun holiday photo contest. Winners will receive some amazing prizes! AJ Jacobs Entering the contest is easy. All you need to do is submit a photo holding an “I am a Cousin” sign by January 9, 2015 to info@worldfamily.us. There are six categories to… Read the full story

The holiday season is upon us! Are you still shopping for gifts for your relatives? Here are some ideas for the perfect gift for relatives interested in learning more about your family history. 1. Family photo album Make copies of old photos you have in your possession and put them into a family history photo album. This would make a perfect gift for the entire family! 2. Scrapbook supply kit Scrap booking and genealogy were… Read the full story

There have been a lot of great inventions throughout history that have made significant impacts on our lives. From the invention of photography to the creation of the smartphone, numerous devices have changed the way we interact and communicate with the world. Of course, for every successful invention, there are tons that couldn’t quite make it to production. While some proved to be impractical and cumbersome, others turned out to be rather bizarre. Here are a… Read the full story

Today the U.S. celebrates Veterans Day! Do you have any military veterans in your family? Check out some famous faces you may not have known served in the military: 1. Bea Arthur Bea Arthur Did you know actress Bea Arthur served in the United States Marine Corp during World War II? Before she became a Golden Girl, Arthur served as a truck driver for 30 months as one of the first members of the Women’s Reserve. 2…. Read the full story

Did you miss our Google+ Hangout on Air with best-selling author A.J. Jacobs? Don’t worry, you can catch what you missed in the video below! A lot has happened since AJ first announced the Global Family Reunion. In this hangout, AJ gave us an update on his latest celebrity-cousin discoveries, dished on upcoming television appearances and explained ways for you to get involved. Here are some ways you can help: Connect for the Cure – Help… Read the full story

Happy Halloween! A yearly celebration in many countries, Halloween is a fun holiday filled with candy, costumes and parties. But do you know where these Halloween activities originated? From Samhain to Halloween The origin of Halloween dates back the Celtic harvest festival Samhain, which was annually celebrated on November 1. During this time, it was believed spirits or fairies could more easily come into our world. Bonfires were lit and offerings of food and drink were left in… Read the full story

In just a few days, millions of children and adults will celebrate Halloween. For those looking for a scare, haunted houses and hayrides are frightening and fun activities to partake in. With costumes of all shapes and sizes, families get to enjoy trick-or-treating for candy, costume parties and pumpkin carvings. It wasn’t until the 1930s that Halloween costumes were mass-produced and sold to consumers. Before then, costumes were made by hand. Do you remember what costumes you wore on Halloween? If you’re still… Read the full story

Earlier this month, we shared some great ways to celebrate Family History month. One suggestion was to plan a trip to the cemetery, a fun activity to explore the outdoors and to take in some family history. To help inspire your next cemetery field trip, Geni user Georgette Tan shares her experiences photographing cemeteries in her country of Malaysia. Born in Sarawak in East Malaysia, Georgette works as a journalist with the local English daily,… Read the full story

When doing genealogy research, you may come across significant disasters that occurred during your ancestors’ lifetime. These significant incidents can include fires, such as the Great Chicago Fire in 1871 or natural disasters, such as the 1906 San Francisco earthquake. One of history’s more bizarre disasters occurred 200 years ago today when over 323,000 gallons of beer flooded the streets of the London parish of St. Giles. The date was October 17, 1814 in the parish of St. Giles, London,… Read the full story

We’re excited to announce our upcoming Hangout On Air with best-selling author AJ Jacobs! AJ Jacobs is throwing the world’s largest family reunion in history and he’s inviting every one of his 7 billion cousins to the party! Come hangout with AJ as he shares the latest Global Family Reunion updates and answers questions from the community. Joining AJ will be GFR Cousin Coordinator Eowyn Langholf and a few Geni Curators to discuss the successes and challenges… Read the full story

Discovering your family history is one of the most rewarding experiences you can have. We always love to hear stories from our users about their journeys as they research their genealogy. In 2012, Kitty Cooper launched Kitty Cooper’s Blog to keep track of her family’s DNA tests as well as her genealogical research. Written for her relatives with simple step-by-step pictorial explanations, the blog soon became extremely popular for her articles on genetics and genealogy…. Read the full story

The Global Family Reunion is only a year away and A.J. Jacobs has been busy spreading the word to all his cousins. AJ recently sat down with Caroline Modarressy-Tehrani on HuffPost Live’s Thrive on Live to discuss his quest to hold the largest family reunion in history and the importance of knowing our genealogy. He is joined via video chat by Mike Mallin, MyHeritage’s Chief Product Officer, and genealogists Thomas MacEntee and Jen Baldwin. AJ is… Read the full story

Do you love playing board games with your family? Most cultures and societies have been playing board games throughout history. From ancient Egypt and Rome to our homes today, board games have been a staple of entertainment for families all around the world. Here’s a brief history of some early board games, some of which we still play today: The Mansion of Happiness The Mansion of Happiness / Library of Congress The first board game… Read the full story

It is always rewarding when we can introduce younger generations to the wonders of genealogy. Fostering that early interest in one’s family history is essential to preserving the stories of our family heritage. For the last few months, the history class of West Valley Middle School in Knoxville, Tennessee have been using Geni and our sister site WorldVitalRecords for their family history project. Spearheaded by their teacher, John Martin, this budding group of genealogists used Geni… Read the full story

This Sunday, June 15, the U.S. celebrates Father’s Day in honor of fathers, grandfathers and other paternal figures in our lives. Throughout the country, families take advantage of the approaching summer weather by celebrating with outdoor activities and barbecues. Inspired by Mother’s Day, the popular holiday to honor motherhood, Father’s Day was celebrated for decades before officially being recognized as a federal holiday. In 1910 Spokane, Washington, Sonora Smart Dodd sought to honor her father… Read the full story

We had a great time at the 45th annual Southern California Genealogy Jamboree in Burbank, California this weekend. Each year, we can always count on Jamboree to be an enjoyable experience. We were thrilled to see old friends, meet users and introduce some first timers to Geni’s world of collaborative genealogy. Here’s a picture of the MyHeritage/Geni booth before the expo hall was opened. On Friday, we were joined by Geni Curator Randy Schoenberg. He… Read the full story

We’re excited to attend the 45th annual Southern California Genealogy Jamboree taking place this week from June 6 – 8 in Burbank, California! The theme to this year’s Jamboree is Golden Memories: Discovering Your Family History. And this year’s heritage focus will be on European ancestors. If you’re planning to attend, come see the MyHeritage and Geni teams at booth #308. We love meeting users, so be sure to stop by and say hi! MyHeritage… Read the full story

Did you miss our webinar with best-selling author A.J. Jacobs? Don’t worry – now you can watch the entire webinar below! AJ gave us a great overview of his journey into his family history and his upcoming attempt to enter the Guinness Book of Records for the largest family reunion ever. Check how you’re related to AJ on Geni with the AJ Jacobs Cousin Connector and follow the Global Family Reunion project on Geni to meet… Read the full story

We are excited to announce an exclusive webinar with A.J. Jacobs, well-known author, editor and genealogist. Hear first-hand about A.J.’s own journey to his past, and his upcoming attempt to enter the Guinness Book of Records for the largest family reunion in history. A.J.’s mission to break the Guinness world record for the largest family reunion was recently reported in the New York Times and in interviews on NPR and CBC Radio. Using Geni and MyHeritage, A.J…. Read the full story

Spring is in the air! Come up with a unique caption for the image below for your chance to win a free Geni Pro subscription. With Geni Pro you will have access to advanced tools to help grow your family tree, including: Tree Matches – achieve faster tree growth with instant tree matches to connect with new relatives Unlimited data – upload unlimited photos, videos and documents Premium support – communicate directly with our expert… Read the full story

Did you play with a hula hoop as a child? Image credit: George Garrigues, Wikipedia On March 5, 1963, the modern day Hula-Hoop was patented by Arthur Melin. The co-founder of the toy company, Wham-O, Melin was inspired to develop the popular children’s toy after observing Australian children twirling wooden hoops around their waists during gym class. Wham-O began selling plastic versions of the hoop, which they dubbed “Hula” after the Hawaiian dance, and demonstrated them… Read the full story

Happy Valentine’s Day! With romance in the air, today is an especially affectionate day of love. It’s also the best time to share the love stories found in our families. Below is a sweet picture from the 1957 inaugural parade. At first glance, you may find it adorable for the capture of President Eisenhower with his grandchildren and Vice President Nixon with his children as they enjoy the parade together. However, it’s even sweeter when you realize the little boy, David… Read the full story

Happy Chinese New Year! Today, January 31st, marks the first day of the Year of the Horse on the lunar calendar, which is believed to bring prosperity and wealth. Also known as the Spring Festival or the Lunar New Year, the holiday is considered one of the most important traditional Chinese holidays, which holds a deep significance to families. Not solely confined to China, the Lunar New Year is celebrated across the world in countries and… Read the full story

Debra Jeanne Ryon-Weathers is from North Las Vegas, Nevada. She was born to Helen Jeanne Bay-Ryon-Jarviz and William Eugene Ryon. Debra’s parents met while her father was stationed at the Naval Base in Astoria, Oregon and married when Helen was only 14 years old. When she was three, her mother left the family and started a new life with Gene Jarvis. Her father became a fisherman and worked the sea from Astoria to Alaska in… Read the full story

Jennifer Lynn Young loves genealogy. Born in San Jose, California, Jennifer has held a variety of professions, from the graphic arts to owning a bookstore and her passion for genealogy has helped unite her many interests. She’s even working towards her certification as a genealogist, which she will complete this spring. At the family homestead, 1945 Her passion for genealogy didn’t begin with such enthusiasm at first. A proud fifth-generation Californian, Jennifer was always fascinated… Read the full story

Since the camera was first invented, people have always desired to capture special moments in time to remember for years to come. Capturing the perfect family photo can often be difficult, especially when you have very young children. Even at the best of times, trying to get a baby to hold still for a photo can be an almost impossible task. But in today’s world, you have the luxury of taking multiple digital photographs until… Read the full story

Today marks the 50th anniversary of President John F. Kennedy’s assassination. On November 22, 1963, President Kennedy was fatally shot by a sniper while traveling with his wife, Jacqueline, in an open motorcade in Dallas, Texas. Celebrated as one of the most beloved Presidents of the United States, his death shocked the entire nation. In honor of his memory, let’s take a look at his life and legacy as we remember him on the anniversary… Read the full story