April 2011

The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame was established in 1986 to record the history of the most influential musical artists in the world. These artists include individual performers, bands and producers who have made significant impacts in the music industry. This project aims to add the family trees all the members of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame to Geni. Are you interested in the genealogy of some of the greatest musicians in… Read the full story

Profiles of the Day: Prince William and Kate Middleton

Have you discovered that your ancestor was an inventor? Did you know that their patent records can provide you with some great genealogical information?  Let’s take a look at how patents can be an excellent genealogy resource! Genealogical information found in patent records include: First and last name of the inventor Each patent in the U.S. must contain the first and last name of the inventor or co-inventors and their address. You may be able… Read the full story

Profile of the Day: James Monroe http://www.geni.com/people/James-Monroe-5th-President-of-the-USA/4239120304610034677

With the wedding of Prince William and Kate Middleton this week, it is a good time to discuss the genealogy of the royal family. Of course, the House of Windsor‘s history is very well known, so we can easily find how they’re related to over fifty million people on the big tree. Let’s step back a second, and just look at some interesting data we’ve found regarding the royal couple.     William’s Family Princess… Read the full story

[Download This Episode] [Subscribe in iTunes] [Subscribe in Your Favorite Podcatcher] Podcast Topics: • Why is it important to Digitize Photos and Scanning Document? • What tools are good for processing those scanned images? • Sharing them online with Geni. • Tagging, descriptions, etc. Find out more about A.C. Ivory.

Profile of the Day: Samuel Morse http://www.geni.com/people/Prof-Samuel-Morse-inventor-of-the-code/6000000010908940959

Jesse James was an infamous American outlaw of the Wild West. He is portrayed in American folklore as a Robin Hood-like figure, stealing from the rich and giving to the poor. During the Civil War, Jesse and his brother Frank fought as Confederate guerrilla soldiers. After the war, they joined up with Cole Younger and his brothers to form the James-Younger Gang. The gang carried out a string of robberies, robbing banks, stagecoaches and trains…. Read the full story

Today, we present a guest post about the possibilities of genetic genealogy by Andrea Badger. A while back, I briefly wrote about Relative Finder, a service offered by the DNA company 23andme. This program is able to search for segments of DNA that you share with other customers in the database. These shared segments of DNA imply a common ancestor – these people are your genetic relatives. When I first got my 23andme results over… Read the full story

Profile of the Day: John James Audubon http://www.geni.com/people/John-James-Audubon/6000000012366233513

Profile of the Day: William Shakespeare http://www.geni.com/people/William-Shakespeare/6000000003051311313

Profile of the Day Al Gore Queen Elizabeth II Marie Curie Grace Kelly Paul Revere Interesting Geni Blog Posts Geni Podcast: Starting Genealogy the Right Way Featured Project: Freemasons of America Geni Podcast: Engaging with the Genealogy Community Fraternal Organization Records and Genealogy Geni Podcast: A User’s Perspective with Don Otvos Family Tree Tuesday – Anthony Perkins How To: Use Revisions on Profiles Guest Post: Collaboration, A Lost Butcher, and Family History The Historical Significance… Read the full story

[Download This Episode] [Subscribe in iTunes] [Subscribe in Your Favorite Podcatcher] Today, we sit down with A.C. Ivory of Find My Ancesor to talk about doing genealogy the right way. Topics: • Getting people excited about genealogy • Why should we care about genealogy? • What benefits are there for my parents, siblings, children? • Tools for transcribing family history (Dictation, OCR, video, audio) Products we discussed: • Dragon Dictation Don’t forget that you can… Read the full story

Yesterday we gave you tips on using fraternal organization records in genealogy. Today we highlight the Freemasons in America project. The Freemasons have played an integral part in the early history of America. Some of the most prominent members of this fraternal organization include U.S. presidents, CEOs and actors.  If you’re interested in learning more about Freemasons in America, check out this project. Perhaps you may want to join the project’s contributers and add more… Read the full story

Profile of the Day: Al Gore http://www.geni.com/people/Albert-A-Gore-Jr-45th-Vice-President-of-the-USA/6000000003626809721

[Download This Episode] [Subscribe in iTunes] [Subscribe in Your Favorite Podcatcher] Show Notes: Interacting with the Genealogy Community How I get started with genealogy blogging? First, you need to realize that there are really two entry points to the world of genealogy blogging. One entry point is using genealogy blogs for research.  This means you are a reader of genealogy blogs and like any resource you access them via Google or other search engines.  Google… Read the full story

While researching your family history, you wonder what an acronym in your ancestors’ records or a symbol on their tombstone signifies. It’s possible that your ancestor was a member of a fraternal organization. While the practices and ceremonies of these types of organizations are secretive, you will find that many people will identify themselves in some way that they are a member of an exclusive organization. These membership organizations have been around throughout history and… Read the full story

Profile of the Day: Queen Elizabeth II http://www.geni.com/people/Queen-Elizabeth-II/6000000003075071669

[Download This Episode] [Subscribe in iTunes] [Subscribe in Your Favorite Podcatcher] Today we sit down with Don Otvos to talk about why Geni is so compelling to him. He tells a great story about connecting with long lost relatives, and how Geni helped them collaborate with each other. If you’re interested in learning more about what you can do with Geni, take a moment to listen to what Don has to say. I think you’ll… Read the full story

Profile of Day: Marie Curie http://www.geni.com/people/Maria-Sk%C5%82odowska-Curie/4754071530090030120

Anthony Perkins (1932-1992) was an American actor best known for his role as Norman Bates in Alfred Hitchcock’s Psycho. In 1957, Perkins received an Academy Award nomination for best supporting actor for is role in the film, Friendly Persuasion. In recognition of his contributions to the film industry, Perkins received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. Perkins was born in New York City to Janet Esselstyn Rane and Osgood Perkins. His father was a prominent American… Read the full story

Profile revisions are a vital part of the Geni experience. When you collaborate on the world family tree, you’ll be editing the information other people entered. Just the same, other family members and collaborators will be working on data you put into the tree. Keeping track of the revision history will make it clear what was changed, and who changed it. To look at the revisions on any given profile, go to the Revisions tab…. Read the full story

Profile of the Day: Grace Kelly http://www.geni.com/people/Grace-Kelly/5163142858250067644

This is a guest post from Neil O’Callaghan. He generously takes a moment to explain why collaborative genealogy has so positively affected him. The Benefit of Collaborative Genealogy Ok, my cousin Randy is a very interesting guy. He lives in LA, fabled city of the world’s most powerful medium, film, since the 1920s, home to the music megastars like Neil Young and Steely Dan that populated my dreams since I was a teenager, not to… Read the full story

Profile of the Day Jackie Robinson John Steinbeck Tiger Woods Harry S. Truman Winston Churchill Interesting Geni Blog Posts Featured Project: Great Aviators How To: Print Your Tree Geni Podcast: Mobile Genealogy Cit Directories New Geni Feature: New Marriage and Birth Reordering Interface New Geni Feature: Disable Automatically Generated Last Names How To: Use Tree Matches Family Tree Tuesday – Abraham Lincoln Geni Podcast: Interview with Pierre Clouthier of Progeny Genealogy Geni Podcast: Interview with… Read the full story

The third Monday of April is Patriots’ Day — a holiday in Massachusetts and Maine that marks the beginning of the American Revolutionary War. 236 years ago, the shot heard ’round the world was fired, and that started the battles of Lexington and Concord. Today, we commemorate all of the people who risked everything for the freedom of all Americans. If you’re interested in learning more about the people that took part in the American… Read the full story

Profile of the Day: Paul Revere http://www.geni.com/people/Paul-Revere/6000000003938177401

[Download This Episode] [Subscribe in iTunes] [Subscribe in Your Favorite Podcatcher] Show Notes: Why should I involved my family in my genealogy research? While many families enjoy working with each other to discover their ancestry and trace their heritage, very often it takes some convincing to get started on the journey. Here are some reasons why you might want to involve a variety of family members on your research: Family members are good sources of… Read the full story

We were lucky enough to be given a tour of the Museum of Tolerance in Los Angeles by Sunny Lee-Goodman, Director, Tools for Tolerance® for Law Enforcement. This guest post is written by her: The Museum of Tolerance, the only museum of its kind in the world, is the educational arm of the Simon Wiesenthal Center, an internationally renowned human rights organization dedicated to promoting respect and mutual understanding, through education, community partnerships , and… Read the full story

Today we feature the Great Aviators project. In this project are some of the most notable aviators in history. There are currently 36 profiles included. Perhaps you may want to add more great aviators to Geni! Here’s a look at a few of the profiles included: Howard Hughes – He was an American aviator, engineer, film producer, philanthropist and one of the wealthiest people in the world. He set multiple world air-speed records and built… Read the full story

Printing your tree with Geni is very easy. We have two methods of going about it: Order a professional print job or print it yourself on your home printer. Let’s start with how to order a print. In the tree view, you’ll see a series of buttons in the lower right-hand corner. Click on the printer icon. You’ll be brought to this screen. Click the green “Start a Tree Poster” button to begin. Now you’ll… Read the full story

Profile of the Day: Jackie Robinson http://www.geni.com/people/Jackie-Robinson/6000000012255474287

[Download This Episode] [Subscribe in iTunes] [Subscribe in Your Favorite Podcatcher] In this episode, we sit down with A.C. Ivory of Find My Ancestor to discuss his expertise: Mobile Genealogy. From iPhones, cameras, and laptops to pencils and notebooks, getting away from your desk can really help you get to the information you’ve been looking to find. A.C. will explain the benefits of non-traditional genealogy. As for the Geni iPhone app, keep an eye out… Read the full story

City directories are one of the most often overlooked resources in genealogy. However, this resource is actually filled with very useful information for your genealogy research. Since city directories were published annually, they are an excellent way to track down the location of your ancestors in between census records. Here’s a quick look at how city directories can help you in your family tree research: What can I find in city directories? Your ancestors’ surname… Read the full story

Profile of the Day: John Steinbeck http://www.geni.com/people/John-Ernst-Steinbeck/6000000002814086158

Keeping immediate family chronology in order can be difficult when you’re dealing with profiles that have many spouses or siblings. With a new interface released today on Geni, you can update the order simply by dragging and dropping. Here’s how: In the tree view, edit the profile you’d like to update. Go to the relationship tab, and you’ll see the current order of the spouses. To update the order, click the “Change Marriage Order” link…. Read the full story

Naming conventions can be very different between cultures. Our last name pre-population is based on common American traditions, but we realize that it doesn’t work for every user. As of today, Geni now allows you to turn off the automatic generation of the last name field on new profiles. Here’s how: In the tree view, go to the Preferences tab, and then go to the Names section. Now check the box that says “Do not… Read the full story

Finding your family’s information on Geni couldn’t be easier. With our tree matches, we do the hard part for you. Here’s how it works: When you’re navigating your tree, you’ll probably come across a few of these magnifying glasses. They signify that the profile in question has a potential match. If you’re a Geni Pro member, you can click on the magnifying glass to take you to the comparison page. Alternately, you can jump right… Read the full story

Profile of the Day: Tiger Woods http://www.geni.com/people/Tiger-Woods/6000000010281654792

On April 12, 1861, South Carolina used force remove the U.S. army from their facilities in Charleston. Known as the Battle of Fort Sumter, it marked the beginning of the American Civil War.  Two days after the battle, President Abraham Lincoln called for thousands of volunteers to crush the Southern rebellion.  Four years later, the Confederate forces were defeated by the Union army. Through his leadership and resolve, Lincoln successfully preserved the Union and brought an… Read the full story

Profile of the Day: Harry S. Truman http://www.geni.com/people/Harry-S-Truman-33rd-President-of-the-USA/6000000000264958780

[Download This Episode] [Subscribe in iTunes] [Subscribe in Your Favorite Podcatcher] Today, I sit down with Pierre Clouthier of Progeny Genealogy to discuss the introduction of the Geni Charting Companion for Microsoft Windows for $24.95 USD. As seen earlier on the blog, the Charting Companion gives you many options for visualizing your family tree. If you’re interested in genealogy charts, give this episode a listen.

[Download This Episode] [Subscribe in iTunes] [Subscribe in Your Favorite Podcatcher] Today, we sit down with Matt Johnston of Tpstry.com to discuss the integration of Geni into the Tpstry service using our API. With a few clicks, you can easily import your family tree into Tpstry, and start gathering family history information using the unique question and answer interface. Tpstry is a free service, so head over, register, import your Geni family tree, and start… Read the full story

Profile of the Day: Winston Churchill http://www.geni.com/people/Sir-Winston-Churchill-Prime-Minister-of-the-United-Kingdom/6000000003222187286

Profile of the Day Ashley Judd Ulysses S. Grant Isaac Asimov Pocahontas Francis Drake Interesting Geni Blog Posts How To: Customize Your Tree Display Featured Project: New and Modern Masters How To: Remove Relationships Understanding Probate Records Geni Podcast: Citing Your Sources Progeny Genealogy’s Geni Charting Companion Now Available Family Tree Tuesday – Henry Ford Geni Contest Winners for April 5th, 2011 General Colin Powell’s Family Tree A.C. Ivory: Genealogy on the Go Anniversary of… Read the full story

Geni offers the best family tree experience anywhere. Part of what makes it so great is it’s customizability. Here’s a simple walkthrough on how to make your tree display the way that works for you:

This week we feature the New and Modern Masters project. This project is comprised of the great painters from the mid 19th century to the present. (For great painters from the mid 13th to mid 19th century, check out the Old Masters project). If you’re interested, you may want to join the project’s collaborators and add more notable modern painters to Geni! Here’s a look at a few of the profiles included: Andy Warhol –… Read the full story

Profile of the Day: Ashley Judd http://www.geni.com/people/Ashley-Judd/6000000002447366540

Sometimes relationships between two profiles are made by mistake. With the tools available to you with Geni, it’s easy to remove relationship while leaving the profile in tact. Here’s how: Relationship removal is a pro-only feature (With the exception of splitting a cycle). If you’d like to remove a relationship, you can always start a free trial of Geni Pro.

Probate records are an excellent source of genealogical information. Today, let’s take a closer look at probate records and how they can help enrich your genealogy research. What are probate records? Probate records are documents compiled by a court after someone has died regarding the division of their estate. Among some of the documents you may find in your ancestor’s probate records are: A death certificate Will Guardian ship petitions for minor children List of heirs… Read the full story