2011

Boxing legend Muhammad Ali was born as Cassius Marcellus Clay, Jr. on January 17, 1942 in Louisville, Kentucky. In 1960, Ali won an Olympic gold medal in boxing after defeating Polish boxer Zbigniew Pietrzykowski. During his professional career, he became the first and only boxer to be named Wold Heavyweight Champion. In 2002, Ali received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame for his contributions to the entertainment industry. His star is the only… Read the full story

On July 19, 1848 the Seneca Falls Convention, opened in New York, launching the women’s right movement in the U.S. Organized by abolitionists Elizabeth Cady Stanton and Lucretia Mott, the convention was the first of its kind to be held in the United States.

The LA Latino International Film Festival started on Sunday, so today we’re happy to celebrate a few well known Latinos from Los Angeles. Antonio Villaraigosa, 41st Mayor of Los Angeles, is an LA native. Born to a father from Mexico and a mother of Mexican descent, Villaraigosa has strongly supported the latino community. Interestingly, his maternal grandparents both came over from Mexico in the early 1900s. Villaraigosa’s grandfather worked as a merchant in the LA area… Read the full story

On July 18, 1918 anti-apartheid activist Nelson Mandela was born. For his role in ending the apartheid regime, Mandela was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 1993. He made history in 1994 by becoming the first president of South Africa to be elected in a fully democratic election. Check out his family tree on Geni! Perhaps you can help connect him to our world family tree!

Do you have any ancestors who set sail in the service of the East India Company during the 17th to 19th centuries? Or do you have an interest in the people involved in these trade routes? You may want to check out this week’s highlighted project, Sellers & Sailors: The East India Companies project.

Excited for the last Harry Potter film? Check out author J.K. Rowling’s Geni profile!

As you build your family tree on Geni, you may want to research funeral home records to help supplement the information on your tree. Often overlooked in genealogy, funeral home records may contain information not found in death certificates or tombstones. They can offer great genealogical information and perhaps help you fill in some missing pieces.

Today is Bastille Day in France! Check out Maximilien de Robespierre’s profile on Geni!

On July 13, 1940, English actor Patrick Stewart was born. Stewart began his career as a Shakespearean theater actor and shot to fame as Captain Jean-Luc Picard in Star Trek: The Next Generation, which would prove to be his most iconic and beloved role of his career. Check out his family tree on Geni! Perhaps you can help add more information to link him to our world family tree!

[Download This Episode] [Subscribe in iTunes] [Subscribe in Your Favorite Podcatcher] In this episode, Thomas and Grant dicuss collateral and cluster searches in regards to genealogy. Learn how you can gain information about your ancestors by learning more about history.

Learn more about author Louisa May Alcott’s family tree on Geni!

On July 12, 1817 author and poet Henry David Thoreau was born. Although he is best known for his novel Walden, Thoreau was also a n accomplished philosopher and active abolitionist. His writings influenced many political leaders and reformers, including Mahatma Ghandi, President John F. Kennedy and Martin Luther King, Jr. Check out his family tree and see how you’re related!

Today marks the 244th anniversary of the birth of John Quincy Adams — Sixth President of the United States. But did you know he did much, much more in his career besides serve as President? He also served as: US Representitive Secretary of State Ambassador to the UK Ambassador to Russia Ambassador to Prussia State Senator of MA Any single one of the positions would make for an illustrious career. Truly, he was a massive… Read the full story

On Friday, July 8, former U.S. First Lady Betty Ford passed away. Take a look at her Geni profile.

This week we highlight the Spanish Conquistadors project. The term “Conquistador” refers to the Spanish and Portuguese explorers, soldiers and adventurers who brought much of the New World under the control of Spain and Portugal during the 16th century. This project aims to identify conquistadors on Geni, merge all duplicates and ensure the quality of data on each profile. If your interested in helping out, check out this project and join its collaborators!

On July 8, 1958, American actor Kevin Bacon was born. How are you related?

One of the most rewarding aspects of genealogy is learning about who your ancestors were as individuals. It’s important to remember that genealogy isn’t only about scouring through documents in libraries and online resources. Chances are you have a few heirlooms in your family. These items are a great place to begin learning more about your ancestors’ lives, while at the same time, getting your family more involved in their genealogy.

On July 7, 1940, English musician Ringo Starr was born in Liverpool, England. Starr achieved international fame as the drummer for The Beatles, the best-selling band in the history of popular music.

On July 6, 1907, Mexican painter Frida Kahlo was born.

Learn more about singer and actress Olivia Newton-John’s family tree on Geni!

Profile of the Day Profile of the Day: Diana, Princess of Wales Profile of the Day: Lena Horne Profile of the Day: Antoine de Saint-Exupery Profile of the Day: Archduke Franz Ferdinand Profile of the Day: Peter Falk Interesting Geni Blog Posts Featured Project: Signers of the Declaration of Independence Researching Bounty Land Warrants Free Geni Webinar Family Tree Tuesday – Aldous Huxley From the Genealogy Community Don’t Wait for the 1940 Census Don Grant,… Read the full story

Prince Albert II of Monaco and Charlene Lynette Wittstock were married on July 2, 2011 in a civil ceremony in the throne room of the palace in Monte Carlo.

Happy 4th of July, everyone! Today is a federal holiday here in the United States; a day dedicated to remembering the conceptual birth of America. Since many of us have today off, it’s a great time to read up about the history of Independence Day. As featured recently, we have a great project on Geni called Signers of the “Declaration of Independence”: Colonial America in 1776 Project. This is a great place to start, but… Read the full story

Monday July 4, the U.S. celebrates Independence Day to commemorate the adoption of the Declaration of Independence in 1776. Today’s featured project highlights those individuals who signed the document. Primarily written by Thomas Jefferson, the document announced the independence of the thirteen colonies from the rule of the British Empire. Check out this project to view the profiles of all the signers of the Declaration of Independence! If you want to help add information and… Read the full story

Today we remember Diana, Princess of Wales, who was born 50 years ago on July 1, 1961 in Sandringham, Norfolk, England.

Do you have an ancestor who served in an early American war? Your ancestor or their heirs may have been given free land, also known as bounty land, as a compensation for their services. Similar to pension records, bounty land warrants can offer genealogists valuable information to add to their family trees. Let’s take a look at what you might find. What are bounty land warrants? Issued by the federal government from 1776 to 1858,… Read the full story

Todight’s Webinar: Creating and working with Projects on Geni.com Tonight at 8:00 PM ET, we’ll will be hosting a free webinar that will show you how to successfully participate in and create Projects. Space is limited, so register for your spot now. Don’t wait! Don’t forget that we post every webinar we do at GeniWebinars.com for you to watch at your leisure.

On June 30, 1917 American Jazz singer and actress Lena Horne was born in Brooklyn, New York.

On June 29, 1900, French writer and aviator Antoine de Saint-Exupéry was born. He is perhaps best known for his novella, The Little Prince. Published in 1943, The Little Prince has been translated into more than 180 languages and has sold more than 80 million copies, making it one of the best selling books in history. During World War II, Saint-Exupéry joined the Free French Forces to fight the Axis powers. On July 31, 1944, Saint-Exupéry disappeared… Read the full story

Aldous Huxley was a prominent English writer best known for his dystopian novel, Brave New World. Well regarded within academic circles, many viewed him as a leader in modern thought. Huxley was born into a highly educated and prominent English family. Members of the Huxley Family found success in various fields, ranging from medicine and science to arts and literature. Huxley was born in Surrey, England to Leonard Huxley, a writer and schoolteacher, and Julia Arnold. His paternal… Read the full story

Geni Pro users can now edit public profiles!  (Read more on the blog…)  For more info on Pro accounts, click here.

Profile of the Day: Archduke Franz Ferdinand
On June 28, 1914 Archduke Franz Ferdinand, heir to the Austro-Hungarian throne, and his wife Sophie were assassinated by a Serbian nationalist.

Profile of the Day Profile of the Day: Sonia Sotomayor Profile of the Day: George Clooney Profile of the Day: Erich Maria Remarque Profile of the Day: Prince William, Duke of Cambridge Profile of the Day: Errol Flynn Interesting Geni Blog Posts Featured Project: Justices of the U.S. Supreme Court Special Census Records Public Editing for Pros Geni Podcast: Securing Your Genealogy Family Tree Tuesday – The Wright Brothers From the Genealogy Community EOGN Podcast:… Read the full story

Profile of the Day: Peter Falk http://www.geni.com/people/Peter-Falk/6000000013082121565

Today we highlighted U.S. Supreme Court Justice Sonia Sotomayer, the first Hispanic justice. In addition to that, we thought it’d be interesting to highlight the Justices of the U.S. Supreme Court project.  Established by the U.S. Constitution, the court convened for the first time in 1790. The U.S. Supreme Court is the highest court in the United States. Each associate justice is nominated by the President and confirmed by the Senate. There are currently 27 profiles… Read the full story

Tomorrow, June 25, U.S. Supreme Court Justice Sonia Sotomayor celebrates her 57th birthday.  Sotomayor’s nomination was confirmed in August 2009, making her the first Hispanic to serve on the Supreme Court. Check out her family tree! View Sonia Sotomayor’s Geni Profile

Every genealogist can attest to how valuable population census records are to genealogical research. But did you know that there are other types of census schedules out there? While these “special” schedules may not hold as much information as population schedules, they can often help supplement other sources and point you into new directions. Let’s take a brief look at a few of the other types of U.S. census schedules: Agriculture Schedules Agriculture schedules can… Read the full story

  (Update 6/30/2011:  There is some confusion about the scope of this feature.  Only public, unclaimed profiles can be edited by Pro users).   Geni’s goal is to build a single family tree of the world. We believe that millions of users working together is the best way to create an accurate and complete world family tree. Of course, working with other users mean that you get some bad information, along with the good. This… Read the full story

George Clooney Oscar winning actor and director George Clooney has found great success both on screen and off. He is best known for his roles on the television show ER and movies such as Ocean’s Eleven, Syriana and Good Night, and Good Luck which he co-wrote and directed. Clooney has also devoted much of his time to his humanitarian work, raising awareness for the conflict in Darfur and raising funds for several recent natural disasters throughout the world. Check out George… Read the full story

[Download This Episode] [Subscribe in iTunes] [Subscribe in Your Favorite Podcatcher] Geni Podcast: Securing Your Genealogy by Geni, Inc. In this episode, Thomas MacEntee and Grant Brunner discuss making sure that your genealogy is secure. We don’t want to lose any of our hard work, so listen to some of these great tips about security. Show Notes: How should I preserve original documents and photos for future generations? Preserving documents and photos is getting more… Read the full story

Profile of the Day: Erich Maria Remarque http://www.geni.com/people/Erich-Maria-Remarque/6000000010764509598

Orville and Wilbur Wright were two American aviation pioneers, who are credited with inventing the worlds first successful airplane. On December 17, 1903 the brothers succeeded in making the first controlled, powered and sustained heavier-than-air human flight.  In 1906, Orville and Wilbur were granted a patent for their “Flying Machine.” The brothers grew up in a close household, which fostered their creativity.  Their success was widely influenced by the support they received from their family. Their… Read the full story

On June 21, 1982, Prince William, Duke of Cambridge was born at St. Mary’s Hospital in London. He is the first heir to the British throne to be born in a hospital. Check out his family tree and see how you’re related! View Prince William, Duke of Cambridge’s Geni Profile

Profile of the Day Profile of the Day: Edward I, King of England Profile of the Day: Henry Ford Profile of the Day: Courteney Cox Profile of the Day: Betsy Ross Profile of the Day: Roy Orbison Interesting Geni Blog Posts Happy Father’s Day Featured Project: The War of 1812 Do You Have a Criminal in Your Family Tree? Colorado Family History Expo June 24th-25th Geni Podcast: Interview with Noah Tutak and Charles Edmonds Jamboree… Read the full story

On June 20, 1909, actor Errol Flynn was born. On screen, he was known for his romantic swashbuckler roles. While off screen, Flynn was known for his flamboyant lifestyle in Hollywood. In 1960, he received two stars on the Hollywood Walk of Fame for his contributions to film and television. View Errol Flynn’s Geni Profile

Tomorrow, June 18, marks the anniversary of the beginning of the War of 1812. Just 29 years after the American Revolutionary War, the United States declared war on the British Empire in reaction to the Empire’s economic blockade of France and the forceful induction of American sailors into the British Royal Navy. Do you have any ancestors who fought in the War of 1812? Add them to this project and see how you can connect… Read the full story

On June 17, 1239 Edward I was born at the Palace of Westminster. He was known as Edward the Longshanks for his tall physique. During his reign, he strengthened the authority of the crown and established parliament as a permanent institution. How are you related? View Edward I, King of England’s Geni Profile

Discovered that your ancestor has disappeared from public records for a period of time? Wonder why your family doesn’t want to talk about a certain ancestor’s past? If you’ve heard stories or rumors in your family about an ancestor’s criminal activities, you may want to investigate those claims further by finding documentation. Criminal records make a fascinating resource for genealogical information. What types of criminal records are there? Police report/arrest records Court records Probation records Execution records… Read the full story

Heading into Father’s Day in the United States, we thought it would be fun to pull some interesting facts about fatherhood from the World Family Tree and share them with you in this infographic. Here’s to dads everywhere!

On June 16, 1903 the Ford Motor Company was incorporated. Founded by Henry Ford, the company is now one of the largest auto makers in the world. By implementing the assembly line technique of mass production, Henry Ford revolutionized the automobile industry and became one of the richest men in the world. How are you related? View Henry Ford’s Geni Profile