2011

On June 15, 1964 actress Courteney Cox was born. She is perhaps best known for her role as Monica Gellar in the hugely successful sitcom Friends. Today, Cox can be found starring in the comedy, Cougar Town, for which she received her first Golden Globe nomination. Check out her family tree and see how you’re related! View Courteney Cox’s Geni Profile

The Colorado Family History Expo is being held June 24th-25th in Loveland, CO. Geni will be there in full force, so we want to see you there. If you’ll be attending this show, please stop by the Geni booth for some great free swag, Geni demos, and special offers. If you won’t be able to make it to the Colorado FHE show, stay tuned to our Facebook and Twitter accounts for all the details from… Read the full story

Betsy Ross was an American seamstress and upholsterer who has been widely credited with making the first American flag. Because of this, she is one of the most notable women related to the American Revolutionary War. Take a look at her tree to see if you’re related to her. View Betsy Ross’s Geni Profile

[Download This Episode] [Subscribe in iTunes] [Subscribe in Your Favorite Podcatcher] Show Notes: In this episode, Grant sits down with two members of the Geni team: Noah Tutak and Charles Edmonds. Noah, the CEO of Geni, Inc. lets us in on how he got introduced to Geni, and some of his favorite features. Charles, the Customer Service Manager, lets users know how to go about getting help and information. This episode is jam-packed with information,… Read the full story

From Friday the 10th until Sunday the 12th, we were out in full effect at SCGS’s Jamboree 2011. We had a great booth filled with free swag and conference specials. Also, we were proud to sponsor an incredibly fun Ice Cream Social for GeneaBloggers. Don’t forget that we’ll be at the Loveland, Colorado Family History Expo. If you’ll be in the area, you’ll be able to meet the Geni team as well as get some… Read the full story

Profile of the Day Profile of the Day: Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh Profile of the Day: Diane Lane Profile of the Day: Frank Lloyd Wright Profile of the Day: Louis XIV Profile of the Day: Dwight D. Eisenhower Interesting Geni Blog Posts Geni Podcast: AncestorSync Naturalization Records Babies in Geni Onesies Family Tree Tuesday – Elvis Presley From the Genealogy Community Amy Coffin’s four-part Jamboree recap: 1, 2, 3, 4 Randy Seaver’s four-part Jamboree… Read the full story

Profile of the Day: Roy Orbison http://www.geni.com/people/Roy-Orbison/6000000012909541570

[Download This Episode] [Subscribe in iTunes] [Subscribe in Your Favorite Podcatcher] Show Notes: In this episode, Grant sits down with Dovy and Earl of Real-Time Collaboration to discuss their brand new product: AncestorSync. If you’re interested in learning about how to sync your data between your desktop client and Geni.com, listen on. These folks have a lot to offer in this episode. You’ll learn a lot.

Profile of the Day: Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh http://www.geni.com/people/Prince-Philip-Duke-of-Edinburgh/6000000003075171096

Naturalization records are an important resource for genealogists. These records hold valuable information not only about their names and ages, but also where they came from. They provide important clues that may lead you to new paths and discoveries. Let’s take a brief look at what information naturalization records hold. Declaration of Intentions In the first steps toward naturalization, your ancestor would need to file a declaration of intentions, also known as “First Papers.” These… Read the full story

At genealogy shows, we love to give out Geni onesies to parents, grandparents, uncles, and aunts. All we ask in return is that those family members send us a picture of their little one in the onesie. Today, we’re showcasing the first picture we received. As more come in, we’re happy to show them off to all of you. If you have pictures of your baby in a Geni onsie, don’t hesitate to e-mail it… Read the full story

Profile of the Day: Diane Lane http://www.geni.com/people/Diane-Lane/6000000008914885639

Profile of the Day: Frank Lloyd Wright http://www.geni.com/people/Frank-Lloyd-Wright/359887443050007456

On June 7, 1982, Graceland, the former home of legendary musician Elvis Presley, was opened to the public. Referred to as the “King of Rock and Roll,” Presley revolutionized the music industry and is perhaps one of the most important cultural icons of the 20th century. He has been inducted to four music halls of fame, including the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1986. In 1935, Elvis was born in Tupelo, Mississippi to Vernon… Read the full story

Profile of the Day: Louis XIV http://www.geni.com/people/Louis-XIV-Roi-de-France-et-Navarre/6000000000842131607

Profile of the Day Angelina Jolie George Orwell Helen Keller Audie Murphy Interesting Geni Blog Posts Geni Podcast: Helping Others with Genealogy Featured Project: Salem Witch Trials Tamura Jones Previews AncestorSync School Records as a Genealogy Resource Family Tree Tuesday – Emily Dickinson From the Genealogy Community Better Than Soundex This Is The Face of Genealogy DNA Day at the Clayton Genealogy Library They Did Not Photoshop Their Birth Record Ask an Archivist Day on… Read the full story

Profile of the Day: Dwight D. Eisenhower http://www.geni.com/people/Dwight-D-Eisenhower-34th-President-of-the-USA/6000000003055068438

[Download This Episode] [Subscribe in iTunes] [Subscribe in Your Favorite Podcatcher] Show Notes: Why should I help others with their genealogy? For me the question is more “why not help others with their genealogy?” Most of us had some sort of mentor or person who welcomed us into the world of genealogy whether it was a relative, a librarian, or a staff member at a Family History Center. I can’t say why it seems that… Read the full story

Do you have an ancestor who was involved in the Salem witch trials? This week we highlight the Salem Witch Trials: Colonial America in 1692 project. The goal of this project is to discover our ancestors involved in the notorious “Salem Witch Trials,” validate their family trees and our own connections to them, and create quality, genealogically valid mini biographies for the Profiles. If you’re interested in helping out, join the project’s collaborators! Perhaps you may… Read the full story

If you’re interested in learning more about the very exciting product from Real-Time Collaboration called AncestorSync, you’ll want to read the in-depth AncestorSync Preview by Tamura Jones. This long-form preview really shows off how impressive the technology is. If you’re a user of desktop software, Geni, or both, you should be very excited about the possibilities of AncestorSync. Also of note, Dovy (of Real-Time Collaboration fame) and I recently did a webinar showing off some… Read the full story

Profile of the Day: Angelina Jolie http://www.geni.com/people/Angelina-Jolie/6000000002742902340

When researching your genealogy, school records may not be one of the first resources that come to mind. However, you may be surprised to realize how information found in school records can help supplement your research with other documented sources. They can even provide clues to other areas to search. Let’s take a look at how school records can help you. Record of attendance Teachers often wrote notes recording why a student was absent for… Read the full story

Profile of the Day: George Orwell http://www.geni.com/people/Eric-Arthur-Blair-George-Orwell/6000000001510467133

Profile of the Day: Helen Keller http://www.geni.com/people/Helen-Keller/6000000006811385682

Profile of the Day Profile of the Day: Vincent Price Profile of the Day: Bram Stoker Profile of the Day: Oprah Winfrey Profile of the Day: Queen Victoria Profile of the Day: Douglas Fairbanks Interesting Geni Blog Posts Geni Podcast: The Problem with GEDCOM Featured Project: U.S. Civil War Notables Your Family Bible Family Tree Tuesday – Christopher Reeve Come See The Geni Team at Jamboree June 10-12 Free Webinar this Friday: How to use… Read the full story

American poet Emily Dickinson lived in Amherst, Massachusetts for most of her life. While much of the public was unaware of her writings during her lifetime, Dickinson gained significant prominence after her death. Today, she is one of the most celebrated writers of the 19th century. Her writing style and unconventional use of capitalization and punctuation were unique for the era in which she wrote. Because she lived much of her life in seclusion, Dickinson… Read the full story

Profile of the Day: Audie Murphy http://www.geni.com/people/Audie-Murphy/6000000002062280945

[Download This Episode] [Subscribe in iTunes] [Subscribe in Your Favorite Podcatcher] Show Notes: Transferring Your Genealogy Database Data Many of us use genealogy database programs such as Legacy Family Tree, RootsMagic or Family Tree Maker to track our genealogy research and data. These programs often require and installation on your computer and a proprietary data file format is used. However, there are methods you can use to transfer data between these programs.  Why would you… Read the full story

On Monday, May 30, the U.S. will celebrate Memorial Day, which honors the men and women who have lost their lives while in military service to the United States. Originally conceived to remember the fallen Union and Confederate soldiers of the U.S. Civil War, after World War I, the observance was extended to include all American soldiers who have died in the service of the country. Today, we highlight the U.S. Civil War Notables and… Read the full story

Profile of the Day: Vincent Price http://www.geni.com/people/Vincent-Price/6000000004138493752

While census records and other official documents are excellent resources for your ancestor’s vital information, none compare to having your family Bible in your possession. Family Bibles provide not only great genealogical information, but also offer an intimate connection with your ancestors. Contained in these Bibles are family records written in the hands of your own relatives and passed on from generation to generation. What can I find in my family Bible? You will find… Read the full story

Profile of the Day: Bram Stoker http://www.geni.com/people/Abraham-Bram-Stoker/6000000010663773201

Profile of the Day: Oprah Winfrey http://www.geni.com/people/Oprah-Winfrey/6000000009948468501

Christopher Reeve Christopher Reeve was an American actor, director, screenwriter and author. Although he played many diverse roles throughout his career, he is perhaps best remembered for his portrayal of Superman in four feature films. After a horse riding accident resulted in him becoming a quadriplegic, Reeve spent much of the later part of his life as an advocate of stem cell research. He founded the Christopher and Dana Reeve Foundation, which is dedicated to… Read the full story

June 10th through the 12, the Southern California Genealogical Society will be holding this year’s Jamboree in Burbank, CA. Geni will be there in full force. We’re based out of LA, so we’ll be making sure everyone has a good time. If you want to get some face time with the Geni staff, this is your best opportunity of the year. If you’re not already registered, please make sure you take care of that as… Read the full story

Profile of the Day: Queen Victoria http://www.geni.com/people/Queen-Victoria-of-the-United-Kingdom/6000000008852088113

No more need for messy GEDCOM import/export where data gets mangled and lost. Let AncestorSync and Geni be your seamless interface for moving your family tree data anywhere you would like without losing any of your important data. Sources, photos, and documents are all kept in tact. Best of all, AncetorSync will keep your desktop software in sync with Geni.com automatically. GEDCOM is so yesterday. At 8:00 PM ET on May 27th, Geni.com will be… Read the full story

Profile of the Day: Douglas Fairbanks http://www.geni.com/people/Douglas-Fairbanks-Sr/6000000006839568160

Profile of the Day Profile of the Day: Levi Strauss Profile of the Day: Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis Profile of the Day: Napoleon Bonaparte Profile of the Day: Johnny Depp Profile of the Day: Joan of Arc Interesting Geni Blog Posts Featured Project: Age of Discovery (1200-1600) What is a Gazetteer? Winners of the Family Tree Magazine and Geni Giveaway Family Tree Tuesday – Katharine Hepburn Free Webinar: Collaborative Genealogy on Geni.com Create Charts with Geni… Read the full story

Today we highlight the Age of Discovery project. The years between 1200-1600 were known as Europe’s Age of Discovery. During this time, Europeans engaged in heavy exploration of the world, established contact with other continents and people and proceeded to map the world. This overseas expansion lead to the rise of colonial empires and the establishment of new trade routes. These routes allowed for the exchange of exotic goods, culture and peoples (slaves). Check out the early… Read the full story

Profile of the Day: Levi Strauss http://www.geni.com/people/Loeb-Levi-Strauss/6000000007400348419

Using historic maps as a resource in genealogy can be very valuable, however, sometimes you may discover that the town or village you are searching for is not on the map. Did you know you can also use gazetteers to help you locate places where your ancestors may have lived? If you’re unfamiliar with gazetteers, here’s a brief look at what they are and how they are useful to genealogists. What is a gazetteer? A… Read the full story

Profile of the Day: Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis http://www.geni.com/people/Jacqueline-Bouvier/6000000003098416206

We are proud to announce the winners of the Family Tree Magazine and Geni Facebook giveaway. Grand prize: Sadie Morgan Second prize: Kim Cotton Lori Pilla Laura Ramsay We will attempt to contact all of the winners as soon as possible. Thanks so much for taking the time to enter.

Profile of the Day: Napoleon Bonaparte http://www.geni.com/people/Napol%C3%A9on-I-Emperor-of-the-French/6000000000350860821

Academy award winning actress Katharine Hepburn is hailed as one of the greatest actresses in film history. Hepburn holds the record for the most Oscar wins, with a total of 4 wins out of 12 nominations. Hepburn was born on May 12, 1907 in Hartford, Connecticut to a wealthy family. Her father, Thomas Hepburn, was a prominent surgeon and Connecticut’s first urologists. He co-founded the American Social Hygiene Association, which was dedicated to educating the public about… Read the full story

We’re very excited to announce that our first Webinar will be held today at 7:30 PM ET at GeniWebinars.com. Go there to register, and you’ll be walked through how to connect to the Webinar quickly and easily. In this webinar, you’ll be shown how collaborative genealogy works, and why it’s so important. Don’t hesitate to join in. It’s free!

Profile of the Day: Johnny Depp http://www.geni.com/people/Johnny-Depp/6000000005384950154

We’re very proud to announce that TreeSeek is now completely integrated with Geni. You can now log in with your Geni account, and make some really great charts of your family tree for free. It’s simple and fast, so here’s how you do it: Step 1: Log in with your Geni.com credentials. Step 2: Create your tree by picking a profile to center on. For example, you’re the central person by default. Step 3: Pick… Read the full story

We spent the last week in Charleston, South Carolina at NGS 2011. Hundreds of free Geni tees, onesies, thumb drives, and brochures later, we’re all back safely in good ol’ Los Angeles. Also, we were very pleased to be demoing AncestorSync with the SharingTime folks. You’ll be learning much more about that project in the coming weeks. Very exciting stuff coming out. If you’re interested in seeing Geni’s booth in person, come see us at… Read the full story