2011

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

Profile of the Day: Ulysses S. Grant http://www.geni.com/people/Ulysses-S-Grant-18th-President-of-the-USA/6000000010349137529

[Download This Episode] [Subscribe in iTunes] [Subscribe in Your Favorite Podcatcher] Show Notes: Collaborative Genealogy What does “citing your sources” mean? When you perform genealogy research, you work with sources such as a database, a book, a newspaper article, or even a website.  These are all sources of information. When you locate information that can substantiate the facts about your family history (a birth date, a death location, etc.), you should cite not only the… Read the full story

The folks at Progeny Genealogy have a product called Charting Companion. It takes the information from your family tree, and allows you to make a wide variety of charts. Available now is a version that will read your data directly from Geni. If you’ve been dying to print out different visual representations of your family tree, this application is for you. It has fan charts, pedigree charts, hourglass charts, and many more. You can buy… Read the full story

Profile of the Day: Isaac Asimov http://www.geni.com/people/Isaac-Asimov/6000000010837269793

Henry Ford was an American industrialist and founder of the Ford Motor Company. By implementing the assembly line technique of mass production, Ford revolutionized the automobile industry. This new business technique was called “Fordism,” the mass production of inexpensive goods in conjunction with high wages for workers. Ford would become one of the richest men in the world. Ford was born on July 30, 1863 on a family farm in Michigan to William Ford and Mary Litogot and… Read the full story

Last week, we ran a contest to give away three 12-month pro accounts on the blog. Today, I’lm pleased to name the winners: Mindy Bass Aaron Dobbs David Wongs Congratulations, all three of you. You 12-month pro accounts are now active. If you didn’t win this time, don’t worry. We’ll be holding many more contests in the coming months. Keep an eye on the blog, twitter, and facebook.

Seventy-four years ago, Colin Powell was born in New York City to immigrants from Jamaica. He went on to become a Four-Star General in the US Army, the National Security Advisor, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, and the Secretary of State. This incredible man was the first African-American person to serve on the Joint Chiefs of Staff, and he was the first African-American to be appointed Secretary of State. Today, we celebrate General… Read the full story

Profile of the Day: Pocahontas http://www.geni.com/people/Matoaka-Powhatan/6000000005385138952

A.C. Ivory of Find My Ancestor has a lot of great insights into the world of mobile genealogy. He’s graciously agreed to write guests posts for the Geni Blog, so sit back, and enjoy: Do you remember the days in your genealogy research when you would have to gather all your family group sheets, photo copies of documents and everything else you kept in your binders full of genealogy to go to the Family History… Read the full story

Martin Luther King, Jr. has become a symbol of peace and tolerance in the United States. Forty-three years ago, he was assassinated in Memphis, Tennessee. Today, we honor the man by remembering him and his family legacy. Dr. King’s four children (Yolanda, Martin, Dexter, and Bernice) and his wife Coretta have all continued promoting his goals of equality and nonviolence. We would love to see Dr. King and his family connected to the world family… Read the full story

Profile of the Day: Francis Drake http://www.geni.com/people/Vice-Admiral-Sir-Francis-Drake/6000000006086120867

Profile of the Day Gwyneth Paltrow Rene Descartes Ronald Reagan Claude Monet Mary Pickford Interesting Geni Blog Posts Look Who’s Related: Benjamin Franklin & The Co-Founder of the Pony Express The History of the Pony Express Featured Project: Prominent Scientists: (ii) Medicine & Life Sciences Using the Chinese Exclusion Act Records in Genealogy Profile Options have Moved Geni Podcast: Collaborative Genealogy American Civil War Genealogy More Bloggers Participating in the Geni Giveaway How To: See… Read the full story

Among the many hats that he wore, Benjamin Franklin was the United States’ first Postmaster General. Eighty-five years later, William Hepburn Russell co-founded the Pony Express. That alone is an interesting tidbit, but did you know that Benjamin Franklin and William Russell were actually distant cousins? Here’s how: This is a great example of the benefit of being connected to the world family tree. If you can find a better relationship path, we’d love for… Read the full story

This weekend marks the 151st anniversary of the beginning of the Pony Express. Operating from April 3, 1860 until October 1861, it was the best way to send mail to and from California. Despite it’s extremely short lifespan, it has become a substantial part of American history. Today, I want to showcase the Geni profiles of four influential members of the pony express. Buffalo Bill’s Profile on Geni William Hepburn Russell’s Profile on Geni William… Read the full story

Interested in researching notable scientists in history? Check out this week’s featured project, Prominent Scientists: (ii) Medicine & Life Sciences. This project aims to organize and build the family trees for the scientists who have made major contributions to the fields of medicine and other life sciences. Perhaps you may want to join the project’s collaborators and add more profiles to the project! Are you related to any of the profiles included? Here’s a peek… Read the full story

Profile of the Day: Gwyneth Paltrow http://www.geni.com/people/Gwyneth-Paltrow/6000000010554089036

If you are researching your Chinese heritage in the U.S. and your ancestors had immigrated to the country in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, a great place to look is the Chinese Exclusion Act case files. In 1882, the United States passed the Chinese Exclusion Acts to limit the number of Chinese immigrants coming into the country. Ten years later, the Act was modified to require all Chinese residents to obtain a certificate… Read the full story

The Options drop-down menu on any given profile page has been moved. Now when you load up a profile page, the Options drop-down will be in the top right-hand corner right next to the Follow/Unfollow button. This is much more easy to find, and we think you’ll like it a lot.

[Download This Episode] [Subscribe in iTunes] [Subscribe in Your Favorite Podcatcher] Show Notes: What does “collaborative genealogy” mean? For many, the term collaborative genealogy means working with others in order to a) improve one’s own genealogy research results; and b) to contribute to the genealogical community. Collaboration can take many forms including: Attending a meeting of your local genealogical society and talking to other members. Attending a genealogy conference or workshop and meeting other genealogists… Read the full story

Profile of the Day: Rene Descartes http://www.geni.com/people/Ren%C3%A9-Descartes/6000000010647044004

The American Civil War is an incredibly rich part of history. There are countless records, stories, and images available that make genealogical research of this era a true joy. The US Civil War Notables project is the perfect place to start, but there is a lot more information available. For example, you might want to check out the Other People in the American Civil War project or Croatian Soldiers in American CIvil War 1861-1865 project…. Read the full story

As you might already know, we’re running a contest to give away three Geni Pro Account this week. Earlier, I showcased three blogs that are working with Geni to give away even more one-year Pro Accounts. Today, I’m happy to announce we have two more blogs participating: Tami Glatz at Relative Curious Lorine McGinnis at Olive Tree Genealogy That brings the total number of eight possible accounts you could win, but don’t wait. Enter now.

Profile of the Day: Ronald Reagan http://www.geni.com/people/Ronald-W-Reagan-40th-President-of-the-USA/6000000010283870415

So, you’ve been on Geni for a while now. You’ve been adding and merging profiles, but how can you tell if you’re part of the world family tree with over 54 million profiles? While you’re logged into Geni, go to our world family tree page. On the right-hand side, you’ll see a statistics box. There will be a phrase that says “You are connected to _________ people on Geni.” If the number is in the… Read the full story

On March 29, 1961 Nelson Mandela was acquitted of treason charges after a four year trial, known as the Treason Trial. Actively involved in the anti-apartheid movement in South Africa, Mandela was arrested again in 1962 and imprisoned for 27 years. During his imprisonment, Mandela built his reputation as one of the most significant leaders in South Africa. He was finally released from prison on February 11, 1990. After his release, Nelson Mandela continued to… Read the full story

We’re giving away three one-year Geni Pro Accounts on our blog, but that’s not the only place you can enter to win a free account. We’re working with bloggers in the genealogy community to give away more accounts on their blogs. As of now, you can win a free one-year Geni Pro Account on Taneya’s Genealogy Blog, We Tree Genealogy Blog, and the Find My Ancestor Blog. If you’re interested in increasing your odds of… Read the full story

Profile of the Day: Claude Monet http://www.geni.com/people/Claude-Monet/6000000009747798919

Today is the 221st anniversary of President John Tyler‘s birth. Thanks to the birthday paradox, I figured that another US President might also share his birthday. Not quite, but President Jimmy Carter‘s brother Billy Carter does. Former UK Prime Minister John Major does as well. Maybe shared birthdays aren’t as reliable as I’d hoped, but I was able to find some very interesting relationship paths. Take a look: James E. Carter, 39th President of the… Read the full story