May 2013

On May 31, 1930, Clint Eastwood was born in San Francisco, California. Eastwood got his big break in the TV series Rawhide and achieved immense popularity in a string of western hits. He cemented his role as a cultural icon as Harry Callahan in Dirty Harry. Today he has ten Academy Award nominations with four wins under his belt. What’s your favorite Clint Eastwood movie? Clint Eastwood is connected to over 69 million people in… Read the full story

We’re excited to attend the 44th Annual Southern California Genealogy Jamboree next week! From June 7 – 9, genealogists and family history enthusiasts will gather at the Los Angeles Marriott Burbank Airport Hotel for one of the funnest genealogy events of the year. And with the conference so close to home, you can expect several folks from the Geni office to stop by throughout the weekend.  We’ll be there along side MyHeritage, with a huge space… Read the full story

On May 30, 1908, voice actor Mel Blanc was born in San Francisco, California. Nicknamed “The Man of a Thousand Voices,” Blanc is regarded as one of the most influential people in the history of voice acting. Although he began his nearly six-decade long career performing in radio commercials, Blanc is best remembered for his work with Warner Bros. He brought to life a plethora of memorable Looney Tunes cartoons, voicing iconic characters such as Bugs Bunny,… Read the full story

General George Smith Patton, Jr. was best known for his command in the European Theater of World War II of the Seventh United States Army, and later the Third United States Army. He had participated in the 1912 Olympic pentathlon and was instrumental in designing the Model 1913 Cavalry Saber referred to as the “Patton Saber”. In between World War I and World War II, Patton remained a central figure in the development of armored… Read the full story

On May 28, 1888, athlete Jim Thorpe was born in Prague, Oklahoma. Considered one of the most versatile athletes of modern sports, Thorpe won Olympic gold medals for the 1912 decathlon and pentathlon, played American football and professional baseball and basketball. He was a mix of European and Native American ancestry and raised in the Sac and Fox nation in Oklahoma. His native name was Wa-Tho-Huk, which translates as “path lighted by great flash of lightening.”   Jim… Read the full story

Happy birthday, Bob Dylan! Today the iconic musician turns 72. In 1941, Dylan was born Robert Allen Zimmerman in Duluth, Minnesota. While performing in college, he began taking the name “Bob Dylan,” after the poet Dylan Thomas. It was during this time in the 1960s that his career really took off. He became known as the songwriter of the 60s protest movement, penning and performing many songs about the polarizing social issues of the time. What’s your… Read the full story

This Monday, May 27, the U.S. will celebrate Memorial Day in remembrance of the men and women who lost their lives while serving in the U.S. military. In honor of the holiday, MyHeritage is providing free access to their most popular collections of U.S. military records. Journey back in time to some of the most important conflicts in world history that not only impacted families in the U.S., but millions of families worldwide. From now… Read the full story

On May 23, 1883, silent film star Douglas Fairbanks was born in Denver, Colorado. Dubbed the “King of Hollywood” during the 1920’s, Fairbanks was known as one of the leading stars of the silent film era. He won audiences over for his swashbuckling roles as Robin Hood and Zoro and also proved to be an astute businessman, launching the film studio United Artist in 1919 in partnership with Charlie Chaplin, Mary Pickford and D.W. Griffith. Douglas… Read the full story

On May 22, 1859, Sir Arthur Conan Doyle was born in Edinburgh, Scotland. A prolific writer, Doyle wrote 60 mystery stories featuring the iconic detective Sherlock Holms and his loyal assistant Watson. With several recent film and television adaptations, Sherlock Holms continues to remain immensely popular today. Sir Arthur Conan Doyle’s family tree is still a bit small. Perhaps you can help expand his tree and connect him to the World Family Tree on Geni…. Read the full story

Known as the father of photojournalism, Gilbert Hovey Grosvenor was the first full-time editor of National Geographic Magazine having served from 1899-1954. He is credited with having built the magazine into the publication that it is today. Grosvenor was also president of  the National Geographic Society  from 1920-1954 and made it into one of the world’s largest and best known science and learning organizations through its magazine of ambitious natural and cultural explorations around the world…. Read the full story

On May 21, 1881, Clara Barton founded the American Red Cross in Washington, D.C. After learning of the Red Cross in Europe, she returned to the U.S. and campaigned for the establishment of an American Red Cross organization to provide emergency response in the event of crisis from war or natural disasters. She served as the organizations first president and led it for 23 years. Clara Barton is connected to over 69 million people in Geni’s… Read the full story

Check out some interesting genealogy related articles from the past week! The Genealogy Sphere New Area Means New Rules – Sometimes (Genealogy Tip of the Day) – Great tip when you’re researching your migrating ancestors Sarah Polley explores her uprooted, twisted family tree (LA Times) – Actor-director Sarah Polley talks about her newest documentary about her family Skeleton of teenage girl confirms cannibalism at Jamestown colony (The Washington Post) – Archaeological discover shows evidence of… Read the full story

On May 20, 1799, noted French novelist Honoré de Balzac was born in Tours, France. Regarded as one of the founders of realism in European literature, Balzac exhibited an unfiltered representation of society in his works. La Comédie Humaine, a series of short stories and novels representing French life after the 1815 fall of Napoleon Bonaparte, is widely regarded as one of his greatest achievements of his career. Many subsequent novelists would be greatly influenced… Read the full story

We love hearing how valuable Geni users are finding their new Record Matches and Smart Matches™. Recently, we shared how Record Matches and Smart Matches™ have led to exciting new discoveries for many users. We’re happy to share even more amazing stories from users who have made great breakthroughs in their family tree. Check them out below: Jennifer Lynn Young: “So far Smart Matches have led me to 17 collateral ancestors (siblings of ancestors in my… Read the full story

On May 17, 1911, actress Maureen O’Sullivan was born in Boyle, Ireland.  As one of Ireland’s first film stars, O’Sullivan is perhaps best remembered for her portrayal as Jane in six Tarzan features. Did you know as a child, O’Sullivan attended the Convent of the Sacred Heart along with future Academy Award winning actress Vivien Leigh? Maureen O’Sullivan is connected to over 69 million people in Geni’s World Family Tree. How are you related?  … Read the full story

Tonight, the popular comedy televisions series The Office airs its final episode after nine season. In honor of the finale, we’re highlighting Rainn Wilson‘s family tree on Geni. Born in Seattle, Washington, Wilson found stardom as Dwight Schrute on The Office, for which he received three Emmy nominations. Are you sad to see The Office end? Check out The Office (U.S. Series) project on Geni to learn more about the genealogies of the entire cast and some fun family… Read the full story

Today we remember poet Emily Dickinson, who died on May 15, 1886 in Amherst, Massachusetts. During her lifetime, Dickinson composed nearly eighteen hundred poems, however fewer than a dozen were published while she was living. Today, she is considered one of the most celebrated and revered poets in history. Emily Dickinson is connected to over 69 million people in Geni’s World Family Tree. How are you related?     View Emily Dickinson’s Geni Profile  

Recently, we added SuperSearch™ to Geni to enhance your family research experience. Today we’re excited to tell you about an even faster way to research your genealogy on Geni – we’ve added a “Research this person” link to the Matches module on your relatives’ Geni profiles! “Research this person” link on a profile (click to zoom) Clicking on this convenient link will automatically take you to MyHeritage’s SuperSearch™ results for that profile. There’s no need… Read the full story

Charles A. Pillsbury was the founder and namesake of the Pillsbury Company and was a flour industrialist. He was a flour miller in Minneapolis, Minnesota. Pillsbury was a Minnesota State Senator from 1877-1897 and held the chairmanship of the Finance Committee of the Senate. Charles Alfred Pillsbury was born on December 3, 1842 in Warner, New Hampshire to George Alfred Pillsbury and Margaret Sprague Carleton. Pillsbury married Mary Ann Stinson who was the daughter of… Read the full story

On May 14, 1727, painter Thomas Gainsborough was born in Sudbury, England. Although he preferred to paint landscapes, Gainsborough’s portrait paintings were well regarded in English society. He painted the portraits of King George III and his queen, and became a founding member of the Royal Academy. Thomas Gainsborough is connected to over 69 million people in Geni’s World Family Tree. How are you related?     View Thomas Gainsborough’s Geni Profile  

We’re excited to announce our latest enhancement to your family research experience on Geni – MyHeritage’s SuperSearch™! SuperSearch™ will bring you even greater access to billions of historical records to enrich your genealogy. SuperSearch™ is a family history search engine that lets you search billions of historical records and millions of newspaper articles. With over 4 billion records including birth, marriage, death, burial, census, military, immigration, yearbooks, plus scans of the original documents, SuperSearch™ will… Read the full story

Happy birthday, Stephen Colbert! On May 13, 1964, The Colbert Report host was born in Washington, DC and grew up in Charleston, South Carolina. Named one of Time’s 100 most influential people of 2012, Colbert has won several Emmys, a Grammy and a Peabody Award for his work. Did you know Colbert is the youngest of 11 children? Check out Stephen Colbert’s family tree on Geni!     View Stephen Colbert’s Geni Profile  

On May 10, 1872 Victoria Woodhull, a leader of the woman’s suffrage movement, became the first woman nominated for President of the United States. She was nominated by the then newly formed Equal Rights Party. In 1871, she had spoken publicly against the government being composed only of men; she proposed developing a new constitution and a new government. In 1870, Woodhull and her sister Tennessee Claflin were the first women to operate a brokerage… Read the full story

On May 9, 1949, Rainier III became the Sovereign Prince of Monaco on the death of his grandfather Prince Louis II. His mother Princess Charlotte, Duchess of Valentinois had renounced her rights to the throne in 1944 in favour of her son. Prince Rainier III was one of the longest ruling monarchs of the 20th century having ruled the Principality of Monaco for almost 56 years. He was best known outside of Europe for having… Read the full story

On May 8, 1947, Harry Gordon Selfridge, Sr. died in London, England. Selfridge invested in building his own department store, Selfridges, in London when he was unimpressed with the quality of British retailers and had noticed that the large stores in London had not adopted the latest selling ideas that were being used in the United States. He was the first to promote Christmas sales with the catchphrase “Only __ Shopping Days Until Christmas”, while… Read the full story

William Drew Washburn was an American politician and founded the Pillsbury-Washburn Milling Company, which later became the Pillsbury Company. He served in both the United States House of Representatives and the United States Senate. He was born on January 14, 1831 in Livermore, Maine to Israel Washburn and Martha Benjamin. He made a large fortune from his business ventures in lumber and flour milling, and by the 1880s he was among the wealthiest men in… Read the full story

On May 7, 1812, English poet Robert Browning was born in London, England. Widely recognized as a master of dramatic monologue, Browning is considered to be one of the formost poets of the Victorian age. The love story between Browning and his wife, writer Elizabeth Barrett is perhaps one of the most famous courtships in literature. Check out Robert Browning’s family tree on Geni!     View Robert Browning’s Geni Profile  

Check out some genealogy articles from the past week! The Genealogy Sphere Preserving your photos for future generations of genealogists (Nj.com) – Tips on preserving your old family photos Woman traces long-lost ring to Boston relative (The Suffolk Times) – A woman finds a long lost family heirloom while gardening Is Juliana Margulies My Cousin? (Freud’s Butcher blog) – A family history research may have a possible connection to The Good Wife star Amanuensis Monday: One Girl’s… Read the full story

On May 6, 1856, Sigmund Freud was born in Freiberg, Austria. Best known as the founder of psychoanalysis, Freud’s contributions significantly impacted the field of psychology. His theories regarding the unconscious mind and mechanisms of repression continue to influence the field today. Sigmund Freud is connected to 69 million people in Geni’s World Family Tree. How are you related?     View Sigmund Freud’s Geni Profile  

On May 3, 1937, Margaret Mitchell won the Pulitzer Prize for Fiction for her epic novel Gone With the Wind. Her book was a phenomenal success and in 1939, it was adapted to film starring Vivien Leigh and Clark Gable. Today her novel and the film continue to have a strong following. Margaret Mitchell is connected to 69 million people in Geni’s World Family Tree. How are you related?     View Margaret Mitchell’s Geni Profile… Read the full story

In just one week, Geni will be at the National Genealogical Society 2013 Family History Conference in Las Vegas, Nevada! Between May 8 – 11, genealogists from around the country will meet in Sin City for a fun-filled genealogy adventure.  The conference is a great opportunity for genealogists and those interested in family history to meet and share ideas on how to advance family research. Will you be at NGS? We love meeting Geni users… Read the full story

On May 2, 1729, Catherine the Great was born. The most renowned and the longest-ruling female leader of Russia, Catherine the Great came to power following a coup that overthrew her husband, Peter III. Her reign is often considered the Golden Age of the Russian Empire, bringing the ideas of the Enlightenment to the country. Catherine the Great is connected to 69 million people in Geni’s World Family Tree. How are you related?    … Read the full story

When we first introduced Record Matches and Smart Matches™ on Geni, we told you that you could look forward to additional collections of historical records in the future. Today, we’re happy to announce that the entire collection of U.S. Federal Censuses are now available to Geni users through Record Matches. This collection is the nation’s largest and most important set of records and includes a huge searchable index and all scanned images of the original census… Read the full story

On May 1, 1829, Brazilian writer José de Alencar was born in Fortaleza, Brazil. Alencar is considered to be one of he most famous and influential Brazilian Romantic novelists of the 19th century. He was a major exponent of the literary tradition known as “Indianism.” José de Alencar is connected to over 69 million people on Geni’s World Family Tree. How are you related?     View José de Alencar’s Geni Profile