September 2013

Start the new week off right with some great articles from the past week! The Genealogy Sphere Webscape: Tracing your family history (BBC News) – Learn more about MyHeritage in this BBC report How to Get on Genealogy Roadshow (Or Not) (Taneya’s Genealogy Blog) – Read how genealogy blogger Taneya Koonce auditioned for PBS’s latest genealogy series Genealogy Roadshow Flooding of Chicago Effects Local Cemeteries (Finding Our Ancestors blog) – Check out first hand account… Read the full story

Today we remember author Truman Capote, who was born September 30, 1924 in New Orleans, Louisiana. As a child, he was sent to live with relatives in Monroeville, Alabama where he befriended  future Pulitzer Prize-winning novelist Harper Lee. The pair would continue to remain best friends throughout their lives. Considered one of the most recognizable authors of the 20th century, many of Capote’s works have been adapted for film and television, including his most popular literary classics Breakfast… Read the full story

Not even death can keep this couple apart. Below are the graves of Colonel JWC van Gorkum, a Protestant, and the Catholic CJHP van Aefferden, a woman of nobility in the region. In 1842, the Dutch couple were married in the Netherlands. Because of their different religious affiliations, their “mixed” union was quite controversial for the time. Despite the scandal, the couple remained married for 40 years, until van Gorkum died in 1880. He was… Read the full story

Are you a Grease fan? This day in 1948, star Olivia Newton-John was born in Cambridge, England. Raised in Melbourne, Australia, Olivia began her career performing in clubs and television spots during the 1960s in England. It wasn’t until her breakthrough performance as Sandy in the musical Grease that she became known as an international star. Did you know she is the granddaughter of the Nobel Prize-winning atomic physicist Max Born? His work was instrumental in… Read the full story

Happy birthday Michael Douglas! Today the Hollywood star turns 69. Did you know he also shares a birthday with his wife Catherine Zeta-Jones? Michael has had plenty of reasons to celebrate this week. Just this past Sunday, Michael won an Emmy award for his portrayal of Liberace in the film Behind the Candelabra. What’s your favorite Michael Douglas performance? Michael Douglas is connected to over 70 million people in Geni’s World Family Tree. How are you related?  … Read the full story

Today we remember beloved children’s book author Theodor Seuss Geisel, who passed away 22 years ago at the age of 87. Affectionately remembered by his pen name Dr. Seuss, Geisel published 46 children’s books that featured his unique blend of imaginative characters and rhymes. His most celebrated books include Green Eggs and Ham, The Cat in the Hat and How the Grinch Stole Christmas! Did you know that during World War II he worked in an animation… Read the full story

Start your week off right with these interesting genealogy and family history articles! The Genealogy Sphere DNA Stories: Did She Marry Her Cousin? (The Huffington Post) – Genealogist Megan Smolenyak Smolenyak shares how she used DNA testing to tackle her own family history Clues in Cookbooks (Genealogy Tip of the Day) – Great tip to look into the cookbooks of your ancestors for clues Tombstone’s origin a cold case mystery that’s finally solved (The Daily… Read the full story

If you’re lucky enough to have tons of old family photos stored in your home, chances are they are tucked away in a box, perhaps in a closet, never to see the light of day. Your old family photographs are just waiting for you to bring them to light in a creative, unique display in your home. Check out how a few crafty folks have created some beautiful pieces of jewelry to display their family… Read the full story

Happy birthday Trisha Yearwood! Today the country music artist turns 49. Earlier this month Trisha was featured on an episode of the genealogy show Who Do You Think You Are? where she traced her paternal side of the family to England. There she discovered a surprising royal connection – her ancestors stole, wounded and killed “several fat bucks” from English royal hunting grounds in the 1700s. Did you catch her episode when it aired? Trisha Yearwood… Read the full story

On September 18, 1905, legendary actress Greta Garbo was born in Stockholm, Sweden. She was the third youngest child of Anna Lovisa Karlsson, a homemaker who later worked at a jam factory, and Karl Alfred Gustafsson, a laborer. The family lived an impoverished life and at the age of 13, Garbo dripped out of school to stay home and look after her ill father. She began her cinematic career in Sweden and at 19, came… Read the full story

Check out some interesting articles you may have missed! The Genealogy Sphere Effective Genealogy Writing: Tips to Attract Family Members to Family History (The Huffington Post) – Are you a genealogy writer? Here are some good tips to attract your family to your genealogy This girl ages into an old woman before your eyes without you noticing (io9.com) – An impressive video showing the aging process using a composit of portraits from related, multi-generational family… Read the full story

Happy birthday, Lauren Bacall! Today the sultry actress turns 89. She was born Betty Joan Perske in New York City to Jewish parents. Her mother immigrated from Romania, and her father was born in New Jersey, to parents from Poland. She first emerged as a leading lady in the Humphrey Bogart film, To Have and Have Not. In 1945, the co-stars married and remained married until Bogart’s death.  Did you know that she is a first cousin… Read the full story

There have been a great many products invented over the years and if you have any imaginative inventors in your family, you may have come across some of their patents during your family history research, some successful, some maybe not so successful. Generally speaking, new inventions intend to provide improvements or benefits to a person’s life. During the early 20th century, people began to move in larger numbers into the cities. Attracted by the promise… Read the full story

Today we remember Johnny Cash, who passed away on September 12, 2003, less than four months after his wife June Carter Cash passed. Considered one of the most influential musicians of the 20th century, Cash’s music transcended multiple genres, affording him the rare honor of induction in the Country Music Hall of Fame, the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and the Gospel Music Hall of Fame. What’s your favorite Johnny Cash song? Johnny Cash… Read the full story

Happy birthday Harry Connick, Jr.! Today the singer and actor turns 46. It’s a big year for the versatile star, who will be joining the latest season of American Idol as the newest addition to the judges table. Born and raised in New Orleans, Louisiana, Harry exhibited his musical talents at an early age. He started learning the keyboards at the age of 3, performing publicly at the age of 5 and recording with a jazz band… Read the full story

Tonight’s season finale of Who Do You Think You Are? follows The Big Bang Theory‘s Jim Parsons as he explores his father’s heritage. His journey takes him to Louisiana, where he discovers his ancestor Dr. Jean Baptiste Hacker once practiced medicine after graduating from medical school. From there, he traces his lineage to France, revealing his family’s imprint in history. Before tonight’s episode, check out Jim Parsons’ family tree on Geni and see how you’re related!… Read the full story

Check out some interesting articles from the past week! The Genealogy Sphere Scientists as Kids: 18 Science & Tech Luminaries When They Were Youngsters (Huffington Post) – Check out some childhood photos of famous scientists Do You Have an Artificial Brick Wall? (Reclaiming Kin blog) – Interesting article about you “brick wall” Remembering Mararethe (The Legal Genealogist blog) – Judy Russell remembers the short life of her third great grandparents’ young daughter The map that… Read the full story

Today we celebrate fried chicken entrepreneur Colonel Sanders‘s 123rd birthday! On September 9, 1890, he was born Harland David Sanders in Henryville, Indiana to Wilber David and Margaret Ann Sanders. At the age of 40, Sanders was running a service station in Kentucky which catered to feeding traveling customers. Over the years, he perfected his “Secret Recipe” for fried chicken. His food was so notable that he was eventually named a Kentucky Colonel in 1949… Read the full story

It’s that time of year again! Back-to-school season is upon us in the U.S. as children get ready to start the new school year. Do you have little ones in your family about to start their first day of school? As you are researching your family history, you may find a tradition of relatives, generation after generation, attending the same schools. In many cases, family’s that share deep roots within a community and have stayed relatively… Read the full story

On September 4, 1888, George Eastman received a patent for his roll-film camera and registered his trademark, Kodak. Eastman’s invention revolutionized the industry and helped make photography available to the general public. In 1892, he established the Eastman Kodak Company in Rochester, New York. The company was one of the first firms to mass-produce standardized photography equipment. Considered one of the most outstanding philanthropists of his time, Eastman donated more than $100 million to various organization…. Read the full story

We hope everyone had a great Labor Day weekend! Here’s your weekly genealogy round-up to get the new week started. The Genealogy Sphere Your Ancestors Didn’t Sleep Like You (Slumberwise.com) – An interesting article about your ancestors’ sleep patterns American Woodmen – A Black Benevolent Society (My Ancestor’s Name blog) – Learn about the African American fraternal society The American Woodmen. Were your ancestors involved in fraternal societies? Harold and Ruth Knapke, Married 65 Years,… Read the full story

Today we remember poet e.e. cummings, who passed away on September 3, 1962 at the age of 67. He was born Edward Estlin Cummings, but went by the abbreviated form of his name in all lower case letters in the style of his poems. From a young age, Cummings new he wanted to be a poet. His body of work encompasses approximately 2,900 poems, two autobiographical novels, four plays and several essays. Today he is… Read the full story