2013

Happy birthday, Kate Middleton! Today, the Duchess of Cambridge turns 30! On April 29, 2011, Kate married Prince William in Westminster Abbey while millions of people watched around the world. Just last month, the couple announced that the Duchess was pregnant with their first child. Catherine, Duchess of Cambridge is connected to over 66 million people in Geni’s World Family Tree. How are you related?       View Catherine, Duchess of Cambridge’s Geni Profile… Read the full story

Nicholas Biddle was an American financier who served as the President of the Second Bank of the United States. His ancestors were Quakers who emigrated from England to America in 1681 in part to avoid religious persecution. The Biddle family of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania produced numerous and diverse people of interest. Biddle was born on January 8, 1786 to Charles and Hannah Biddle. Charles Biddle served as Vice-President of Pennsylvania (now known as the office of… Read the full story

On January 8, 1825, inventor Eli Whitney died of prostate cancer just one month after his 59th birthday. Considered one of the key inventions of the Industrial Revolution, Whitney’s cotton gin revolutionized the way cotton was harvested. His invention reinvigorated slavery and profoundly impacted the economy of the Antebellum South. Eli Whitney is connected to over 66 million people in Geni’s World Family Tree. how are you related?     View Eli Whitney’s Geni Profile… Read the full story

Here are some interesting genealogy articles to start off the New Year! The Genealogy Sphere Haddonfield genealogist helped Army identify remains of airman killed in 1946 (Philly.com) – Megan Smolenyak helps the Army ID the remains of a soldier Blood o f Louis XVI ‘found in gourd container’ (BBC News) – A team of scientists say they believe they’ve found the blood of Louis XVI Let Google help you on your genealogy research (NJ.com) –… Read the full story

On January 7, 1536, Catherine of Aragon died at the age of 50. She was the first wife of King Henry VIII of England and the mother of Mary I of England, who succeeded to the throne after the death of her half-brother Edward VI. In 1533, unhappy that their marriage had produced no surviving male heir, Henry VIII sought to have their marriage annulled. When the pope refused, Henry VIII broke free from the Roman… Read the full story

On January 5, 1757, Louis XV of France survived an assassination attempt by Robert-François Damiens. Damiens would eventually be the last person to be executed in France by drawing and quartering, the traditional form of capital punishment used for regicides. Louis XV had succeeded his great-grandfather, Louis XIV, at the age of five. Usually depicted as the weakest of the Bourbon monarchs, some scholars believe that his decisions during his reign may have led to the… Read the full story

Now that it’s the start of a new year, we’re putting together a helpful list of genealogy conferences for 2013! Check out the list of upcoming conferences below and we’ll continue to update it as more dates become available. If you know of a conference that’s not on the list, please let us know in the comments below. Which conferences will you be attending? January Salt Lake Institute of Genealogy (Salt Lake City, Utah) January 14… Read the full story

On January 3, 1959, Alaska was admitted as the 49th U.S. state. To commemorate the occasion, we’re highlighting explorer Vitus Bering‘s family tree. Credited with the discovery of present day Alaska and the Aleutian Islands, Bering’s explorations of North America led the way to Russia’s foothold on the continent. Today, the Bering Strait, the Bering Sea, Bering Island, Bering Glacier and the Bering Land Bridge have all been named in his honor. Vitus Bering is connected… Read the full story