January 2014

We’re excited to announce that more than 160 million new U.S. and UK historical records have been added to MyHeritage’s growing collection of historical records. These new records are available now in your Record Matches for your Geni profiles and through SuperSearch™, MyHeritage’s powerful search engine for historical records. These records come from hundreds of collections containing vital records for births, baptisms, marriages and deaths, military records, censuses and much more. What’s new?   For the… Read the full story

Earlier this week, American folk singer and activist Pete Seeger died at the age of 94. A fixture of the American music scene, Seeger was pivotal in the revival of American folk music. Over the years, many of his hits, including “Where Have All the Flowers Gone?” and “Turn, Turn, Turn,” have since been recorded by several other artists. He is perhaps just as well known for his political activism in support of causes such as international disarmament,… Read the full story

Happy Chinese New Year! Today, January 31st, marks the first day of the Year of the Horse on the lunar calendar, which is believed to bring prosperity and wealth. Also known as the Spring Festival or the Lunar New Year, the holiday is considered one of the most important traditional Chinese holidays, which holds a deep significance to families. Not solely confined to China, the Lunar New Year is celebrated across the world in countries and… Read the full story

Debra Jeanne Ryon-Weathers is from North Las Vegas, Nevada. She was born to Helen Jeanne Bay-Ryon-Jarviz and William Eugene Ryon. Debra’s parents met while her father was stationed at the Naval Base in Astoria, Oregon and married when Helen was only 14 years old. When she was three, her mother left the family and started a new life with Gene Jarvis. Her father became a fisherman and worked the sea from Astoria to Alaska in… Read the full story

Happy 60th birthday, Oprah Winfrey! Born in the rural town of Kosciusko, Mississippi, Oprah’s story is truly a rags to riches journey. She experienced considerable hardship and poverty growing up. While still in high school, she began working at a local radio station, and by the age of 19 was co-anchoring the local evening news. In 1986, she launched her own, widely popular talk show The Oprah Winfrey Show, which aired for 25 seasons. Along… Read the full story

Do you remember watching M*A*S*H? Today star Alan Alda turns 78! He was born Alphonso Joseph D’Abruzzo in 1936 in New York City to Robert Alda (born Alphonso Giuseppe Giovanni Roberto D’Abruzzo), an actor and singer, and Joan Browne, a former showgirl. After graduating from college, he served in the U.S. Army Reserve. Best known for his role as Hawkeye on the hugely popular television series M*A*S*H, Alda was nominated for 21 Emmy Awards and won… Read the full story

Catch up on what you may have missed in the past week! Image: ‘Lost child of the Titanic and the fraud that haunted her family,’ The Telegraph The Genealogy Sphere Replica miniature homes chronicle 500 years of family history (The Telegraph) – A couple builds miniature models of their ancestors’ home spanning 500 years of family history This Guy Was Exploring His Grandpa’s Attic. What He Found is Mysteriously Awesome…Whoa (Viralnova.com) – A man discovers… Read the full story

We’re thrilled to announce massive discounts on DNA tests. As technology for DNA analysis has advanced and hit the mainstream, DNA tests for genealogy are now much more affordable. Today we’re happy to say that we are passing on these savings directly to you. With a simple cheek-swab DNA test, you can be on your way to making discoveries you never knew were possible. Discover your origins and find new relatives – DNA matching can… Read the full story

Do you remember watching My Favorite Martian? On this day in 1934, star Bill Bixby was born in San Francisco, California. A fourth-generation Californian of English descent, Bixby was the only child of Wilfred Everett and Jane Bixby. His career spanned over three decades, in which he appeared on stage, film and television. He is perhaps best known for his roles in the TV series My Favorite Martian and The Incredible Hulk. Did you know Bill… Read the full story

Do you have Civil War ancestors? Today marks the 190th birthday of Lt. General Thomas “Stonewall” Jackson. The Confederate soldier was born January 21, 1824 in Clarksburg, Virginia (now West Virginia). Considered one of the most gifted tactical commanders in U.S. history, Jackson’s death proved to be a set back for the Confederacy, greatly affecting its military prospects and moral. The American Civil War is often referred to as a war of “brother against brother.”… Read the full story

Celebrate the holiday with these fascinating articles! Image: 10 Animations that show how faces age over time / TwistedSifter.com The Genealogy Sphere 11 Little-Known Worlds For Specific Family Members (Mental Floss) – Did you know English had these words for specific family members? Digging for their lives: Russia’s volunteer body hunters (BBC News) – These volunteers undertake the dangerous task of finding soldiers killed during World War II Merle Barwis is Canada’s last remaining link… Read the full story

Today the United States celebrates Martin Luther King, Jr. Day. Commemorating what would have been the 85th birthday of Martin Luther King, Jr., today we honor the legacy of the iconic civil rights leader. He was born January 15, 1929 in Atlanta, Georgia to Reverend Martin Luther King Sr. and Alberta Williams King. As the leading advocate of nonviolent protests during the United States Civil Rights Movement, King sought to bring an end to racial discrimination through peaceful… Read the full story

Are you a history buff? On January 17, 1706, Benjamin Franklin was born in colonial Boston, Massachusetts. He was born to Josiah Franklin, a native of England and soap maker, and his second wife Abiah Folger. Franklin excelled in a variety of fields as an author, printer, political theorist, postmaster, scientist, inventor and diplomat. A Founding Father of the United States, Franklin helped draft one of the most important documents in American history, the Declaration of… Read the full story

If you’re lucky enough to have old photographs of your ancestors in your possession, then you already have a unique peak into the past. Unfortunately, that isn’t always the case when researching your family history. Never fear – there are plenty of other ways you can find out what your ancestors may have looked like. Let’s examine a few places you can find a photo or description of how your ancestors may have looked. Naturalization… Read the full story

On January 15, 1559, Elizabeth I was crowned Queen of England in Westminster Abbey after the death of her sister, Queen Mary I of England. The daughter of Henry VIII and Anne Boleyn, Elizabeth would go on to reign for 44 years, in what would be dubbed by historians as the “Elizabethan Era.” Remembered as one of history’s greatest monarchs, Elizabeth’s reign brought England an age of stability, prosperity and discovery. Elizabeth I is connected… Read the full story

Do you remember reading Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland? Today we remember author Lewis Carroll, who died January 14, 1898 at the age of 65. Although born Charles Lutwidge Dodgson, he used the pen name Lewis Carroll to publish his books. Carroll loved to entertain children and had spent much time delighting his friend Henry George Liddell’s children with stories. It was Liddell’s daughter, Alice, who would serve as the inspiration of “Alice” in his tales. She was also the… Read the full story

Looking for something to perk up your Monday? Take a look at these interesting articles from around the web! Image: 10 Surprising Laws Passed During the First World War / Imperial War Museum The Genealogy Sphere Family who spent more than 60 years apart are reunited…after discovering they lived just yards away from each other (DailyMail UK) – Amazing story of a family reunited and discovered they were neighbors Holocaust Survivor Meets Her Liberator Nearly… Read the full story

Are you a Seinfeld fan? Julia Louis-Dreyfus was born January 13, 1961 in Manhattan, New York to Judith, a writer and special needs tutor, and billionaire Gérard Louis-Dreyfus. Her second great grandfather, Léopold Louis-Dreyfus founded a French commodities and shipping conglomerate in 1851. For 9 years, she made us laugh as Elaine Benes on the hit television show, Seinfeld. Today she continues to tickle our funny bone as the star of Veep, for which she most… Read the full story

Jennifer Lynn Young loves genealogy. Born in San Jose, California, Jennifer has held a variety of professions, from the graphic arts to owning a bookstore and her passion for genealogy has helped unite her many interests. She’s even working towards her certification as a genealogist, which she will complete this spring. At the family homestead, 1945 Her passion for genealogy didn’t begin with such enthusiasm at first. A proud fifth-generation Californian, Jennifer was always fascinated… Read the full story

Happy birthday to Catherine, Duchess of Cambridge! Today the Duchess turns 32. She was born Catherine Elizabeth Middleton in Reading England to Michael Middleton, a pilot, and Carole Goldsmith, a flight attendant. The past year has been a whirlwind for Kate and her husband, Prince William, with much media frenzy surrounding her pregnancy. On July 22, 2013, the royal couple welcomed their first son, George Alexander Louis. Explore the royal family tree on Geni and see how you’re… Read the full story

Today we celebrate the birth of the King of Rock and Roll, Elvis Presley. Considered one of the most celebrated and successful musicians of all time, Elvis not only transformed the field of popular music, but was the catalyst for the cultural revolution that was rock and roll. On January 8, 1935, Elvis Aron Presley was born in Tupelo, Mississippi to Vernon Elvis Presley and Gladys Love Smith. Elvis was born at home in his family’s two-room shot-gun house built… Read the full story

Today we celebrate the 72nd birthday of the brilliant theoretical physicist Stephen Hawking! Hawking was born January 8, 1942 in Oxford, England. Born into a family of thinkers, both of his parents attended the University of Oxford. At 21, while studying at the University of Cambridge, he was diagnosed with ALS. Despite his debilitating illness, Hawking has done groundbreaking work in the fields of physics and cosmology and is best known for his work regarding black… Read the full story

Happy birthday, Katie Couric! Today the popular journalist and talk show host turns 57. Born in Arlington, Virgina to Elinor Tullie and John Martin Couric, Katie has long been one of America’s favorite news correspondents. For 15 years, she co-anchored the highly successful morning news show Today before leaving to become the first woman to anchor CBS Evening News alone. Her maternal grandparents, Bert Hene and Clara Froshin, were the children of Jewish immigrants from… Read the full story

Hope everyone had a great time welcoming in the New Year! Let’s start 2014 off with these articles you may have missed: Image: BBC The Genealogy Sphere 10 dangerous things in Victorian/Edwardian homes (BBC) – Interesting list of 10 things we couldn’t imagine in our homes today History comes calling as soldier’s dogtag surfaces (UnionLeader.com) – A World War II dogtag is returned to family Century-old remains returned to Ceres family (Modbee.com) – With the… Read the full story

Are you a fan of Mr. Bean? Today Rowan Atkinson celebrates his 59th birthday! Born in Consett, England, Atkinson was the youngest of four brothers. Consistently named one of the funniest British comedians of all time, Atkinson found great success portraying the hapless Mr. Bean on television and film. Did you know Atkins is also a serious scholar? He earned a Masters degree in Electrical Engineering at The Queen’s College at Oxford. Check out Rowan… Read the full story

Many people send postcards to loved ones while on a family vacation, traveling or just to say “hello.” Today, we often send short messages to each other digitally through text messages or emails. While new technologies have made communication virtually instantaneous, the custom of sending a handwritten messages is becoming a lost art. There’s nothing quite like discovering an old postcard from your relatives written in their own hand. A postcard not only provides you with… Read the full story

Do you remember reading The Hobbit as a child? On January 3, 1892, author J.R.R. Tolkien was born in Bloemfontein, South Africa. After the death of his father, Tolkien’s mother moved the young family back to England. As a young man, Tolkien served in World War I and fought in the Battle of the Somme. Tolkien brought his passion for linguistics into his writing by incorporating languages of his own creation into his storytelling. He created… Read the full story

Today we celebrate what would have been the 94th birthday of science fiction author Isaac Asimov! Born Isaak Yudovich Ozimov in Petrovichi, Russia, Asimov immigrated with is family to the U.S. as a toddler. A fan of science fiction since he was young, Asimov wrote his own stories at 11 and by the age of 19, was selling stories to science fiction magazines. Known as one of the most prolific writers in history, he wrote… Read the full story