2014

In many languages, what we call our family members is dependent on age and gender and can get pretty complicated to the non-native speaker. In comparison, the English words we use can seem pretty straightforward. Typically, English uses mom and dad, brother and sister, aunt and uncle, grandma and grandpa, etc. And words such as ‘cousin’ are used generally and can refer to a male or female cousin from your maternal or paternal line. Seems pretty easy right? But… Read the full story

Do you remember the song “Good Vibrations”? On this day in 1966, the hit single was released by American rock band the Beach Boys. The song was composed and produced by Beach Boys co-founder Brian Wilson with fellow band member Mike Love contributing lyrics. Wilson has recounted that the original idea for the title “Good Vibrations” came from his mother, who had explained to him as a child that dogs sometimes bark at people in response to their… Read the full story

Do you have French connections in your family tree? On October 9, 1757, Charles X of France was born at the Palace of Versailles. As the youngest male in the family, Charles seemed unlikely to ever become king. However, when his eldest brother died unexpectedly in 1761, Charles moved up in the line of succession. He was the younger brother of reigning Kings Louis XVI and Louis XVIII, supporting the latter while in exile. He would… Read the full story

Happy birthday, Matt Damon! Today the star turns 44. Damon was born Matthew Paige Damon in Cambridge, Massachusetts on October 8, 1970. He is the second son of Kent Telfer Damon, a stockbroker, and Nancy Carisson-Paige, an early childhood education professor at Lesley University. In 1988, Damon started attending Harvard University. That same year, he made his acting debut with a single line of dialogue in the romantic comedy Mystic Pizza. It wasn’t until 1997 that Damon… Read the full story

Here’s our weekly recap of articles from around the web! Image: Franklin tree has deep roots / Philly.com The Genealogy Sphere Five brothers and sister over 100 a world record say Irish family (Irishcentral.com) – Could the secret of longevity lie with this Irish family? The Clarke family sees five siblings live to be a hundred. The Legend of What Actually Lived in the “No Man’s Land” Between World War I’s Trenches (Smithsonian Magazine) –… Read the full story

Does music run in your family? Today legendary cellist Yo-Yo Ma celebrates his 59th birthday! Born in Paris France to Chinese parents, music was a large part of everyday life in the Ma family. His mother, Marina Lu, was a singer and his father, Hiao-Tsiun Ma, was a violinist and professor of music at Nanjing National Central University. A child prodigy, Ma began performing in front of live audiences at the age of 5 and… Read the full story

Today we remember W. K. Kellogg, who passed away on this day in 1951. He was best known as the founder of the Kellogg Company, which produces a wide variety of breakfast cereals. Kellogg was born Will Keith Kellogg on April 7, 1860 in Battle Creek, Michigan. He helped his brother, John Harvey Kellogg run the Battle Creek Sanitarium which was where they pioneered the process of making flaked cereal. In 1906, Kellogg founded the Battle… Read the full story

Family History Month is here again! Each year, the month of October is devoted entirely to genealogy. There’s no better time to celebrate your family heritage, reconnect with your roots and share what you have discovered with the ones you love. We’ve compiled this handy list of ways you can make the most of this Family History Month! 1. Review your family tree on Geni Take a look at your family tree on Geni and see if there are any… Read the full story

Happy birthday, Gwen Stefani! Today the rocker turns 45. Born in Fullerton, California, Stefani rose to fame as the lead singer of the rock band No Doubt. She later pursued her own successful solo career and launched the hit fashion line L.A.M.B. Her love of fashion developed at a young age after her mother taught her to sew. Keeping music in the family, she is currently married to British musician Gavin Rossdale. Today you can catch her on… Read the full story

Do you have any black sheep in your family tree? If your ancestor has an arrest under their belt, police reports may exist that will give you very interesting insights into your relative’s history. Not to mention that a mugshot would be a unique addition to your genealogy record collection! The mugshot was invented by Alphonse Bertillon, a French police officer and biometrics researcher. He applied the anthropological technique of anthropometry to law enforcement, creating an identification… Read the full story

On October 1, 1553, Mary I was crowned the Queen of England. The eldest daughter and only surviving child of Henry VIII and Catherine of Aragon, Mary was the fourth crowned monarch of the Tudor dynasty. After succeeding the short reign of her Protestant half-brother Edward VI, Mary restored England to Roman Catholicism. In the process, she had nearly 300 religious dissenters burned at the stake, earning her the nickname “Bloody Mary.” Her re-establishment of Roman… Read the full story

Do you remember watching Cheers? On this day 32 years ago, the hit sitcom starring Ted Danson premiered on television. Set in a Boston bar “where everybody knows your name,” the show focused on a group of locals who met to drink, relax and socialize. In his breakthrough role, Danson played former baseball player and bartender Sam Malone. He would receive 11 consecutive Emmy nominations, winning the coveted statue twice for his comedic performance. Did you know the… Read the full story

Here’s a roundup of family history articles from the past week! Image: Day out at the gallows and other bygone photographic oddities / BBC News The Genealogy Sphere Day out at the gallows and other bygone photographic oddities (BBC News) – A glimpse into the funny side of the people from the Victorian era Why Was Robert Webster, a slave, Wearing What Looks Like a Confederate Uniform? (Smithsonian.com) – The remarkable story of a man who… Read the full story

Happy birthday to T.S. Eliot! On this day in 1888, Thomas Stearns Eliot was born in St. Louis, Missouri to an old Yankee family. His grandfather, William Greenleaf Eliot, was most notable for founding Washington University in St. Louis. In 1914, Eliot emigrated to England at the age of 25. It was around this time that he began a lifelong friendship with poet Ezra Pound. He was naturalized as a British subject in 1927. Eliot published… Read the full story

Seventy-five years ago today, famed neurologist Sigmund Freud died at the age of 83 from a lethal dose of morphine. Known as the father of psychoanalysis, Freud’s radical and controversial theories about the mind transformed the field of psychology. Freud was born on May 6, 1856 in Freiberg, Austria. At the age of four, his family moved to Vienna, where he would live and work for the remainder of his life. In 1881, he earned… Read the full story

Geni’s World Family Tree, now almost 80 million profiles strong, enables people of all nationalities and cultures to work together to discover their shared ancestry. One of the greatest challenges of creating a single family tree of the world is accommodating the many languages spoken by our international community. Today we’re excited to announce that Geni’s World Family Tree now supports multilingual profiles. This means you can enter names and biographies in multiple languages, and… Read the full story

On September 22, 1515, Anne of Cleves, the fourth wife of King Henry VIII, was born in Düsseldorf. The match between Anne and the King was urged by his chief minister, Thomas Cromwell. However, shortly after meeting Anne, Henry had misgivings about going through with the marriage, stating that he believed he was mislead about her appearance. He urged Cromwell to find a legal way to avoid the marriage, but doing so was impossible without endangering the vital… Read the full story

Enjoy this week’s roundup of articles from around the web! Image: 30 Discoveries About Family History in Spanish Surnames / Mental_Floss The Genealogical Sphere President Obama is Sen. Ted Cruz’s cousin! Really! (CNN) – CNN’s Kelly Wallace chats with AJ Jacobs about the upcoming Global Family Reunion. Watch as AJ shows how everyone’s related using Geni 30 Discoveries About Family History in Spanish Surnames (Mental_Floss) – Have Spanish surnames in your family tree? Check out what… Read the full story

Remember watching The Mary Tyler Moore Show? On this day 44 years ago, the groundbreaking sitcom starring Mary Tyler Moore premiered on television. The show marked the first time a single, never-married, independent career woman was the central character on TV. The show was an instant hit with audiences and critics. Moore would win 3 Emmy Awards for her performance. Today, the show is remembered as one of the most critically acclaimed programs ever produced. Were you a fan… Read the full story

One of the most exciting parts of researching your family history is getting the opportunity to share it with others. And part of the fun is coming up with unique and clever ideas to display your family tree, whether it’s a mural on the wall of your home or a shadowbox showcasing your family history. Here are few creative ways to display your family tree: Family Tree Cutout This is a really beautiful family tree showcasing family… Read the full story

Are you a fan of The Sopranos? Today we remember actor James Gandolfini, who was born on September 18, 1961. He was born to Italian parents Santa Penna, a high school lunch lady, and James Joseph Gandolfini, Sr., a bricklayer and cement mason. Due to the influence of his parents, he developed a strong sense of Italian American identity and visited Italy regularly. He skyrocketed to fame when he took on the role of Tony Soprano on the hit… Read the full story

Do you remember watching Three’s Company? On September 17, 1948, star John Ritter was born in Burbank, California. He was the son of actress Dorothy Fay and Tex Ritter, a singing cowboy/western star. Although he grew up surrounded by show business, Ritter did not intend to follow in his parents’ footsteps. However, after being persuaded to join a drama class, he changed his college major from psychology to theater arts. He got his big break as… Read the full story

Do you remember watching Columbo? On September 16, 1927, star Peter Falk was born in New York City, New York. A versatile actor, Falk found success on both the small and big screen. He was nominated twice for an Academy Award and won five Emmy Awards, four of which were for his most memorable character, Lt. Columbo. Did you know at the age of 3, Falk had a tumor in his right eye and had to have… Read the full story

What great genealogy breakthroughs did you make this weekend? Let’s kickstart the new week with these articles from around the web! Image: World War One submarine ‘found’ by Australian navy / The Telegraph The Genealogy Sphere Identity of notorious serial killer Jack the Ripper finally revealed (London Evening Standard) – Does recent DNA evidence really reveal the identity of Jack the Ripper? Sisters in Photos (FamilyTree Magazine blog) – Photo detective Maureen Taylor compares the… Read the full story

Last week, MyHeritage founder and CEO Gilad Japhet gave a very inspirational interview with Israel’s leading primetime news program. In the video, subtitled in English, Gilad discusses some of MyHeritage’s wonderful pro bono projects. For those unfamiliar, these projects include discovering heirs for unclaimed assets confiscated in WWII, returning looted art to its rightful owners and our global crowdsourcing project with BillionGraves to digitally preserve the world’s cemeteries. The story is truly amazing and heart-warming and we wanted to share it… Read the full story

On September 12, 1609, English explorer Henry Hudson began his exploration of what is today the Hudson River while aboard the Halve Maen. Under the employment of the Dutch East India Company, Hudson explored the region to find a shorter route to Asia. His journey up the river not only opened up North America for further exploration, but also established Dutch claims to the region and to the fur trade that prospered there after a trading… Read the full story

Do you have Swedish connections? On this day in 1850, legendary opera singer Jenny Lind gave her first concert in the United States at the Castle Garden in New York. Known as the “Swedish Nightingale,” Lind was one of the most highly regarded singers of the 19th century. A sensation across Europe, Lind was persuaded by showman P.T. Barnum to undertake a long tour across the U.S. Barnum’s advance publicity made her a celebrity before she arrived in… Read the full story

Do you have royal ancestors in your family tree? You may be familiar with some of the epithets that follow their names. An epithet is an adjective or descriptive phrase expressing a quality characteristic of the person or thing mentioned. Many figures throughout history are remembered and referred to by their epithets, long after they are deceased. A familiar one from history may be Richard the Lionheart, who earned his nickname because of his reputation… Read the full story

Remember watching the show Gunsmoke? On this day in 1955, the popular Western show premiered on television. Taking over the starring role in the TV adaption was actor James Arness, who would portray Marshal Matt Dillon for the next 20 years. Arness got the role on the recommendation of John Wayne, who introduced him in the prologue of the first episode. With Norwegian and German ancestry, the naturally blond actor had to die his hair darker for the… Read the full story

Have a great weekend? Kickstart your week with these articles from around the web. Image: 1900: “Visions of 2000” / Retronaut The Genealogy Sphere 1900: “Visions of 2000” (Retronaut) – See how people of the 1900s envisioned the future How a mysterious box of photos sent an Evanston couple halfway around the world (Chicago Reader) – For a quarter century, this couple have been trying to figure out the identity of the photographer responsible for a… Read the full story

Today we remember pioneering comedian Joan Rivers, who died September 4 at the age of 81. Never one to shy away from speaking her mind, no subject was off limits to the always self-depreciating and sharply-tongued comic. She was born Joan Alexandra Molinsky in Brooklyn, New York to Russian Jewish immigrants Beatrice Grushman and Meyer C. Molinsky. During the 1950s, Rivers began doing stand-up routines in nightclubs. Her career took off after her appearance on the The… Read the full story

Do you remember the days when cameras used film rolls? Today most of us take photos digitally, either with our phones, tablets or a digital camera and it’s easy to forget that it wasn’t always so easy to snap a picture. Nearly fifty years after the world was first introduced to the daguerrotype, American inventor and entrepreneur George Eastman sought to find a way to make photography less cumbersome and easier for the average person… Read the full story

Today we remember Steve Irwin, who passed away on this day in 2006 at the age of 44. Known as “The Crocodile Hunter,” Irwin spent much of his life devoted to wildlife conservation and environmentalism. He was born on February 22, 1962 in Victoria, Australia and grew up on a wildlife park owned by his parents. At the age of nine, he began handling crocodiles. Did you know Irwin and his wife Terri spent their honeymoon… Read the full story

Are you a fan of NCIS? Today star Mark Harmon celebrates his 63rd birthday! He was born Thomas Mark Harmon on September 2, 1951 in Burbank, California. His parents were Heisman Trophy winner and broadcaster Tom Harmon and artist Elyse Knox. A gifted athlete, he was the starting quarterback for the UCLA Bruins football team in college. Forgoing a career as a professional athlete after college, he decided to pursue a career as an actor. Throughout… Read the full story

Who are you researching this Labor Day weekend? Take a break with these articles from around the web! Image: 100 Year Old Life Hacks that Still Work Today / Guff.com The Genealogy Sphere Tuesday’s Tip – Records from Mental Hospitals (Your Swedish Heritage blog) – A great tip to check mental hospital records in your research The Well-Dressed Couple Again and Solving a Group Photo Mystery (Family Tree Magazine blog) – Photo detective Maureen Taylor figures… Read the full story

Tonight’s season finale of the popular genealogy show Who Do You Think You Are? features British actress Minnie Driver. Known for her roles in Good Will Hunting and The Riches, Driver will embark on a journey to learn more about the life of her secretive father. She was born Amelia Fiona Driver on January 31, 1970 to Ronnie Driver, a successful businessman, and Gaynor Millington, a designer and former couture model. Her parents separated when she was 6, but it… Read the full story

Have you ever ridden on a steamboat? On August 26, 1791, inventor John Fitch was granted a U.S. patent for the steamboat. Fitch was born January 21, 1743 on a farm that is part of present-day South Windsor, Connecticut. He served briefly during the American Revolution, working mostly as a gunsmith for the New Jersey militia. By 1785, Fitch began working on ideas for a steam-powered boat. Two years later, he successfully demonstrated his steamboat… Read the full story

Make any great genealogy finds this this weekend? Kickstart your week with these family history articles from around the web! Image: Nephew finds WW2 PoW’s grave in Poland after 29 years / BBC News The Genealogy Sphere Still ‘Drinkable’: 200-Year-Old Booze Found in Shipwreck (LiveScience) – Cheers! Researchers discover well preserved bottle of alcohol in shipwreck 15 Century-Old Toys We Still Want to Buy (mental_floss) – Did your ancestors play with any of these toys? Man… Read the full story

On August 22, 1485, Richard III of England was killed at the Battle of Bosworth Field. Richard III served as king of England for only two years. He was the last king of the House of York and the last of the Plantagenet dynasty. When his brother Edward IV died, Richard was named Lord Protector of the realm for Edward’s 12-year-old son. However, before the young king could be crowned, his parent’s marriage was declared invalid,… Read the full story

Discovering your family history is one of the most rewarding experiences you can have. We always love to hear stories from our users about their journeys as they research their genealogy. In 2012, Kitty Cooper launched Kitty Cooper’s Blog to keep track of her family’s DNA tests as well as her genealogical research. Written for her relatives with simple step-by-step pictorial explanations, the blog soon became extremely popular for her articles on genetics and genealogy…. Read the full story

Do you remember watching Dirty Dancing? On this day in 1987, the classic movie starring Patrick Swayze and Jennifer Grey was released in theaters. A gifted dancer, Swayze had studied ballet for years under the tutelage of his mother Patsy, who was the director of the Houston Jazz Ballet Company. The surprise box office hit instantly established Swayze as one of Hollywood’s leading men. He would go on to star in many more notable films, including Ghost, Point Break and Donnie Darko. Today… Read the full story

Do you remember watching Kelsey Grammer as Dr. Frasier Crane on the sitcoms Cheers and Frasier? On tonight’s episode of Who Do You Think You Are?, the star will explore his family heritage. His journey reveals surprising stories and hardships about his grandmother’s family. Along the way, he also discovers his family’s connection to the Oregon Trail, one of the greatest migrations in American history. Did you know Grammer is related to his former Cheers co-star Ted Danson? Ted Danson is his 12th cousin thrice removed! Before… Read the full story

Nothing brings a genealogist more joy than the discovery of old family photographs. These pictures give us faces to the names on our family trees and bring with them stories that help enhance our understanding of how our relatives once lived. Today, we can instantly preserve and share memories with anyone around the world with just a click of a button. However, while it’s hard to imagine now, it hasn’t always been so easy to snap a… Read the full story

Take a break from your Monday grind with these fascinating articles from the past week! Image: 100 Years On: Uncovering the Identities of Missing WW1 Soldiers / Readers Digest UK The Genealogy Sphere Long-lost family Bible returned to East Vandergrift woman (Triblive.com) – After 40 years, a family Bible is finally returned Heartrending letter exhausted First World War soldier penned to his wife just weeks before he was killed which she carried in her handbag… Read the full story

On this day in 1920, the Nineteenth Amendment to the U.S. Constitution was ratified, guaranteeing women the right to vote. The long struggle for women’s equal right to vote began with the Seneca Falls Convention in 1848. Organized by Elizabeth Cady Stanton and Lurcretia Mott, the event was the first women’s rights convention of its kind to be held in the U.S. Stanton is credited as one of the founders of the American suffrage movement. It was… Read the full story

Happy birthday, Halle Berry! Today the famous actress turns 48. She was born Maria Halle Berry in Cleveland, Ohio to Judith Ann Hawkins, a psychiatric nurse, and Jerome Jesse Berry, a hospital attendant in the same psychiatric ward where her mother worked. Her parents divorced when she was four years old. Before becoming an actress, Berry entered several beauty contests, winning Miss Ohio USA in 1986. She has tackled a wide variety of roles throughout… Read the full story

Yesterday, Hollywood lost yet another iconic figure, actress Lauren Bacall, who passed away at the age of 89. The husky-voiced actress was considered one of the greatest actresses from Hollywood’s Golden Age. Lauren Bacall was born Betty Joan Perske on September 16, 1924 in the Bronx, New York. She was the only child of Natalie Weinstein-Bacal, who later legally changed her surname to Bacall, and William Perske. Both of her parents were Jewish. Her mother emigrated… Read the full story

Tonight actress Valerie Bertinelli explores her family history in the newest episode of Who Do You Think You Are?. She is perhaps best known for her roles in the television comedies One Day at a Time and Hot in Cleveland. In tonight’s episode, Bertinelli travels to England where she makes a surprising discovery about her ancestral connections to the British aristocracy. Have you discovered royal connections in your family tree? Before tuning in, explore Valerie Bertinelli’s family tree on Geni… Read the full story

Today we remember actor Robin Williams, who passed away yesterday at the age of 63. After rising to fame as the alien Mork on the television series Mork & Mindy, Williams went on to establish a successful film career, earning multiple Oscar nominations and a win in 1997 for Best Supporting Actor for his role in Good Will Hunting. He was born on July 21, 1951 in Chicago, Illinois to Lara McLaurin, a former model, and Robert… Read the full story

Kickstart your week with these great articles from around the web! Image: Obituaries from the First World War / The Telegraph The Genealogy Sphere Obituaries from the First World War (The Telegraph) – UK’s The Telegraph shares obituaries of those who fought and survived the Great War Couple who could never forget one another reunited 70 years after their families forced them to break up in China (DailyMail UK) – The amazing story of a couple… Read the full story