April 2015

From the beginning of the 1880s, cigarette manufacturers issued trade cards with every cigarette package to help stiffen the packaging and advertise cigarette brands. It didn’t take long for the cards to become sought-after collectables, and even children would ask smokers for their cards to play their games. Manufacturing of the cards stopped during World War II to save paper and, after the war, they were never fully reintroduced. Although it may seem unusual now, these cards typically depicted… Read the full story

Happy birthday to Jerry Seinfeld! Today the actor turns 61. After getting his start in stand-up comedy, Jerry starred in the hit sitcom Seinfeld for nine seasons. He developed the series alongside comedian Larry David and together, created a show that broke all the conventions of mainstream television. Famously described as “a show about nothing,” Seinfeld ended its run as one of the most popular and successful shows in television history. These days, Jerry still performs stand-up and hosts… Read the full story

Do you remember watching Viva Las Vegas? Today star Ann-Margret celebrates her 74th birthday. She was born Ann-Margret Olsson to Anna Regina and Carl Gustav Olsson in Valsjöbyn, Sweden, a small fishing village near the Arctic Circle. In 1946, her family moved to the United States where she began taking her first dance lessons. Her career blossomed in the early 1960s with a starring role opposite Dick Van Dyke in the film Bye Bye Birdie and the release of… Read the full story

Are you related to Dutch royalty? Today King Willem-Alexander of the Netherlands celebrates his 48th birthday! He was born Willem-Alexander Claus George Ferdinand on April 27, 1967 in Utrecht, Netherlands. The oldest son of then Princess Beatrix and Prince Claus, and the first grandchild of Queen Juliana and Prince Bernhard, Willem-Alexander had the distinction of being the first immediate male heir born to the Dutch Royal family in 116 years. On April 30, 2013, Willem-Alexander was sworn in… Read the full story

This year marks the 100th anniversary of Anzac Day, a national holiday of remembrance in Australia and New Zealand commemorating all Australians and New Zealanders who served and died in all wars, conflicts and peacekeeping operations. Image: State Library of New South Wales Observed on April 25 of each year, the holiday was originally created to honor the members of the Australian and New Zealand Army Corps (ANZAC) who bravely fought at Gallipoli against the… Read the full story

We love hearing from our users, especially when they are as passionate and enthusiastic for the World Family Tree as Theresa Renée Eléna Delgado-Tossas, also known as the artist, Renée Walker. Theresa Renée was born in Berlin, Germany on an Air Force instillation where her parents were stationed. An artist and performer, she splits her time between Arecibo, Puerto Rico and the Mannheim/Heidelberg areas of Germany. Several events sparked her quest into her family’s genealogy,… Read the full story

Are you related to a Spanish conquistador? On this day in 1519, explorer Hernán Cortés established a settlement at Veracruz, Mexico. Born around 1485 in Medellín, Spain to a family of nobility, Cortés chose to pursue a livelihood in the New World. In 1519, Cortés led an expedition to Mexico against the orders of Hispaniola Governor Diego Velázquez de Cuéllar. By April of that year, he had settled Veracruz and set his sights on conquering the… Read the full story

Happy birthday to Queen Elizabeth II! Today the British monarch turns 89. The Queen was born on April 21, 1926 in London to Prince Albert and Lady Elizabeth Bowes-Lyon. At the time of her birth, no one would have predicted that she would someday be queen. However, after her uncle, King Edward VIII, abdicated the throne, her father succeeded as King George VI and made Elizabeth the heir presumptive. This year will be a big year… Read the full story

As we are perusing newspapers and other old periodicals in our family history research, it can be great fun to take a moment to read the advertisements of the day. These vintage ads are a great glimpse into life in the past and can provide insights into popular fashions, products and trends of the time. Check out these advertisements throughout history: Image: Library Company of Philidelphia In this 1849 advertisement, Dr. George Stuart’s botanical syrup and vegetable pills are said… Read the full story

Remember watching Bewitched? 82 years ago today, star Elizabeth Montgomery was born in Los Angeles, California. Elizabeth made her screen debut with a role on her father’s television show Robert Montgomery Presents. After several successful appearances on television, including an Emmy-nominated role in The Untouchables, Elizabeth landed the role as the lovable witch Samantha Stephens on the classic comedy Bewitched. The show instantly became a ratings success and lasted for eight seasons. It also earned Elizabeth five more Emmy nominations…. Read the full story

Did your ancestors receive mail via the Pony Express? Today we celebrate the 155th anniversary of the history-making mail delivery service. The Pony Express was first launched on April 3, 1860 with two relay teams of horses and riders. The teams were dispatched from St. Joseph, Missouri and Sacramento, California and made their way across the country simultaneously. Mail with a Pony Express stamp On April 14, the first westbound delivery arrived to its destination in San Francisco, California… Read the full story

Happy birthday, Loretta Lynn! Today the country music legend turns 83. She was born Loretta Webb on April 14, 1932 to Theodore Melvin “Ted” Webb, a coal miner, and Clara Marie “Clary” Ramey in Butcher Hollow, Kentucky. Shortly before she turned 16, she married Oliver “Doolittle” Lynn and their life together inspired many of her songs. She was encouraged by her husband to pursue a career in music, and by 1960, she released her first… Read the full story

Do you have any siblings? Today is National Siblings Day! Even when your siblings annoy you to no end, there’s always that special bond of unconditional love and support. National Siblings Day was founded by Claudia A. Evart to honor the memory of her brother and sister, both of whom had died at early ages. This special day is celebrated every year on April 10, the birthday of Evart’s sister, Lisette. Although the day is not federally recognized,… Read the full story

While researching your family history, it’s not uncommon to find some “kissing cousins,” close cousins who have married each other. History is filled with many of these cousin marriages, including the marriages of Charles Darwin, Queen Victoria, and Martin Van Buren. How do you show these cousin marriages in your family tree on Geni? If you have two people who are related in multiple ways within the same tree, you can create a “Cycle” on Geni to display… Read the full story

Happy birthday, Patricia Arquette! Today the Oscar-winning actress turns 47. Born into a showbiz family, Patricia seemed destined to be a performer. Her great grandfather, Charles Augustus Arquette, was a vaudeville performer and her paternal grandfather, Cliff, was an actor and comedian. Not only did both of her parents also work in the industry, but so do her four siblings, who have each found their own path to stardom. Throughout her career, she has starred in a wide variety… Read the full story

Happy birthday, Russell Crowe! Today the actor turns 51. He was born in Wellington, New Zealand to Jocelyn Yvonne and John Alexander Crowe. His maternal grandfather, Stanley Wemyss, was a cinematographer who was named an MBE for filming footage of World War II. When he was four, Crowe and his family moved to Sydney, Australia to pursue careers as set caterers. Crowe was six when he was cast in his first role on television. Crowe gained… Read the full story

The Great Depression was hard for many people. With little money at their disposal, families had to learn ways to improvise and cook cheaply. Some families have cookbooks passed down from this era detailing some of the dishes many families had to create. Others may have had living family who were willing to teach them some Great Depression recipes. Clara Cannucciari grew up during the Great Depression and remembered her mother’s Depression era dishes with… Read the full story

Happy birthday,

Happy 83rd birthday to Debbie Reynolds! She was born Mary Frances Reynolds on April 1, 1932 in El Paso, Texas. The second child of Maxine and Raymond Francis Reynolds, Debbie and her family moved to Burbank, California in 1939. By the age of 16, she had won the Miss Burbank beauty contest and landed a contract with Warner Brothers. Her most memorable turn was opposite Gene Kelly and Donald O’Connor in the classic musical Singin’ in the… Read the full story

As British Prime Minister David Cameron begins his re-election campaign, he’s made an interesting revelation about his family history. In an interview with Heat, Cameron confirmed that he and Kim Kardashian are 13th cousins! How did he come to this revelation? Why Geni’s World Family Tree of course! This relationship was originally reported in two articles in the Daily Mail, following research done by AJ Jacobs, who’s been using Geni’s World Family Tree for his Global… Read the full story