August 2016

On this day in 1871, physicist Ernest Rutherford was born in Spring Grove, New Zealand. Dubbed the “Father of the Nuclear Age,” Rutherford’s scientific research led to the first splitting of the atom in 1917. He was the fourth of twelve children born to James Rutherford and Martha Thompson. His mother was a schoolteacher and placed a strong emphasis on the children’s education. When not in school, Rutherford spent his time helping with chores on the… Read the full story

Happy birthday, Michael Jackson! Today the King of Pop would have turned 58. Michael Joseph Jackson was born on August 29, 1958 in Gary, Indiana. He was the eighth of ten children born to Katherine Scruse and Joseph “Joe” Jackson. At the age of five, Michael began performing with his older brothers as a member of the Jackson 5. His talent was immediately apparent and it was long before Michael was made the group’s lead… Read the full story

Next week Geni will be heading to Springfield, Illinois for the Federation of Genealogical Societies 2016 National Conference. From August 31 – September 3, genealogists and family historians will come together at the Prairie Capital Convention Center in Springfield. This year’s theme is “Time Travel: Centuries of Memories” with tracks geared to inspire and enrich your family history. Attendees will have the opportunity to choose from a wide variety of sessions offered by many of the… Read the full story

Today the U.S. celebrates Women’s Equality Day, which commemorates the day when the 19th Amendment to the United States Constitution was certified as law. In honor of the day, we’re highlighting Elizabeth Cady Stanton, who helped draft the historical amendment. A leading figure of the women’s rights movement, Stanton’s work helped pave the way for granting women the right to vote. In 1848, Stanton helped organize the Seneca Falls Convention, which was the first women’s rights convention to be… Read the full story

Do you have Russian ancestry? On this day in 1530, the first tsar of Russia, Ivan IV, was born in the Grand Duchy of Muscovy, Russia. From a young age, Ivan experienced much tragedy and pain. When he was 3, his father died of an infection from an abscess on his leg. At the request of his father, Ivan was made Grand Prince of Moscow, and his mother acted as regent. However, a few short… Read the full story

Geni curators spend a great deal of time working hard to ensure the World Family Tree is the highest-quality family tree of the entire world. Always eager to collaborate and interact in discussions and projects, our dedicated group of volunteers have assisted many Geni users over the years. If you haven’t yet had the pleasure of working with a curator, we thought it would be fun to get to know some members of the curator… Read the full story

Did you know that on this day in 1932, Amelia Earhart became the first woman to fly nonstop across the United States? A pioneer in aviation, Earhart set many records throughout her career. On August 24, 1932, she became the first woman to make a solo nonstop flight across the United States from Los Angeles, California to Newark, New Jersey. The flight took a total of 19 hours and 5 minutes and set a woman’s distance record… Read the full story

Do you remember watching I Dream of Jeannie? Today star Barbara Eden celebrates her 85th birthday. She was born Barbara Jean Morehead on August 23, 1931 in Tucson, Arizona. As she grew up during the Great Depression, her mother kept her entertained by singing songs. Her early exposure to music left a lasting impression and inspired her to pursue her love of singing and acting. After doing guest spots on a few shows, Eden landed the biggest role… Read the full story

This past week, Geni headed to Seattle, Washington for the 36th IAJGS International Conference on Jewish Genealogy. We had an amazing time seeing old friends and meeting new visitors eager to learn more about collaborative genealogy in Geni’s World Family Tree. The Geni booth at IAJGS 2016 The conference got off to a fantastic start with the Share Fair on Sunday. The exhibit hall had a steady crowd all day with people reuniting with old friends and learning… Read the full story

Happy birthday, Madonna! Today the iconic singer turns 58. Madonna Louise Veronica Ciccone was born on August 16, 1958 in Bay City, Michigan to Silvio Anthony Ciccone and Madonna Louise Fortin. At the age of 5, Madonna lost her mother to breast cancer. The loss of her mother significantly affected Madonna as she grew up. Although she remained a straight-A student, Madonna gained attention for her unconventional behavior. After recording her first hit “Everybody,” Madonna’s fame skyrocketed. In… Read the full story

On this day in 1881, director and producer Cecil B. DeMille was born in Ashfield, Massachusetts to Henry de Mille and Matilda Samuel. His surname is of Dutch origin and was spelled as de Mille which he used in private life, however he chose to use the spelling DeMille for professional purposes. He is recognized as a founding father of the Hollywood film industry. Edendale, a historical name for a district in Los Angeles, California was originally… Read the full story

Today we remember Scottish American industrialist and philanthropist, Andrew Carnegie, who died on August 11, 1919 at the age of 83 in Lenox, Massachusetts. He founded the Keystone Bridge Company in 1865 which was an important bridge building company, but he made his fortune in the steel industry. In 1892 he started the Carnegie Steel Company, it was the largest manufacturer of pig iron, steel rails, and coke (a type of fuel derived from coal)… Read the full story

On this day in 1928, American country music singer and businessman Jimmy Dean was born in Plainview, Texas to George Otto Dean and Ruth Taylor. His best known song was in 1961 called “Big Bad John”; the song won Dean the 1962 Grammy Award for Best Country & Western Recording. Dean was also a television host, he had a variety TV series called The Jimmy Dean Show which featured comedy, popular music artists and country music… Read the full story

On August 9, 1854, Henry David Thoreau‘s novel Walden was published. Walden is Thoreau’s most famous novel, he also wrote the essay Civil Disobedience. Thoreau was also a poet, philosopher and abolitionist. His writings inspired many notable leaders such as Mahatma Gandhi, Martin Luther King, Jr. and President John F. Kennedy. Henry David Thoreau was born on July 12, 1817 in Concord, Massachusetts to John Thoreau and Cynthia Dunbar. His name at birth was David Henry, named… Read the full story

On this day in 1974, Richard Nixon resigned from the office of the President of the United States in a nationwide television address. Do you remember watching? After serving as Vice President under President Dwight D. Eisenhower, Nixon made his bid for the presidency, but narrowly lost to John F. Kennedy. In 1968, he ran again and won. Nixon’s last years in office were marred by the Watergate scandal. At noon the next day after his televised… Read the full story

Next week, Geni will be at the 36th IAJGS International Conference on Jewish Genealogy in Seattle, Washington. The conference will be held from August 7-12, 2016 at the Sheraton Seattle Downtown Hotel. The local host this year is the Jewish Genealogical Society of Washington State. This year’s theme is “The Wandering Jew.” Come join us at one of the largest Jewish genealogy conferences in the world! If you’re planning to attend, be sure to stop by… Read the full story

On this day in 1923, Calvin Coolidge was sworn in as the 30th President of the United States, just hours after the death of President Warren G. Harding. John Calvin Coolidge, Jr. was born on July 4, 1872 in Plymouth, Vermont. He’s the only U.S. President to be born on Independence Day. Coolidge’s second great-grandfather, John Coolidge, served in the American Revolutionary War. On August 2, 1923, President Harding died suddenly in San Francisco. At… Read the full story