October 2016

We love to hear stories from our users about the fascinating discoveries they have made on Geni. Below we share a story from Angela Sinickas Shiromani, who connected with descendants of her grandmother’s siblings through Geni. This amazing discovery finally united two lines of the family after being separated across two continents for over 60 years. In June 2013, while on a trip to Lithuania to speak at the Lithuanian World Economic Forum, Angela decided… Read the full story

Happy birthday, Bill Gates! Today the Microsoft co-founder and philanthropist turns 61. William Henry Gates III was born on October 28, 1955 in Seattle, Washington to William H. Gates, Sr. and Mary Maxwell. By the age of 13, Gates began to show an interest in computer programming and continued to pursue his passion during college. He would drop out of Harvard University to form a company called “Micro-soft” with his childhood friend Paul Allen. Later dropping… Read the full story

Before Geni introduced documents, users were able to upload records, such as census records or passenger lists, as photos. Now years later, many people are still not aware that you can convert those old photos into documents. By converting these types of photos into documents, you make these records even more useful in your family tree. Once the image is made into a document, you can use them as sources for your family’s profiles. For each profile… Read the full story

On this day in 1764, future President John Adams married Abigail Smith at the Smith family home in Weymouth, Massachusetts. Abigail Adams was born on November 22, 1744 to Elizabeth Quincy and William Smith, a pastor. The couple had known each other since they were children and throughout their courtship and marriage exchanged over 1,100 letters. Their letters were filled with intellectual discussions on government and politics and provided a unique window into 18th century life and personal insight… Read the full story

On this day in 1632, Dutch tradesman Antoni van Leeuwenhoek was born. Known as the “Father of microbiology,” van Leeuwenhoek is considered to be the first person to observe microbes. He was born in Delft in the Netherlands to Philips Antonisz van Leeuwenhoek, a basket maker, and Margaretha Bel van den Berch, who had come from a brewer family. A draper, van Leeuwenhoek made for an unlikely scientist. He became interested in lensmaking while working in… Read the full story

On this day in 1833, Swedish inventor and philanthropist Alfred Nobel was born in Stockholm, Sweden. Although today Nobel is best remembered for establishing the Nobel Prizes, he first earned his fortune as the inventor of dynamite. After his brother died in an explosion at his father’s arms factory, Nobel sought to find a safer substance than the unstable nitroglycerin. It was after a newspaper incorrectly published Nobel’s obituary that he became concerned with how he would be remembered by… Read the full story

On this day in 1931, baseball legend Mickey Mantle was born in Spavinaw, Oklahoma. He was born to Elvin Charles “Mutt” Mantle, a lead miner, and Lovell Richardson. A huge baseball fan, Mantle’s father had named him after Mickey Cochrane, a Hall of Fame catcher. A gifted athlete while in school, Mantle was scouted and signed to a minor league contract right out of high school. By the age of 19, Mantle was playing for the… Read the full story

On October 19, 1469, Ferdinand II of Aragon married Isabella I of Castile. Their marriage would pave the way for the unification of Aragon and Castile into the single country of Spain. In 1492, the monarchs brought the Reconquista to an end when the last Islamic state in Iberia at Granada finally fell to the expanding Christian kingdoms. Soon after, Ferdinand and Isabella agreed to sponsor Christopher Columbus on an expedition to reach the Indies by sailing… Read the full story

On this day in 1831, German Emperor Frederick III was born in the New Palace at Potsdam, Prussia. The only son of Emperor Wilhelm I, Frederick was celebrated for his leadership and successes during the Second Schleswig, Austro-Prussian and Franco-Prussian Wars. Despite his military success, Frederick was known to dislike warfare and was often praised for his humane conduct. After the death of his father at the age of 90 on March 9, 1888, Frederick… Read the full story

Today marks the 950th anniversary of the Battle of Hastings. On this day in 1066, William the Conqueror led his forces to defeat King Harold II of England. In January 1066, the death of the childless King Edward the Confessor resulted in a struggle for succession to the English throne. After his death, Harold II was browed king. However, William, then Duke of Normandy, had claimed he was the rightful heir to the throne. According… Read the full story

Born in Minneapolis, Minnesota, Barbara Zinn first became interested in family history in 1998 when her husband’s aunt sent the couple his family history. Since then, Barbara had been doing her husband’s genealogy off and on.  After researching her husband’s family for a number of years, Barbara became interested in seeing what she could find about her own family. Mary Louise Spencer (Barbara’s paternal grandmother) / Courtesy of Barbara Zinn “Because of my upbringing, and… Read the full story

Congratulations to Bob Dylan! It was announced today that legendary singer and songwriter was awarded the Nobel Prize in Literature for “having created new poetic expressions within the great American song tradition.” Dylan’s win for the Nobel Prize was a surprise for many. He is the first American to win the Nobel Prize in Literature since author Toni Morrison won the prize in 1993. He’s also the first person who is considered primarily a musician to… Read the full story

On October 11, 1890, the Daughters of the American Revolution was founded. The non-profit organization and genealogical scoeity welcomes women who are directly descended from Patriots who served in the American Revolutionary War. The group works to promote historic preservation, education and patriotism. Check out these fast facts about the founding of the Daughters of the American Revolution: 1. It emerged during a time of renewed passion and interest in the early days of American history. Image: Library… Read the full story

We love hearing stories of families reunited through Geni. Recently, Eli Rabinowitz finally found his first cousin Zara Smushkovich after being separated for over 35 years! The discovery was made thanks to the help of a friendly person on Facebook who found the family tree on Geni. Zara’s father, David, and Eli’s mother, Rachel Zara’s father, David Zeldin, and Eli’s mother, Rachel, were siblings. During World War II, David had joined the Soviet Army. His children, Mendel and… Read the full story

It’s Family History Month! Throughout the month of October, we’ll be sharing stories from the Geni community in celebration of genealogy and family history. Read below of one Geni user’s journey into genealogy and her excitement for the endless possibilities of connecting and collaborating in the World Family Tree. Born in Brooklyn, New York, Tamar Weinberg likes to call herself a professional hustler. A work-at-home mom with 4 kids under the age of 7, Tamar… Read the full story

Today we remember innovator Steve Jobs, who died on this day five years ago. Steve Jobs was born on February 24, 1955 in San Francisco, California to Joanne Schieble and Abdulfatah Jandali. His biological parents were two graduate students from the University of Wisconsin and decided to put him up for adoption. He was adopted by Paul and Clara Jobs, who encouraged his education and hobby of tinkering with electronics. The co-founder of Apple, Jobs’… Read the full story

Do you have a favorite Janis Joplin song? Today we remember the legendary singer on the 46th anniversary of her death. Janis Lyn Joplin was born on January 19, 1943 in Port Arthur, Texas. From an early age, Joplin had a love of music. It was in her teens that she was first introduced to blues and jazz. Joplin was known for her bluesy, uninhibited, and gutsy singing style that was not seen in other female… Read the full story