May 2017

Happy birthday, Clint Eastwood! Today the actor turns 87. He was born on May 31, 1930 in San Francisco, California to Clinton Eastwood, Sr. and Ruth Runner. A hefty baby at birth, Eastwood weighed 11 lb 6 oz and was nicknamed “Samson” by the nurses at the hospital. His family had been in North America for many generations. In fact, Eastwood is a direct descendant of Mayflower passenger William Bradford, who is his 10th great grandfather…. Read the full story

Today marks what would have been John F. Kennedy’s birthday! The 35th President of the United States was born on May 29, 1917 in Brookline, Massachusetts to Joseph “Joe” Kennedy and Rose Elizabeth Fitzgerald. Image: John F. Kennedy Presidential Library and Museum In celebration of John F. Kennedy’s birthday, here are 10 interesting things you may not know about the beloved U.S. President: 1. He was named after his maternal grandfather. John Fitzgerald Kennedy was named… Read the full story

Today marks the 40th anniversary of Star Wars! Created by George Lucas, the epic story set in a galaxy far, far away would become a worldwide phenomenon and be beloved by audiences across generations. Since its initial release, the series has expanded into one of the largest franchises of all time. George Lucas was born and raised in Modesto, California to Dorthy Ellinore Bomberger and George Walton Lucas, Sr. He developed a passion for film and cinematography… Read the full story

Have you had trouble making heads-or-tails of an old, handwritten document? Poor penmanship is a common issue you may encounter while doing your genealogy research. But with a little patience, you may be able to figure out just what was written on the page all those years ago. Here are 10 tips to help you decipher hard-to-read handwriting: 1. Read the entire document Try reading through the document a few times to see if what you can… Read the full story

After a short battle with cancer, James Bond star Roger Moore has died at the age of 89. Moore was born on October 14, 1927 in Stockwell, London, England. He was only child of Lillian “Lily” Pope and George Alfred Moore, a policeman. At the end of World War II, Moore was conscripted for national service with the Royal Army Service Corps at the age of 18. Before taking on the role of 007, Moore found fame… Read the full story

Are you related to the last tsar of Russia? On this day in 1868, Nicholas II was born in St. Petersburg, Russia. The eldest son of Emperor Alexander III and Empress Maria Feodorovna of Russia, Nicholas succeeded his father as emperor after his death in 1894. With little government experience, Nicholas’s rule saw one of the greatest powers in Europe fall into economic and military ruin. He took command of the Russian army during World War I… Read the full story

We’re back from Raleigh, North Carolina where we had the pleasure of attending the National Genealogical Society 2017 Family History Conference. The city was named after Sir Walter Raleigh, who established the lost Roanoke Colony in what is today Dare County, North Carolina. Between May 10-13, genealogists and family history enthusiasts gathered at the Raleigh Convention Center in downtown Raleigh. On the first day, we were greeted by large crowds of excited genealogists eager to learn more about… Read the full story

Happy birthday, Bono! Today the U2 frontman turns 57. He was born Paul David Hewson in Dublin, Ireland. The second son of Bob Hewson and Iris Rankin, Bono lost his mother at the age of 14 when she died of a brain aneurysm after collapsing at her father’s funeral. While still in high school, he joined the band U2 and was nicknamed “Bono Vox,” which means “good voice” in Latin. It wasn’t until the band… Read the full story

Remember watching Little House on the Prairie? Today star Melissa Gilbert turns 53. Gilbert was adopted a day after her birth by comedian Paul Gilbert and actress Barbara Crane, daughter of The Honeymooners creator Harry Crane. With a showbiz family, it was no surprise that Gilbert would also enter the entertainment industry. In 1974, she was cast as the star of the period drama television series Little House on the Prairie, based on Laura Ingalls Wilder’s widely successful book series…. Read the full story

We’re hitting the road again next week for the National Genealogical Society 2017 Family History Conference in Raleigh, North Carolina. Between May 10-13, genealogists from all over the country will come together for four exciting days of genealogy fun. Attendees will have the opportunity to choose from over 175 sessions designed to help beginners and advanced genealogy researchers and family historians. If you can’t make it, NGS will be live streaming several sessions. The Geni team will… Read the full story

Happy Cinco de Mayo! The holiday commemorates the Mexican Army’s unlikely victory over French forces at the Battle of Puebla on May 5, 1862. In honor of the holiday, were highlighting Benito Juárez, who was at the time the President of Mexico. After the Mexican-American War, Mexico faced a civil war known as the Reform War that left the country bankrupt. In 1861, Juárez suspended all foreign debt repayments. In response, France, Spain, and Britain sent their naval… Read the full story

We’re back from the New England Regional Genealogical Consortium 2017 conference in Springfield, Massachusetts. We had a great time meeting Geni users and introducing Geni to genealogists and family historians who were still unfamiliar with the World Family Tree. This year saw a record number of registrants, while the exhibit hall was also open and free to the public. The Geni booth at NERGC 2017 The conference took place at the MassMutual Convention Center, where… Read the full story