2017

On this day in 1724, Swedish aristocrat and scientist Eva Ekeblad was born. She was known for discovering how to make flour and alcohol from potatoes, which significantly reduce famine for years to come. She was born Eva De la Gardie on July 10, 1724 to Magnus Julius De la Gardie, a statesman, and Hedvig Catharina Lilje, who was known for hosting political salons. When potatoes were first introduced into Sweden in 1658, they were only… Read the full story

On this day in 1865, the Salvation Army was founded by William Booth, a London minister, and his wife Catherine. The couple had first established the Christian Mission, which would later become known as the Salvation Army, to help the poor and destitute in London’s East End. They held meetings open to the poorest and the most in need, including alcoholics, criminals and prostitutes. Run with military efficiency modeled after the British Army, the charitable organization soon… Read the full story

Do you remember reading The Scarlet Letter? On this day in 1804, author Nathaniel Hawthorne was born in Salem, Massachusetts. Hawthorne’s third great grandfather, William Hathorne, was the author’s first American ancestor. He was a prominent member of the Massachusetts Bay Colony and even held the positions of magistrate and judge. Hawthorne’s second great grandfather, John Hathorne, was one of the leading judges during the Salem witch trials. He was the only judge involved to never… Read the full story

On this day 155 years ago, Victor Hugo published the final chapter of his epic novel Les Misérables. Victor Marie Hugo was born on February 26, 1802 in Besançon, France. His father, Joseph Léopold Sigisbert Hugo, was a French general and served during the Napoleonic wars. Considered one of the greatest French writers in history, Hugo is best remembered for his novels The Hunchback of Notre-Dame and Les Misérables. A well regarded writer during his lifetime, Hugo was a key… Read the full story

Do you know where your ancestors are buried? As many genealogists would know, you can find a lot of genealogical information on a gravestone. That is if you know where to look. If you have yet to find where your ancestor is buried, check out these tips to help you locate your ancestor’s final resting place. 1. Obituaries Obituaries hold a wealth of genealogical information. Often you may find vital information such as birth or death dates, the names… Read the full story

Today we remember Judy Garland, who passed away on this day in 1969. The legendary actress was born Francis Ethel Gumm on June 10, 1922 in Grand Rapids, Minnesota. She was the youngest child of Ethel Marion and Francis Avent Gumm, who had settled in Grand Rapids to run a theater featuring vaudeville acts. As the daughter of former vaudeville actors, Garland got her start on stage at an early age. She made her first public performance at… Read the full story

Geni’s World Family Tree aims to connect people from all parts of the world. With an international user base, we love to hear the diverse stories from our users as they research their family histories. Sharmalan (right) with his mother Elaveni, his grandmother Visalatchy, his wife Vasuge and his daughter Vaishnavi Sharmalan Thevar was born in 1984 in Malaysia. A colorful nation made up of many different cultures and ethnicities, it’s not surprising for Malaysians… Read the full story

Happy 35th birthday to Prince William! On June 21, 1982, Prince William Arthur Phillip Louis was born at St. Mary’s Hospital in London. Three decades later, his children, George and Charlotte, would be born in the same hospital. As a child, he had the opportunity to have wider experiences than what is typical for most royal children. His mother, Princess Diana, took the future king and his brother Harry to places such as Walt Disney… Read the full story

On this day in 1840, inventor Samuel Morse received the patent for the telegraph. Samuel Finley Breese Morse revolutionized communication when he invented the single-wire telegraph system. The telegraph transmitted electric pulses over wires, enabling people to send messages over vast distances. Morse developed a code known as Morse code, which used pulses and pauses to communicate along his telegraph system. Morse was inspired to develop a faster means of communication after the death of his… Read the full story

On this day in 1215, King John of England put his royal seal on the Magna Carta, which established that everyone, including the king and the government, were not above the law. Not only is the Great Charter one of the most famous documents in the world, it is also one of the most important documents in the history of democracy. At the time, King John was facing a political crisis. Rebel barons were opposed to the King’s… Read the full story

We had a great time at the 48th Annual Southern California Genealogy Jamboree! It’s always a delight to see old friends and meet new users right here in Burbank, California. The Geni computers were often occupied throughout the conference Our booth was packed much of the time with many people eager to ask questions about how they can be a part of Geni’s World Family Tree of 114 million people. Jamboree attendees got to take advantage… Read the full story

Today marks the anniversary of the Allied invasion of Normandy. The D-Day landings was the largest seaborne invasion in history. Image: Naval History and Heritage Command In the early morning of June 6, 1944, Allied forces stormed the beaches of Normandy, France with over 160,000 troops and 13,000 paratroopers along a 50-mile stretch of France’s coastline. Over 5,000 ships and 11,000 planes had crossed the English Channel during the night in preparation to drive Nazi forces back to Berlin…. Read the full story

We’re excited for the 48th Annual Southern California Genealogy Jamboree next week in Burbank, California. The conference will take place June 8-11 at the Los Angeles Marriott Burbank Airport Hotel. The theme of this year’s Jamboree is “Hunting Your Heritage.” Jamboree will hold DNA Day on June 8, which will provide attendees with an excellent opportunity to learn more about DNA and genealogy from experts in the field. The exhibit hall will be open June 9-11 and it… Read the full story

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

Today we remember comedy legend Lucille Ball, who passed away on this day in 1989 at the age of 77. Born on August 6, 1911 in Jamestown, New York, Ball had an itch to perform at a young age. She enrolled in a New York City drama school where she was classmates with actress Bette Davis. However, she was dismissed from the school after a short period due to her shyness to perform. She began… Read the full story

Do you have Italian heritage? On this day in 1874, Italian inventor Guglielmo Marconi was born in Bologna, Italy. He was known for his pioneering work on long-distance radio transmission and radio telegraph system. Marconi was born on April 25, 1874 into an Italian noble family. He was the second son born to Giuseppe Marconi, a wealthy Italian aristocrat landowner, and Anna Fenwick Jameson, who was Irish and Scottish. His great grandfather was John Jameson, the founder of… Read the full story

Next week, Geni will be heading to the New England Regional Genealogical Consortium 2017 Conference in Springfield, Massachusetts. Held every other year, this year’s conference will focus on “Using the Tools of Today & Tomorrow to Understand the Past.” NERGC 2017 will take place April 26-29, 2017 at the MassMutal Center in Springfield. The exhibit hall will be open April 27-29 and will be open to the general public. Geni will be there at booths B,… Read the full story

Prolific sculptor Daniel Chester French was born on this day in 1850. He is best remembered for the design of his most famous piece, the statue of Abraham Lincoln at the Lincoln Memorial. Born in Exeter, New Hampshire, French spent his childhood growing up in Concord, Massachusetts with writers Ralph Waldo Emerson and Louisa May Alcott as neighbors. In fact, it was thanks to Alcott’s sister Abigail that French pursued a career as a sculptor. Considered one of America’s… Read the full story

No one looks forward to doing their taxes year after year. However, since everyone is expected to pay their taxes each year, tax records make an excellent resource for genealogists. Ohio 1826 tax records / MyHeritage SuperSearch Here are 5 reasons why tax records are great for genealogy research: 1. They are consistent. As Benjamin Franklin once said, “In this world nothing can be said to be certain, expect death and taxes.” Everyone is expected to diligently… Read the full story

When the RMS Titanic sank on April 15, 1912, over 1,500 people died in what was one of the deadliest peacetime maritime disasters in history. Of the estimated 2,240 passengers and crew on board, over 700 survived. Amongst the survivors where two young French boys who were tossed into a lifeboat by their father, who had died in the disaster. Unable to speak English, the identity of the boys was a mystery. The boys were at first misidentified as Louis and… Read the full story

Have you visited the library recently? This week is National Library Week in the United States, which makes it the perfect time to highlight librarian Melvil Dewey, the inventor of the Dewey Decimal system of library classification. Melville Louis Kossuth Dewey was born on December 10, 1851 in Adams Center New York. He was the fifth and youngest child of Joel Dewey and Eliza Green. At the age of 21, Dewey invented the Dewey Decimal… Read the full story

Did your family serve in World War I? On this day 100 years ago, the United States entered World War I and joined the Allies in the fight against Germany. Called the “War to End All Wars,” the Great War would be unlike any war ever seen before. East Oregonian, April 6, 1917 / Library of Congress Upon the announcement, President Woodrow Wilson called on all citizens to volunteer their services to the country. The president declared the… Read the full story

Happy birthday to Doris Day! Today the actress turns 95. Day got an interesting birthday surprise this year when she learned she was actually turning 95 and not 93. The Associated Press obtained her birth certificate which revealed that she was actually born in 1922, making her two years older than what she believed. Day originally thought she was born in 1924. In a comment on her birthday surprise, Day said “I’ve always said that age is just… Read the full story

When you interview your relatives about your family history, the goal is often to gather names, dates, and locations. Sometimes you may lose sight of the stories behind those names, dates, and locations. Some of the greatest insights into your family come from the family stories that relatives remember. It is easy to forget what questions to ask during a family interview, so it is always best to be prepared with a list of questions…. Read the full story

On this day in 1519, Henry II of France was born in the royal Château de Saint -Germain-en-Laye, near Paris, France. He was the second son of Francis I and Claude, Duchess of Brittany, who was the daughter of Louis XII of France. As a child, he and his older brother were captured and held prisoner in Spain. They remained in captivity for over four years. At the age of 14, he married Catherine de’ Medici. However,… Read the full story

Today we remember actress Patty Duke, who passed away on this day one year ago. She was born Anne Marie Duke on December 14, 1946 in Queens, New York. The youngest of three children, Duke experienced a very difficult childhood. Her father was an alcoholic and her mother suffered from clinical depression. At the age of 8, she was placed in the care of talent managers, who added her to their stable of child actors, and forced… Read the full story

On this day in 1969, Dwight D. Eisenhower, the 34th President of the United States, died at the age of 78. Dwight David Eisenhower was born on October 14, 1890 in Denison, Texas. He was the third of seven sons born to David Jacob Eisenhower and Ida Elizabeth Stover. His parents had a strong religious background and set aside time everyday for a daily family Bible reading. Since he was a child, Eisenhower was known by the… Read the full story

During your genealogy research, you’ll often come across the signatures of your ancestors. Signatures are fascinating because they might be the only traces of handwriting you may find in your ancestors’ own hand. Not only are they fun to find, they can also help supplement your genealogy research. Signatures can be a good way to verify if separate documents belong to the same person. For example, by comparing signatures, you may be able to conclude that a deed signed by James Ford is… Read the full story

Who is your favorite James Bond? On this day in 1946, License to Kill star Timothy Dalton was born in Colwyn Bay, Wales. He was the oldest of five children born to Peter Dalton-Leggett and Dorthy Scholes. His father was a captain in the Special Operations Executive during World War II. When he was young, it seemed Dalton would follow his father’s footsteps into the military. As a teen, he was even a member of the Air… Read the full story

It’s St. Patrick’s Day! To celebrate, here are some interesting facts about the holiday that you may not have known: 1. Saint Patrick was not Irish. St. Patrick’s Day is celebrated on the anniversary of the death of Saint Patrick, the patron saint of Ireland. He was actually born in Britain, probably in Scotland. He was kidnapped by pirates at the age of 16 and spent 6 years as a slave in Ireland. He became… Read the full story

Today we celebrate the birthday of Albert Einstein, one of the most brilliant minds in history. Albert Einstein was born on March 14, 1879 in Ulm, in the Kingdom of Wüttemberg in what was then the German Empire. Considered one of the most influential physicists of the 20th century, Einstein’s scientific breakthroughs dramatically changed our understanding of the universe. Albert Einstein / Library of Congress In honor of his birthday, here are some interesting facts about Albert… Read the full story

Have you tried using flip nodes while working in the family tree? Flip nodes are a great way to see more details about a profile without having to leave the tree. With flip nodes, you can have quick access to a profile’s basic information, DNA markers, a peek at the About section, a brief summary of the profile’s history, and a description of how the profile is related to you. You will also have easy access to additional actions right in the tree…. Read the full story

Today the world celebrates International Women’s Day, recognizing the past and present achievements of women all around the world. In honor of the day, we’re highlighting some of the inspiring women in Geni’s World Family Tree who have made their mark in history: Victoria Woodhull (1838-1927) Image: Wikimedia Commons A leader of the women’s suffrage movement, Victoria Woodhull became the first woman to run for President of the United States in 1872. She was a candidate for the Equal… Read the full story

The following post is written by Jennifer Payen, who embarked on a mission to find her paternal grandfather. Read how DNA testing and a family tree on Geni were instrumental to solving this family mystery and gave Jennifer the opportunity to finally share with her father where he came from. At the age of thirteen, my 85-year old grandfather Frank had a stroke. Little did I realize that as a result, my father would reveal a secret that had been tightly-compacted to… Read the full story

This year’s Oscars was one for the history books. Best Supporting Actor winner Mahershala Ali made Academy Award history last night by becoming the first Muslim actor to win an Oscar. Viola Davis, the first African American actress to receive three Oscar nominations, finally won her first Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress. With her win, she has become the first African American to achieve the “Triple Crown of Acting,” winning an Emmy, a Tony and an Oscar. Full of… Read the full story

Last month, we celebrated the 10th anniversary of Geni’s launch by announcing a chance for one lucky user to win a free year of Geni Pro. For a chance to win, people were asked to answer one question – “What first sparked your interest in genealogy?” We received many great responses from the community and a winner was randomly chosen from our list of valid entries sent to us via Facebook, Twitter and email. Today we’re excited… Read the full story

Remember watching The Golden Girls? On this day in 1934, star Rue McClanahan was born in Healdton, Oklahoma. She was born Eddi-Rue McClanahan to Dreda Rheua-Nell Medaris, a beautician, and William Edwin McClanahan, a building contractor. Her name was was a contraction of her parents’ middle names, but she dropped the “Eddi” when she was mistaken for a boy and drafted into the military in error after finishing school. After graduating from college, McClanahan found work in theater… Read the full story

We had a fantastic time at RootsTech 2017. Each year the conference gets bigger and bigger, and this year was no exception with an estimated 30,000 attendees! RootsTech 2017 We always have a wonderful time getting to see old friends and meeting new people enthusiastic to learn more about collaboration in genealogy. This year curators Anne Brannen and Ashley Odell joined the Geni team at the booth to help introduce Geni to new visitors. Their genealogy expertise… Read the full story

Some of the best stories come from our own families. Often these lasting memories are passed down through generations either through storytelling or in personal journals or diaries. Today take a look back at the wedding stories in your family tree. You may even want to look for their wedding announcements in old newspapers, which sometimes include a story or description of the happy couple’s special day. Below are a few interesting wedding stories we found in old newspapers:… Read the full story