2017

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

On this day in 1781, astronomer William Herschel discovered the planet Uranus, the seventh planet from the sun. Born on November 15, 1738 in the Electorate of Hanover in Germany, then a part of the Holy Roman Empire, Herschel moved to Great Britain at the age of 19. He worked as a musician and composer before discovering an interest in astronomy. As his interests grew stronger, Herschel began building his own telescopes and noting his… 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

On this day in 1836, American landscape painter Winslow Homer was born in Boston, Massachusetts. Homer was the second of three sons born to Charles Savage Homer and Henrietta Maria Benson. He came from a long line of New England families from both of his parents. As a child, he was encourage by his mother to pursue his interests in painting. Early in his career, Homer worked as a lithographer and then as an illustrator for Harper’s Weekly…. 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

In one week Geni will be heading to Salt Lake City, Utah for RootsTech 2017, the world’s largest genealogy conference. RootsTech has always been a little unique with its interesting blend of genealogy and technology. Open to newbies and experts, RootsTech is the perfect place to meet fellow genealogy researchers and discover new family history technologies. RootsTech will take place February 8-11, 2017 at the Salt Palace Convention Center. The conference will be offering over 200 sessions for… Read the full story

Happy Chinese New Year! This lunar year welcomes the Year of the Rooster, which begins Saturday, January 28.  Also known as the Lunar New Year or the Spring Festival, the holiday is celebrated across 15 days in many countries around the world. At its core, the holiday is about home and family. Steeped in tradition, symbolism and superstition, Chinese New Year is an important time for families to reunite to honor their ancestors. Multiple generations and extended family… Read the full story

Yesterday, beloved TV icon Mary Tyler Moore died in Greenwich, Connecticut at the age of 80. She starred in two classic television shows and helped change the portrayal of women on television. When The Mary Tyler Moore Show first premiered in 1970, it marked the first time a single, never-married, independent career woman was the central character on TV. The show would go on to influence generations of viewers. The Mary Tyler Moore Show / Wikimedia Commons In… Read the full story

Today we celebrate what would have been legendary actor Paul Newman’s 92nd birthday! Born on January 26, 1925, Newman was the second son of Theresa Fetzko and Aurthur Sigmund Newman. His mother was born in Homonna in the Austro-Hungarian Empire (now Slovakia) and his father was the son of Jewish immigrants from Hungary and Poland. As a child, Newman showed an early interest in theater and participated in school plays. While in college, Newman enlisted in… Read the full story

Do you have any Confederate ancestors? On this day in 1807, General Robert E. Lee was born at Stratford Hall Plantation in Westmoreland County, Virginia. He was the son of Major General Henry Lee III and his second wife, Anne Hill Carter. During the American Revolution, Lee’s father served as a cavalry officer in the Continental Army, where he earned the nickname “Light-Horse Harry” for his horsemanship. Did you know Lee’s family was one of… Read the full story

When Geni first launched in January 2007, we had one very ambition goal: to create a family tree of the whole world! We invited users to build their family trees and invite their relatives to join them. What began as several smaller family trees naturally led to merging overlapping families, connecting these separate trees into one big tree. Now, thanks to the collaborative efforts of millions of genealogists and family historians, Geni’s World Family Tree has grown to over 112 million profiles! Geni’s… Read the full story

Happy birthday, Betty White! Today the funny actress turns 95. Betty Marion White was born January 17, 1922 in Oak Park, Illinois to Christine Cachikis and Horace White. Her maternal grandfather was born in Greece, while her paternal grandfather was Danish. She got her start in radio and television shortly after graduating high school and by the 1940s, she had her own radio show called The Betty White Show. A pioneer of television, White became one of the first… Read the full story

Have you checked out your family map lately? If the profiles in your family tree have their birth or current locations entered, you can easily see them displayed on a world map. The map page is also a great way to see if you have any relatives in the family tree that are missing these locations on their profiles. To view the map, click on Family at the top of the page and select Map. Here you… Read the full story

On this day in 1913, actress Loretta Young was born in Salt Lake City, Utah. She was born Gretchen Young to John Earle Young and Gladys Royal. When she was two, her parents divorced and she and her two sisters moved to Hollywood with their mother. By the age of three, Young began working as a child extra in silent films. After signing her first film contract, she was given the name Loretta. Over the course… Read the full story

It’s the start of a New Year! Now is the best time to set your genealogy goals for 2017. Check out a few New Year’s resolution ideas to get you started in 2017: Take a DNA test and add your test results to your family tree on Geni Finally break through that troublesome brick wall in your family tree Visit the graves of your ancestors and take photos of their tombstones to add to their profiles Order… Read the full story

Do you remember watching Falcon Crest? On this day in 1917, actress Jane Wyman was born in Saint Joseph, Missouri. She was born Sarah Jane Mayfield to Manning Jefferies Mayfield and Gladys Hope Christian. Shortly after her parents divorced in 1921, her father died unexpectedly. She was taken in by neighbors, while her mother moved to Ohio. During this time, she adopted the surname of her foster parents, Fulks. She began her career in Hollywood during the 1930s… Read the full story