May 2018

We’re proud to announce a long awaited improvement for Geni users – our new HTML tree is now available on all tablet and mobile devices! The new HTML tree replaces our HTML5 version of the tree, which was previously available for devices that do not support Flash. In the past, the HTML5 tree presented users with a very limited version of the family tree, which did not provide users with the best experience for working… Read the full story

Remember watching Bugs Bunny cartoons? On this day in 1908, voice actor Mel Blanc was born in San Francisco, California. Known as “The Man of a Thousand Voices,” Blanc brought to life some of the most iconic cartoon characters during America’s golden age of animation. While working for Warner Bros., Blanc created the voices for about 90 percent of the studio’s cartoons, including Bugs Bunny, Daffy Duck, Porky Pig, Tweety Bird, Sylvester the Cat and… Read the full story

How are you related to the Kennedy’s? On this day in 1917, John F. Kennedy was born in Brookline, Massachusetts. Remembered as one of the most beloved presidents in the history of the United States, Kennedy’s leadership and accomplishments continues to inspire generations years after his death. Kennedy was the second of nine children born to Joseph “Joe” Kennedy and Rose Elizabeth Fitzgerald. He was named in honor of his maternal grandfather, John Francis Fitzgerald, who… Read the full story

Today the U.S. celebrates Memorial Day to honor of the men and women who have died while serving in the country’s armed forces. Many people will take this time to visit cemeteries to honor our fallen soldiers. The holiday is traditionally celebrated with large parades and family barbecues as we also welcome the unofficial beginning of summer. Image: Kathleen T. Rhem, U.S. Army This long weekend also presents a great opportunity to research your military ancestors. Here are a few ideas on… Read the full story

On this day in 1934, infamous outlaws Bonnie Parker and Clyde Barrow were shot and killed in an ambush by police in Bienville Parish, Louisiana. Between 1932-1934, the famous gangsters captured the attention of the American public as they traveled throughout the country committing robberies and murders. The media coverage of their dangerous actions was intense and the couple used this to their advantage. After evading capture for two years, they were finally stopped as they drove… Read the full story

Will you be at the 49th Annual Southern California Genealogy Jamboree next week in Burbank, California? Geni will be there May 31 – June 2, 2018 at the Los Angeles Marriott Burbank Airport Hotel. We look forward to this fun conference every year! A few changes are in store for this year’s conference. By popular demand, this year, the exhibit hall will be open a day early on Thursday, May 31 during the Genetic Genealogy Conference. Jamboree will then… Read the full story

Are you a fan of Sherlock Holmes? On this day in 1859, author Sir Arthur Conan Doyle was born in Edinburgh, Scotland. A prolific writer, Doyle is best remembered for his creation of private detective Sherlock Holmes. He wrote four novels and over fifty short stories featuring the fictional detective. Doyle was born to a prosperous Irish family. He studied medicine at the University of Edinburgh Medical School, where he first began writing short stories…. Read the full story

On this day in 1927, Charles Lindberg completed the world’s first solo nonstop flight across the Atlantic Ocean. Lindbergh completed the flight in his custom built single-engine monoplane, Spirit of St. Louis, from Roosevelt Field, Long Island, New York to Paris, France in 33 and a half hours. Lindbergh was born on February 4, 1902 in Detroit, Michigan to Charles August Lindbergh, a former Congressman, and Evangeline Lodge Land. From a young age, Lindbergh showed an… Read the full story

On this day in 1868, Nicholas II of Russia was born in St. Petersburg, Russia. The last Emperor of Russia, Nicholas II’s reign saw the Russian Empire fall from one of the greatest powers in Europe and into economic and military ruin. Nicholas II was the eldest son of Emperor Alexander III and Empress Maria Feodorovna. He was closely related to several monarchs in Europe, including King George V of England, who was his first cousin. In 1894,… Read the full story

Do you have Polish ancestry? Today we remember Polish painter Tamara de Lempicka, who was born on this day 120 years ago. Known as “The Baroness with a Brush,” Lempicka gained fame for her bold Art Deco portraits of aristocrats and celebrities. Lempicka was born Maria Górska on May 16, 1898 in Warsaw, Poland. Her father was a Russian Jewish lawyer and her mother was a Polish socialite. As a young child, Lempicka developed a strong… Read the full story

It’s World Family History Day! World Family History Day is celebrated on on May 15 of each year and it falls on the same day that the United Nations observes its International Day of Families. This is the perfect day to dive into your genealogy research and share with your relatives all of the amazing things you have uncovered about your family history. In honor of World Family History Day, check out our list of fun ways you can make… Read the full story

“Unable are the loved to die. For love is immortality.” Poet Emily Dickinson died on this day in 1886 in Amherst, Massachusetts. Although her family were prominent members of the community, Dickinson lived much of her life as a recluse at the family homestead built by her paternal grandfather, Samuel Fowler Dickinson, in Amherst. Her grandfather was a prominent lawyer and helped establish the foundations for Amherst College. Her father, Edward, was an active politician and… Read the full story

Happy birthday, George Lucas! Today the Star Wars creator turns 74. The iconic filmmaker was born George Walton Lucas, Jr. on May 14, 1944 in Modesto, California. He was the son of Dorothy Bomberger and George Walton Lucas,Sr. As a teen, he formed an interest in filmmaking and car-racing. He spent much of his years in high school racing cars until experiencing a near-fatal car crash at the age of 18. Although he left racing behind,… Read the full story

Do you remember the songs “White Christmas,” “Blue Skies” or “Anything You Can Do”? They all were written by legendary composer and lyricist Irving Berlin, who was born on this day in 1888. Berlin was born Israel Isidore Baline in Tyumen, Siberia in the Russian Empire. One of eight children, Berlin and his family fled to the United States to escape Jewish persecution. The family settled in New York City in 1893, where Berlin worked to help support his… Read the full story

We’re back from Grand Rapids, Michigan where the Geni team was at the National Genealogical Society 2018 Family History Conference. Over 2,000 people were in attendance for the genealogy conference, which took place May 2-5 at the DeVos Place Convention Center in Grand Rapids, Michigan. It was exciting to introduce Geni to those who were still unfamiliar with the concept of the World Family Tree and they were quickly intrigued by the idea of connecting the… Read the full story

Happy Cinco de Mayo! The Mexican holiday is primarily observed in the United States and parts of Mexico as a celebration of Mexican heritage and culture. Many don’t realize that the holiday also commemorates the Mexican Army’s unlikely victory over French forces at the Battle of Puebla on May 5, 1862. Image: DeGolyer Library, Southern Methodist University / Flickr In honor of the holiday, here are 5 things to know about the history of Cinco de… Read the full story

It recently came to our attention that the privacy policy page on Geni omitted an important detail. The description of who can edit the public profiles you manage failed to include users within the maximum Family Group range of the managed profile, as well as limited access to all Geni users. These are explained in detail below. Maximum Family Group Public profiles can be edited by users that are near the profile in the family… Read the full story

On this day in 1729, Russian Empress Catherine the Great was born. Although she is remembered as one of Russia’s most renowned and longest-ruling female leaders, Catherine was not born in Russia. She was born Sophie Friederike Auguste von Anhalt-Zerbst in Stettin, Pomerania, in the Kingdom of Prussia and was the eldest daughter of a minor Prussian prince. At the age of 15, Catherine married the grandson of Peter the Great and heir to the Russian throne, Peter III. After… Read the full story

This week we’ll be in Grand Rapids, Michigan for the National Genealogical Society 2018 Family History Conference. This exciting conference will take place May 2-5, 2018. Will you be there? NGS 2018 is the perfect opportunity to learn from over 175 lectures on a variety of genealogy topics for all skill levels. Explore the exhibit hall and come visit Geni at booth 206! We’re excited to share the power of collaboration in Geni’s World Family Tree and meet Geni… Read the full story