September 2018

Do you remember browsing through the Sears catalog? On this day in 1914, Sears co-founder Richard Warren Sears died at the age of 50. His father, James Warren Sears, was a successful blacksmith and wagon-maker. After his death, Sears worked to help support his family. He learned telegraphy and started working as a telegraph operator and station agent for the Minneapolis and St. Louis Railway. His life reached a turning point in 1886 when a shipment of… Read the full story

Have you found your connection to French royalty? On this day in 1601, Louis XIII was born at the Château de Fontainebleau. He reigned as the King of France from 1610 until his death in 1643. Louis XIII was the eldest child of King Henry IV and his wife, Maria de Medici. At the age of 9, Louis became the King of France after the assassination of his father in 1610. In the early years… Read the full story

Remember the story of Johny Appleseed? On this day in 1774, the real Johnny Appleseed was born. He was born John Chapman on September 26, 1774 in Leominster, Massachusetts. His father, Nathaniel Chapman, fought in the Continental Army during the American Revolutionary War. In 1776, while his father was away at war, his mother died while giving birth to a son, who also passed short time later. As the folk story goes, Johnny Appleseed wandered barefoot with a tin… Read the full story

Remember watching Superman? Today we remember star Christopher Reeve on what would have been his 66th birthday. Reeve was born on September 25, 1952 in New York City, New York to Barbara Pitney Lamb and Franklin D’Olier Reeve. He grew up in a wealthy and well-educated family. His mother worked as a journalist and his father was a prominent writer, poet, and academic. His great grandfather, Franklin D’Olier, was a businessman and one of the original 20 men who formed… Read the full story

Do you remember watching Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood growing up? On this day in 1967, the beloved children’s television show starring Fred Rogers taped its very first episode. The popular show would run for 31 seasons and produce nearly 900 episodes. Although he studied to become an ordained minister, Rogers’s career took an unexpected turn into television after returning home to find his parents had purchased a brand new TV. Disappointed with the programs available to viewers, Rogers saw there was… Read the full story

On this day in 1881, President James A. Garfield died of complications from a gunshot wound he received on July 2, 1881. Garfield served as the 20th President of the United States and holds the distinction of being the second U.S. President in history to be assassinated. Garfield was born on November 19, 1831 in a log cabin in Orange, Ohio. The youngest of five children, Garfield grew up in poverty. His father died when… Read the full story

Have you found your connection to Danish royalty? On this day in 1786, Christian VIII, King of Denmark, was born at Christiansborg Palace in Copenhagen. He was the eldest son of Hereditary Prince Frederick of Denmark and Norway and Duchess Sophia Frederica of Mecklenburg-Schwerin. His paternal grandfather was King Frederick V of Denmark and Norway. In 1814, Christian was elected as the King of Norway and ruled under the name Christian Frederick. However, his reign was… Read the full story

Today is Constitution Day! On this day, the U.S. observes the adoption of the United States Constitution on September 17, 1787. The U.S. Constitution / U.S. National Archives Here are seven interesting facts about the Constitution: 1. The U.S. Constitution was signed on September 17, 1787 by 39 delegates at the Constitutional Convention in Philadelphia. Some notable signers included George Washington, James Madison, Benjamin Franklin and Alexander Hamilton. 2. James Madison is often hailed as the “Father… Read the full story

Are you a country music fan? On this day in 1923, country music’s first superstar, Hank Williams, was born. Although his career was cut short after his death at the age of 29, Williams is often regraded as one of the most influential singers and songwriters of the 20th century. Williams was born Hiram King Williams on September 17, 1923 in Mount Olive, Alabama to Jessie Lillybelle Skipper and Elonzo Huble Williams. His father was drafted during… Read the full story

Growing up, our parents taught us to be polite and practice good manners – say your “pleases” and “thank yous,” hold the door for others, don’t talk with your mouth full, etc. And as we grew up, we strive to pass along these best practices to our children. During the 19th century, etiquette guides were a booming business. To the people of the Victorian Era, practicing good manners was essential to all social interactions. Many books were written… Read the full story

On this day in 1814, Francis Scott Key penned the poem that would later become the lyrics to the United States’ national anthem, “The Star-Spangled Banner.” Key was born on August 1, 1779 at the family plantation in Maryland. His father was a lawyer, a judge and an officer in the Continental Army during the American Revolution. During the War of 1812, Key witnessed the bombardment of Fort McHenry by British forces while aboard the British… Read the full story

Last night, musician and artist John Legend became the first African American male and the youngest person to achieve EGOT status. Legend, along with Tim Rice and Andrew Lloyd Webber, won an Emmy for Outstanding Live Variety Special for Jesus Christ Superstar, Live in Concert at the Creative Arts Emmys. They are now among just 15 individuals who have won an Emmy, Grammy, Oscar and Tony Awards. Legend was one of the executive producers and star of the… Read the full story

We are excited to share that Geni will be participating in the first-ever MyHeritage user conference and you’re invited! MyHeritage LIVE will take place on the weekend of November 2-4, 2018 in Oslo, Norway. The conference is open to anyone around the world who would like to learn more about Geni and MyHeritage. The conference will feature a keynote speech from MyHeritage Founder and CEO Gilad Japhet, a lecture and workshop from Geni’s General Manager,… Read the full story

On this day in 1936, music legend Buddy Holly was born in Lubbock, Texas. A pioneering figure of 1950s rock and roll, Holly’s short career would go on to inspire many future generations of artists. Holly was born Charles Hardin Holley on September 7, 1936 to Lawrence Odell Holley and Ella Pauline Drake. The fourth and youngest child in the family, Holly was given the nicknamed “Buddy” by his mother, who thought that his given name was too big… Read the full story

On this day in 1638, Louis XIV was born in the Château de Saint-Germain-en-Laye to Louis XIII and Anne of Austria. As soon as he ascended to the throne, Louis XIV took steps to consolidate his power and establish his absolute authority. He would become one of the longest reigning monarchs in European history. During his reign, Louis built the Palace of Versailles, an opulent palace that posed as a symbol of Louis’s centralized power. Although he… Read the full story

Geni will be performing scheduled site maintenance and making a number of improvements to our infrastructure starting at 1:30 AM EST on September 5, 2018 (10:30 PM PDT tonight) and lasting for approximately 2 hours. During this time the Geni website will be unavailable. We’ll do our best to complete the maintenance quickly and return to normal service as soon as possible. Thanks for your patience.