November 2018

On this day in 1874, Winston Churchill was born. Remembered as an inspirational orator and statesman, Churchill helped lead Britain to victory in World War II. Churchill was born into an aristocratic family, who were among the highest levels of the British aristocracy. He was a direct descendant of John Churchill, First Duke of Marlborough, who was his sixth great grandfather. Churchill was born at his family’s ancestral home, Bienheim Palace. The monumental country house was originally awarded to… Read the full story

Remember reading The Chronicles of Narnia? On this day in 1898, author C.S. Lewis was born in Belfast, Northern Ireland. He was born Clive Staples Lewis, but was known as “Jack” by his family and friends. At the age of 4, he declared his name to be “Jack” after his beloved dog “Jacksie” was hit by a car and died. Lewis became an avid reader at a young age and began writing his own fantasy stories early in his… Read the full story

Did you miss MyHeritage LIVE? If you were unable to attend the first-ever MyHeritage user conference in Oslo, Norway and missed the live stream, now is your chance to watch all 24 classes online for free courtesy of Legacy Family Tree Webinars. All classes from both the genealogy and DNA track are available for free on Legacy Family Tree and each one is jam-packed with information. Even if you watched the live stream, you may want to catch the lectures… Read the full story

Today we remember Wilhelmina, Queen of the Netherlands, who died on this day in 1962 at the age of 82. She reigned for nearly 58 years, longer than any other Dutch monarch. Wilhelmina was born on August 31, 1880 at Noordeinde Palace in The Hague, Netherlands. She was the only child of King William III and his second wife, Emma of Waldeck and Pyrmont. Her father was 63 years old at the time of her birth. He… Read the full story

Today we celebrate the 63rd birthday of Bill Nye!  A mechanical engineer and science educator, Nye is widely known for his popular children’s science show, Bill Nye the Science Guy. Nye was born William Sanford Nye on November 27, 1955 in Washington, D.C. to Ned Nye and Jaqueline Jenkins. During World War II, his mother was recruited by the Navy to work as a codebreaker to help crack codes used by the Japanese and German military. His father, Edwin… Read the full story

Do you remember the Peanuts gang? On this day in 1922, Peanuts creator Charles Schulz was born. Considered one of the most influential cartoonists in history, Schulz’s beloved comic ran from 1950-2000 with nearly 18,000 strips published. Schulz was born in Minneapolis, Minnesota to Carl Schulz, a barber, and Dena Halverson. His father had German heritage, while his mother was from a large Norwegian family. As a child, he was nicknamed “Sparky” after the racehorse, “Spark Plug,” from the… Read the full story

This Thursday the U.S. celebrates Thanksgiving! The holiday is known for bringing together family and friends to share a traditional feast of turkey, mashed potatoes, stuffing, and other delicious dishes. Thanksgiving is an excellent opportunity for everyone to give thanks and share stories around the dinner table. With the entire family gathered together, it’s also great time to do a little genealogical digging. Here are five ways to share some family history with your relatives this… Read the full story

Today we celebrate actress Goldie Hawn’s 73rd birthday! Hawn was born on November 21, 1945 in Washington, D.C. to Laura Steinhoff, a dance school owner, and Edward Rutledge Haw, a musician. Raised in a Jewish household, Hawn was named after her mother’s aunt, Goldie. After getting her start as a dancer, Hawn landed her first notable gig as a cast member on the sketch comedy show, Laugh-In. She soon appeared on the big screen in the film Cactus Flower, for which… Read the full story

Happy birthday, Meg Ryan! Today the star turns 57. Once dubbed “America’s Sweetheart,” Ryan has entertained audiences on the big screen for decades, most notably in several classic romantic comedies. Ryan was born Margaret Mary Emily Anna Hyra on November 19, 1961 in Fairfield, Connecticut to Harry Hyra, a math teacher, and Susan Jordan, a former actress and English teacher. After attending New York University for a year, she dropped out of school to pursue an… Read the full story

Do you have any ancestors who were on the Mayflower? In 1620, 102 passengers arrived to the New World aboard the Mayflower and established the Plymouth Colony. Today, millions of people can trace their ancestry back to these early settlers. Image: Wikimedia Commons Here’s a look at a few notable Mayflower descendants in Geni’s World Family Tree: George Eastman George Eastman was the founder of the Eastman Kodak Company. He helped bring photography to mainstream audiences with the introduction of the… Read the full story

Happy birthday to Prince Charles! Today the Prince of Wales turns 70 years old. Prince Charles was born on November 14, 1948 in Buckingham Palace. The eldest child of Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh, the Prince became the heir apparent at the age of 3 when his mother became Queen after the death of his grandfather, King George VI. With his mother holding the record of the longest-reigning British monarch, Charles is the… Read the full story

Today we remember comic book legend Stan Lee, who passed away yesterday at the age of 95. A prolific writer and visionary, Lee co-created some of the most iconic superheroes of all time. Lee was born Stanley Martin Lieber on December 28, 1922 in New York City, New York. His parents were both Jewish immigrants from Romania. As a teen, Lee enjoyed creating stories and had dreams of becoming a writer. He worked several odd jobs, including some time writing… Read the full story

Happy birthday to Ryan Gosling! Today the Hollywood star turns 38. Gosling was born on November 12, 1980 in London, Ontario, Canada to Thomas Ray Gosling, a traveling salesman, and Donna Wilson, a secretary. Gosling caught the acting bug at an early age. At the age of 12, he was cast in the Disney revival of The Mickey Mouse Club. The new generation of mouseketeers featured many future superstars, including Justin Timberlake, Christina Aguilera, and Britney… Read the full story

From November 2-4, 2018, MyHeritage hosted their first-ever user conference, MyHeritage LIVE, in Oslo, Norway. Over 400 attendees from 28 different countries around the world headed over to the Radisson Blu Scandinavia Hotel to participate in this unique conference. Another 60,000 tuned in to watch some of the many genealogy and DNA track sessions live streamed on the conference website and the MyHeritage Facebook page. Attendees had multiple presentations and hands-on workshops to choose from, each offering a unique… Read the full story

Today we celebrate the 104th birthday of Hollywood actress Hedy Lamarr. Not only was Lamarr one of the most popular film actresses during Hollywood’s Golden Age, but she was also a brilliant inventor. She co-invented the technology behind GPS, Bluetooth, and WiFi. Lamarr was born Hedwig Eva Maria Kiesler on November 9, 1914 in Vienna, Austria-Hungry. At the age of 19, she married Fritz Mindl, a wealthy military arms merchant and munitions manufacturer. It was an unhappy marriage;… Read the full story

The month of October was Family History Month. In honor of the month-long celebration of family history, we offered the Geni community the chance to win a free 1-year Geni Pro subscription. Participants simply had to send us their answer to the question, “What’s the most surprising or interesting discovery you’ve made in your family tree?” A lucky winner was chosen at random from the many eligible entries submitted through comments on the blog, Facebook, Twitter, and email. We’re happy to congratulate John… Read the full story

Do you have Norwegian roots? On this day in 1833, Norwegian novelist, playwright, and poet Jonas Lie was born. Lie is considered one of the Four Greats of 19th century Norwegian literature, along with Henrik Ibsen, Bjørnstjerne Bjørnson, and Alexander Kielland. Lie was born on November 6, 1833 to Mons Lie and Pauline Christine Tiller. When he was a small child, his father was appointed the sheriff of Tromsø, a remote city within the Arctic Circle, and spent many… Read the full story

On this day in 1902, Norwegian writer and poet Nordahl Grieg was born. A popular author during his lifetime, Grieg is remembered as a hero of Norway for his resistance to Nazi occupation during World War II. Grieg was born Johan Nordahl Brun Grieg on November 1, 1902 in Bergen, Norway to Peter Lexau Grieg and Helga Vollan. He was named after his third great grandfather, Johan Nordahl Brun, who was a Bishop, poet, and politician. Grieg… Read the full story