December 2018

As the year comes to close, we’re taking a look back at some of the amazing things that happened at Geni. This year an amazing 50,000 family trees connected to Geni’s World Family Tree, helping to bring the total number of profiles in the World Family Tree to nearly 130 million people! From new improvements to our long-awaited HTML version of the tree to the release of two-factor authentication to better secure your Geni accounts to the… Read the full story

Do you remember watching Mary Poppins? This week Mary Poppins Returns, the sequel to the classic Disney children’s film, hits theaters with star Emily Blunt taking the reigns from Julie Andrews as everyone’s favorite magical nanny. The sequel sees Mary Poppins return to the home of the now adult Banks children, who are struggling to raise Michael’s young children after a family tragedy. Today, many people around the world consider Mary Poppins to be one of the most beloved musicals of all time. Now… Read the full story

Today we remember actor and director Penny Marshall, who passed away on December 17 at the age of 75. She was born Carole Penny Marshall on October 15, 1943 in the Bronx in New York City, New York. Her father, Tony Marshall, was a director and producer and her mother, Marjorie, was a dance teacher. With both parents in the entertainment business, it was only natural for Marshall and her siblings, Garry and Ronny, to follow in their… Read the full story

On December 17, 1903, Orville and Wilbur Wright made the first controlled powered, heavier-than-air flight in Kitty Hawk, North Carolina. The pioneering aviators would become known as the “fathers of modern aviation” for their groundbreaking achievement. As children, the brothers developed a fascination for aviation after their father brought home a toy helicopter for his sons. During the bicycle craze of the 1890s, the Wright brothers opened their own bicycle sales and repair shop and by 1896, began manufacturing their own designs…. Read the full story

We’ve written before about the importance of adding events to profile timelines to provide more details about the lives of your ancestors. Did you know that you can also add custom details to any event? This is perfect for when you want to add important information that is not covered in the standard data fields provided by Geni. For example, you may include additional details to a baptism event by adding a field for godparents. Or perhaps more details about an immigration… Read the full story

On this day in 1936, history was made when Edward VIII became the first English monarch to voluntarily abdicate the throne. He ascended to the throne after the death of his father, George V. However, his reign had caused unease in government circles. Only months into his reign, the King announced his engagement to Wallis Simpson, an American socialite and divorcée. Their relationship was controversial from the start and news of their engagement would lead to a constitutional crisis. The government, the public and… Read the full story

Today we remember mathematics pioneer Ada Lovelace, who was born on December 10, 1815. Lovelace is often described as the world’s first computer programer. She is credited with writing the world’s first computer program nearly a century before computers were built. Lovelace was the only legitimate child of Romantic poet Lord Byron and his wife, Anna Isabella Milbanke. Shortly after Lovelace was born, her father left the family and never returned. She was only 8 years… Read the full story

Today we remember music legend Roy Orbison, who passed away on December 6, 1988 in Hendersonville, Tennessee. Orbison was born on April 23, 1936 in Vernon, Texas to Orbie Lee Orbison, a car mechanic, and Nadine Vesta Shults, a nurse. From an early age, Orbison showed an interest in music. When he was given a guitar for his sixth birthday, he knew music would be a part of his life forever. By the age of 8, he had written his… Read the full story

Happy birthday to actress Marisa Tomei! Today the star turns 54. Tomei was born on December 4, 1964 in Brooklyn, New York to Gary Tomei, a lawyer, and Addie Biachi, an English teacher. She has Italian ancestry on both sides of her family. Her father’s ancestry can be traced to Tuscany, Calabria, and Campania, while her mother’s ancestry can be traced to Tuscany and Sicily. She first got her start when she was cast on the daytime soap… Read the full story