May 2019

On this day in 1431, Joan of Arc was burned at the stake for heresy by an English tribunal. Joan of Arc / Wikimedia Commons A peasant girl from France, Joan of Arc was the daughter of poor tenant farmers Jacques d’ Arc and Isabelle Romée. At the age of 16, she claimed to hear the voices of the Archangel Michael, Saint Margaret, and Saint Catherine of Alexandria, which told her to help Charles VII recapture… Read the full story

Do you remember laughing at the comedic genius of Bob Hope? Hope was born on this day 116 years ago. Bob Hope / State Library of New South Wales, Flickr He was born Leslie Townes Hope on May 29, 1903 in Eltham, England. With a career spanning over 60 years, Hope conquered almost every entertainment medium, including vaudeville, radio, stage, and television. He appeared in over 70 films and shorts, authored numerous books and hosted the Academy… Read the full story

Next week Geni will be heading to the Southern California Genealogical Society’s Genealogy Jamboree in Burbank, California. This year is extra special because Jamboree is also celebrating their 50th birthday! The conference has grown into four great events, Jamboree, Genetic Genealogy, JamboFree, and Workshops, with the exhibit hall open May 31 – June 2 at the Los Angeles Marriott Burbank Airport Hotel. The exhibit hall will be free to the public, so if you’re in the area, feel free to stop by… Read the full story

On this day in 1907, legendary actor Laurence Olivier was born. Laurence Olivier / Library of Congress Olivier was born on May 22, 1907 in Dorking, Surry, England to Gerard Kerr Olivier, a reverend, and Agnes Louise Crookenden. Although he came from a family of clergymen, Olivier was encouraged from a young age to pursue a career in acting. A prominent figure on both the stage and screen, Olivier became known for bringing the plays of William Shakespeare… Read the full story

Happy birthday to Cher! Today the music legend turns 77. Image: Cher / Wikimedia Commons Cher was born Cherilyn Sarkisian in El Centro, California on May 20, 1946 to John Sarkisian and Georgia Holt. From a young age, Cher knew she wanted to become famous. At 16, she dropped out of school and moved to Los Angeles to pursue an acting career. Cher first rose to fame as part of a music duo alongside her husband,… Read the full story

We’re back from St. Charles, Missouri, where we attended the National Genealogical Society 2019 Family History Conference. A total of 2,324 people were in attendance for this fun and informative gathering of genealogists and family history buffs. Doors to the exhibit hall A number of events were lined up throughout the conference including a wide array of sessions for all skill levels. Several sessions were even live streamed for those who couldn’t be there in person. The… Read the full story

If you missed Geni General Manager Mike Stangel’s webinar, “Advanced Features on Geni.com,” on Legacy Family Tree Webinars, you can now watch it online for free! In the webinar, Mike gives an overview of some of the more advanced features on Geni. If you are just getting started on your tree or if you are a longtime Geni user, you’ll find this webinar quite informative. Watch to learn more about how our new GEDCOM importer works, how to… Read the full story

On May 14, 1804, explorers Meriwether Lewis and William Clark left St. Louis, Missouri to begin their historic expedition to explore the lands of the American Northwest. Meriwether Lewis / Library of Congress President Thomas Jefferson commissioned the expedition after the Louisiana Purchase in 1803. Lewis and Clark were given the mission to explore the newly acquired territory, establish an American presence in the area, and find a practical route to the west. Along the way, they were to also… Read the full story

Join Geni’s General Manager Mike Stangel for a free webinar, “Advanced Features on Geni.com” with Legacy Family Tree Webinars on Tuesday, May 14, 2019. Take a deep dive into some of Geni’s more advanced features to grow and connect your family tree to the World Family Tree of over 130 million profiles. Learn about GEDCOM imports, merging duplicates, managing profiles, uploading images and documents, and much more. The live webinar will take place Tuesday, May… Read the full story

Today we remember actress and singer Doris Day, who passed away at the age of 97. Doris Day / Wikimedia Commons She was born Doris Mary Ann Kappelhoff on April 3, 1922 in Cincinnati, Ohio to Alma Weiz and William Joseph Kappelhoff. After a car accident derailed her hope of becoming a professional dancer, Day turned to singing. She gained popularity on radio and sang with several big bands, In addition to her successful singing career, Day was one of Hollywood’s most… Read the full story

Happy birthday to George Clooney! Today the star turns 58. George Clooney / Ed Van-West Garcia, Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 2.0) Clooney was born on May 6, 1961 in Lexington, Kentucky to Nina Warren, a former city councilwoman, and Nick Clooney, an anchorman and television host. His aunt was singer and actress Rosemary Clooney. With a family in the entertainment business, it was no surprise that Clooney would also catch the acting bug. After getting his start… Read the full story

This week Geni is heading to St. Charles, Missouri for the National Genealogical Society 2019 Family History Conference. The conference will take place May 8-11 at the St. Charles Convention Center. Come visit Geni in the exhibit hall at booth #506 and learn more about what’s new in the World Family Tree. The exhibit hall is free and open to the public, so if you’re in the area, feel free to stop by and say hi! Pick… Read the full story

Do you remember the first time you found out you were related to a famous historical figure or celebrity? Filmmaker Erik Anderson recently created the short film “Charlemagne” after learning he was a direct descendant of the Holy Roman Emperor. The film is a humorous take on one man’s reaction to discovering his connection to Charlemagne thanks to Geni’s World Family Tree. We took a little time to get to know a little more about Erik and how… Read the full story

On May 2, 1729, Russian Empress Catherine II was born. Also known as Catherine the Great, her long reign came to be known as the Golden Age of Russia. Catherine II / British Library, Flickr Although she would become the country’s longest-ruling female leader, Catherine was not Russian by birth. She was born Sophie Friederike Auguste von Anhalt-Zerbst in Stettin, then a part of Prussia. Her father was a minor Prussia prince and served as a general… Read the full story