2019

On this day in 1983, astronaut Sally Ride became the first American woman in space aboard the Space Shuttle Challenger for NASA’s 7th space shuttle mission. Sally Ride / U.S. National Archives and Records Administration Ride was born on May 26, 1951 to Dale Burdell Ride and Carol Joyce Anderson in Encino, California. Her path to NASA began when she responded to an advertisement in the Stanford student newspaper for NASA’s Astronaut Group 8. It would be the first time… Read the full story

On June 14, the United States celebrates Flag Day in commemoration of the adoption of the U.S. flag. In honor of Flag Day, here are some interesting facts about the Stars and Stripes. 1. On June 14, 1777, the Second Continental Congress passed a resolution to adopt the official flag of the United States, which had 13 alternating red and white stripes and 13 stars in a blue field. That same day, the Continental Congress also established the Continental Army…. Read the full story

“Where there’s hope, there’s life. It fills us with fresh courage and makes us strong again.” – Anne Frank Ninety years ago today, Anne Frank was born in Frankfurt, Germany to Edith Holländer Frank and Otto Frank, a businessman. By 1934, the family had moved to Amsterdam after the Nazi party came to power in Germany. Image: Wikimedia Commons For her 13th birthday, Anne was given a diary and immediately began writing in it. Shortly after, her older sister,… Read the full story

Today Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh, celebrates his 98th birthday! Image: Nationaal Archief Prince Philip was born on June 10, 1921 in Mon Repos on the Greek Island of Corfu. He was the only son and fifth child born to Prince Andrew of Greece and Denmark and Princess Alice of Battenberg. Through his maternal grandmother, Philip is a direct descendant of Queen Victoria, who is his second great grandmother. As an infant, his family was banished from Greece after… Read the full story

We had a great time at the Southern California Genealogical Society’s 50th Genealogy Jamboree. The annual conference is a favorite for us because it is located right in our own backyard in Burbank, California. The Geni booth before the start of the conference Many genealogists flocked to the Los Angeles Marriott Burbank Airport Hotel to participate in this fun and engaging conference. The exhibit hall was open to the public, so even those who didn’t… Read the full story

On this day in 1599, Spanish painter Diego Velázquez was born. Today Velázquez is remembered as one of the most important Spanish painters of the 17th century. Diego Velázquez / Wikimedia Commons He was born Diego Rodríguez de Silva y Velázquez in Seville, Spain to João Rodrigues de Silva and Jerónima Velázquez. His paternal grandparents were from Portugal and were possibly Jewish coversos. At the age of 12, Velázquez apprenticed under the painter Francisco Pacheco. After completing… Read the full story

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

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

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

Happy birthday to Gal Gadot! Today the Wonder Woman star turns 34. Gal Gadot / Gage Skidmore, Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 2.0) Gadot was born on April 30, 1985 in Petah Tikva, Israel. At the age of 18, she was crowned Miss Israel and went on to compete in the Miss Universe 2004 pageant in Ecuador. Although she did not win, the experience helped launch her career as a model. After completing her two mandatory years of military… Read the full story

Today we remember Italian inventor Guglielmo Marconi on what would have been his 145th birthday. A pioneer of wireless communication, Marconi is often credited as the father of long distance radio transmission. Guglielmo Marconi / Library of Congress Marconi as born on April 25, 1874 in Bologna, Italy to Giuseppe Marconi, a wealthy Italian landowner, and Annie Jameson, the granddaughter of John Jameson, the founder of the Jameson Irish Whisky Company. Growing up, Marconi was taught by… Read the full story

Geni’s World Family Tree currently connects over 130 million profiles from all over the world and enables people of all nationalities and cultures to work together to discover and preserve their shared ancestry. In order to better facilitate the collaboration between a multilingual community, we introduced the support of multilingual  profiles on Geni. This feature is perfect for when an individual is known by different names in multiple languages. Recently GeneaVlogger and Geni curator Jarrett Ross released a new video tutorial on how… Read the full story

On this day in 1451, Isabella I of Castile was born. Her marriage to Ferdinand II of Aragon brought stability to the kingdoms of the region and paved the way for the unification of Spain under their grandson, Charles V. Isabella I of Castile / Wikimedia Commons Isabella I was the daughter of John II of Castile and his second wife, Isabella of Portugal. At the time of her birth, her half-brother, Henry IV of… Read the full story

Are you planning for your next family reunion? The warm weather and breaks from school makes summer the perfect time to throw a family get-together. And before you know it, summer will be here so It’s important to get started early. With lots of planning and a little creativity, you can make it a reunion that your family will not soon forget. Check out these quick tips to help you get organized for your next family reunion. 1. Gather your team Family reunions… Read the full story

On this day in 1867, aviator Wilbur Wright was born. A pioneer in aviation, Wright and his brother Orville, are best remembered for developing the first successful airplane. Wilbur Wright / Library of Congress Wright was born on April 16, 1867 near Millville, Indiana to Milton Wright, a Bishop in the Church of the United Brethren in Christ, and Susan Koerner. The third of seven children, Wright and his brother developed a fascination for aviation at an early age… Read the full story

We’re back from NERGC 2019 in Manchester, New Hampshire. This was a great opportunity to meet Geni users and connect with new members who were eager to learn more about collaboration and the World Family Tree. The conference offered many workshops, sessions, and special events for genealogists and family history enthusiasts of all experience levels. The Geni booth before the start of the conference The exhibit hall was free and open to the public and everyone was encouraged… Read the full story

Happy birthday Robert Downey, Jr.! Today the Iron Man star turns 54. He was born on April 4, 1965 in New York City, New York to Robert Downey Sr., an avant-garde filmmaker, and Elsie Ford, an actress. Downey made his screen debut at the age of 5 as a puppy in his father’s film, Pound. Although his career soared during the 1980’s and early 1990’s, his personal struggles with addiction became a constant focus of headlines. In… Read the full story

While at RootsTech 2019 in Salt Lake City, Utah, GeneaVlogger and Geni Curator Jarrett Ross took some time to interview Geni’s General Manager Mike Stangel at the Geni booth. Jarrett and Mike at the Geni booth at RootsTech See our Highlights from RootsTech 2019 During their discussion, they talked about the history of Geni’s World Family Tree and our acquisition by MyHeritage in 2012. Mike also talked about the recent release of our new and improved GEDCOM importer and shared what new features… Read the full story

Next week Geni is heading to Manchester, New Hampshire for the 15th New England Regional Genealogical Conference. NERGC 2019 will take place April 3-6 at the Doubletree by Hilton Hotel. The conference will offer presentations, workshops, and fun events, such as the Ancestors Road Show and Society Fair. The exhibit hall will be free and open to the public. If you are planning to attend or are in the area, come visit the Geni booth (105/107). We’re happy to hear your family stories… Read the full story

On this day in 1625, Charles I ascended to the throne and became king of England, Scotland, and Ireland after the death of his father King James VI and I. Charles was born on November 19, 1600 in Dunfermline Palace in Fife, Scotland. The second son of James IV and I and Anne of Denmark, Charles became the heir apparent after his older brother, Henry, died of typhoid fever in 1612. On March 25, 1625, Charles became king… Read the full story

On this day in 1937, writer H.P. Lovecraft died at the age of 46. Today, Lovecraft is remembered as one of the most significant writers of horror fiction. He was born Howard Phillips Lovecraft on August 20, 1890 in Providence, Rhode Island. When Lovecraft was 3, his father was committed to a psychiatric facility and remained there until his death in 1898. An only child, Lovecraft became an avid reader and developed a keen interest in science… Read the full story

On March 13, 1781, astronomer William Herschel discovered the planet Uranus. It would be the first planet to be discovered with the aid of a telescope. Herschel was born on November 15, 1738 in Hanover, Germany, then a part of the Holy Roman Empire. His father was an oboist in the Hanover Military Band and as a teen, Herschel also worked as a musician in the band. At 19, he went to England and supported himself as… Read the full story

Today the world celebrates International Women’s Day in recognition of past and current achievements of women all over the world. In honor of the day, here are some fascinating and pioneering women found in Geni’s World Family Tree. Hedy Lamarr (1914 – 2000) Image: Wikimedia Commons Film actress Hedy Lamarr was born in Vienna, Austria-Hungary on November 9, 1914. Lamarr was not only one of the most popular film actresses of Hollywood’s Golden Age, but she… Read the full story

We’re back from RootsTech in Salt Lake City, Utah! From February 27 – March 2, 2019, thousands of genealogists and family history enthusiasts gathered at the Salt Palace Convention Center to attend the largest genealogy conference in the world. The Geni booth before the exhibit hall opened Geni had a booth in the exhibit hall with computers available for attendees to get a chance to get started with some hands-on help from Geni staff and curators. The… Read the full story

On this day in 1887, Brazilian composer and conductor Heitor Villa-Lobos was born. Remembered as one of the best known South American composers of all time, Villa-Lobos was considered to be one of the most significant figures of Brazilian art music in the 20th century. Villa-Lobos was born in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil on March 5, 1887. His father, Raul Villa-Lobos, was a librarian and an amateur musician. As a young boy, Villa-Lobos’s home was filled with music… Read the full story

This week the Geni team will be heading to RootsTech 2019, the world’s largest genealogy conference. The conference will be held on February 27 – March 2, 2019 at the Salt Palace Convention Center in Salt Lake City, Utah. Over 300 sessions for all experience levels are available for attendees. If you’re unable to make it, there will be several sessions will be live streamed for free. This year, RootsTech has lined up an exciting group of keynote speakers, including Emmy award-winning… Read the full story

Today we are pleased to announce the return of the GEDCOM Import feature to Geni! This has been one of the most requested features on Geni and we’re excited to finally make it available to everyone. GEDCOM is a standard file format used to save, transfer, and transport family tree information. Long-time users may recall that Geni previously allowed users to start a tree using their GEDCOM files, however we disabled this feature in 2011… Read the full story

Today we remember “The Crocodile Hunter” Steve Irwin on what would have been his 57th birthday. Irwin was born on February 22, 1962 in Essendon, Victoria, Australia to Lyn Hakinsson and Bob Irwin. His parents started a small Queensland Reptile and Fauna Park and so naturally Irwin grew up around the park’s wildlife. By the age of nine, Irwin was handling crocodiles himself. He later worked as a volunteer for Queensland’s East Coast Crocodile Management program…. Read the full story

GeneaVlogger and Geni curator Jarrett Ross recently released a very helpful video on how to navigate your way around the Flash version of the World Family Tree on Geni. The very thorough video goes over the many options and shortcuts you can take if you are trying to find your way around the tree. For the past year, we have been working on new improvements to the HTML tree, including the recently released new and improved pedigree view. We also plan to… Read the full story

To celebrate Valentine’s Day, we asked you to share with us your favorite family love stories for a chance to win a free 1-year subscription of Geni Pro. The stories could be anything from an anecdote of how your grandparents first met, a memorable proposal, or even the story behind a sentimental photo. We enjoyed reading some wonderful and funny stories ranging from first date woes to contemporary stories of finding love online. Entries were submitted through email, Facebook, and… Read the full story

After the success of MyHeritage LIVE 2018 in Oslo, Norway, MyHeritage, Geni’s parent company, will be hosting the conference for a second time! Today MyHeritage announced that MyHeritage LIVE 2019 will be held on September 6-8, 2019 in Amsterdam, Netherlands. We had a great time participating in the conference last year and we look forward to doing it again in Amsterdam. Check out our highlights from MyHeritage LIVE 2018. In addition to a plenary session from MyHeritage’s Founder and… Read the full story

On this day in 1723, John Witherspoon, a Presbyterian minster and a signer of the Declaration of Independence, was born. Witherspoon was born in Gifford, Scotland on February 5, 1723 to the Reverend James Alexander Witherspoon and Anne Walker. Before emigrating to the American colonies, Witherspoon was a prominent Presbyterian minster in the Church of Scotland. In 1768, he sailed to New Jersey to become the 6th President of the College of New Jersey, which is today… Read the full story

Since we first released the new HTML version of the family tree, we have made great progress bringing the important features of the Flash tree to the new version. Today, we are excited to announce another exciting update – a new and improved pedigree view is now available on the HTML tree! You can switch to the pedigree view by clicking on the pedigree icon at the bottom right corner of the tree page. The… Read the full story

As Valentine’s Day approaches, we thought it would be the perfect opportunity to hear some wonderful love stories from your family’s history. And in celebration of the most romantic day of the year, we are also  giving away a free 1-year subscription of Geni Pro! Stories bring families together and nothing warms the heart more than hearing about some of the amazing love stories from your own family’s history. It’s important to share these stories to keep these wonderful memories from being forgotten. Whether… Read the full story

Today we remember William McKinley, the 25th President of the United States, who was born on this day in 1843. McKinley was born on January 29, 1843 in Niles, Ohio to William McKinley, Sr. and Nancy Campbell Allison. At the beginning of the American Civil War, McKinley joined the Union army as a private and eventually rose to the rank of brevet major before he was discharged. He would be the last president to have served in the Civil War…. Read the full story

Happy birthday to Alan Alda! Today the M*A*S*H star turns 83. The actor was born Alphonso Joseph D’Abruzzo on January 28, 1936 in New York City, New York. His father was an actor and performed under the name “Robert Alda.” Before becoming an actor himself, Alda served in the United States Army Reserve and did a six month tour in Korea. Alda began his career on the stage and earned his first Tony Award nomination in 1966…. Read the full story

Today we remember beloved actress Mary Tyler Moore on the second anniversary of her death. A television icon, Moore’s groundbreaking role on The Mary Tyler Moore Show helped to change the way woman were portrayed on television and influence generations of viewers. Moore was born on December 29, 1936 in Brooklyn, New York. She was the eldest of three children born to George Tyler Moore, a clerk, and Marjori Hackett. She began dancing while in high school and… Read the full story

Today we remember legendary director Cecil B. DeMille, who died on this day 60 years ago. A director and producer of both silent and sound films, DeMille was known for his often lavish and epic motion pictures. He was born on August 12, 1881 in Ashfield, Massachusetts. His family was very much involved in theater; his father was a playwright and his mother ran an acting workshop. During the early days of film, DeMille was a dominant figure, directing… Read the full story

Today we remember actor Cary Grant, who was born on this day 115 years ago. The legendary actor was born Archibald Alexander Leach on January 18, 1904 in Bristol, England. He had an unhappy childhood and at the age of 13, left home to perform as a juggler in a comedy and acrobatic troupe. After coming to the United States, Grant began performing in vaudeville shows. In 1932, he signed a contract with Paramount Pictures and changed his name to… Read the full story

Happy birthday, Betty White! Today the beloved actress turns 97! Betty White was born on January 17, 1922 in Oak Park, Illinois. During the Great Depression, her family moved to California. Shortly after graduating from high school in 1939, White made her TV debut in an experimental television show in Los Angeles. In the early 1950s, White became one of the first female producers in Hollywood when she launched her first television series, Life with Elizabeth. Throughout the 1960s,… Read the full story

On January 15, 1919, one of the strangest disasters in history occurred in Boston, Massachusetts when 2.3 million gallons of molasses poured down the streets of Boston, killing 21 people. The tragedy became known as the Boston Molasses Disaster or the Great Boston Molasses Flood. The Boston Daily Globe, January 16, 1919 / MyHeritage SuperSearch The disaster occurred at the Purity Distilling Company facility in the North End neighborhood of Boston. During this time, molasses was… Read the full story