2019

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 1911, Ronald Reagan, the 40th President of the United States, was born. Reagan was raised in a small town in Illinois. His father nicknamed him “Dutch” as a small boy because he thought his son resembled a “fat little Dutchman.” Before entering politics, Reagan was a successful actor. He began his entertainment career in radio before transitioning to film. During World War II, Regan served in the U.S. Army Air Corps. Disqualified from combat due to… 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 Franklin D. Roosevelt, the 32nd President of the United States, who was born on this day in 1882. Regarded as one of the greatest U.S. presidents in history, Roosevelt successfully led the country through the Great Depression and World War II until his death in 1945. Roosevelt was a member of the prominent Roosevelt family, one of the oldest and wealthiest families in New York. He was a great admirer of his distant cousin, Theodore Roosevelt,… 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

The beginning of a new year is the perfect time to sit down and layout what you want to accomplish in your family history research this year. If you’re having trouble figuring out where to start, here are some genealogy research goals you may want to keep in mind for 2019. 1. Create research plans This year strive to create a research plan before jumping into your tree. With a specific focus in mind, you will be able to better… Read the full story

Happy birthday to Nicolas Cage! Today the actor turns 55. The versatile actor was born Nicolas Kim Coppola on January 7, 1964 in Long Beach, California. His father, August Coppola, was a literature professor and his mother, Joy Vogelsang, was a dancer and choreographer. By the age of 15, Cage had discovered his love for acting. Wanting to distance himself from his famous uncle, director Francis Ford Coppola, he changed his surname to “Cage” after the comic book… Read the full story

On this day in 1886, actress Florence Lawrence was born. Often referred to as “The First Movie Star,” Lawrence holds a unique place in film history as the first actress to have her name used to promote her films. Lawrence was born Florence Annie Bridgewood on January 2, 1886 in Ontario, Canada. Her father. George Bridgewood, was a carriage builder while her mother, Charlotte “Lotta” Dunn, was a vaudeville actress and director of the Lawrence Dramatic Company…. Read the full story