2020

This year has been unlike any other year we have ever experienced. Although it has brought new challenges and times of uncertainty, we are happy that we were able to make it through together. As we say goodbye to 2020, let’s take some time to reflect on this past year on Geni. With everyone staying home during the pandemic, genealogy has become more popular than ever. In a bright spot to this tumultuous year, Geni… Read the full story

On this day in 1912, Lady Bird Johnson, former First Lady of the United States, was born in Karnack, Texas. Image: Lady Bird Johnson / U.S. National Archives and Records Administration She was born Claudia Alta Taylor on December 22, 1912 at “The Brick House,” an antebellum planation mansion on the outskirts of town. As a child, her family nurse commented that she was as “pretty as a ladybird,” and the nickname stuck. As First Lady,… Read the full story

Happy birthday to Jane Fonda! Today the actress turns 83. Image: Georges Biard / (CC BY-SA 3.0) Born into a Hollywood family, Jayne Seymour Fonda was the daughter of actor Henry Fonda and Canadian-born socialite Frances Ford Brokaw. When Fonda was 12, her mother committed suicide while under the care of a psychiatric hospital. Fonda followed in her father’s footsteps and pursued a career in acting. During the 1960s, she scored several hits and landed her… Read the full story

Happy birthday to Brad Pitt! Today the actor turns 57. Image: Brad Pitt / Department of Defense photo by Marvin Lynchard The actor and producer was born William Bradley Pitt on December 18, 1963 in Shawnee, Oklahoma. He grew up in Springfield, Missouri and enrolled in the University of Missouri after high school. Just before earning his degree in journalism, Pitt decided to leave school and move to Los Angeles to pursue a career in acting…. Read the full story

On this day in 1903, the Wright Brothers, Orville and Wilbur Wright, made history by making the world’s first sustained, man-powered, heavier-than-air flight near Kitty Hawk, North Carolina. Image: First flight of the Wright Flyer / Library of Congress The Wright brothers grew up in a close household that fostered their creativity. Fascinated with flying from an early age, the brothers sought to make human flight a reality. On December 17, 1903, the brothers took their… Read the full story

On December 16, 1775, English novelist Jane Austen was born in Steventon, England. Image: Jane Austen / Wikimedia Commons The seventh of eight children, Austen grew up in a large, close knit family. Jane’s parents, George and Cassandra Austen, were members of substantial gentry families. Growing up, Austen would write poems, stories, and plays for her family’s amusement. It wasn’t until Austen was in her thirties that she publish her first novels. From 1811-1816, Austen… Read the full story

Your account security is very important to us, which is why today we are introducing a new feature for you to review your recent Geni login history. Now you can easily see a list of your login activity in the last nine months to detect any unauthorized access to your Geni account.  To view your login history, go to your Account Settings by clicking on your name at the top right of the page and… Read the full story

On this day in 1799, George Washington died at his estate in Mount Vernon, Virginia. He was 67 years old. Image: George Washington / Wikimedia Commons Washington is remembered as one of the most important figures in American history. Born in 1732 on his family’s estate in Westmoreland County, Virginia, Washington led the Continental Army to victory during the American Revolution and served as the nation’s first President. In 1797, Washington retired from the presidency, establishing… Read the full story

Over the last few months, we have been hard at work on the latest enhancements to the HTML version of the family tree. Today we are happy to announce new customization options to help you work more comfortably in the family tree. Now you can change the font size and the color theme in the tree to better suit your needs. You may choose from a set of available themes or pick your own color… Read the full story

Actress Olivia Colman has won rave reviews for her portrayal of Queen Elizabeth II in the award-winning drama, The Crown. It was also recently revealed that Colman is a distant relative to the royal family as well. MyHeritage researchers shared that Colman is the Queen’s 13th cousin once removed. We can see this path clearly in Geni’s World Family Tree, which connects over 150 million people to a single family tree. Image: Ibsan73, Wikimedia Commons… Read the full story

Did you ever have a fear of Frankenstein’s monster? It may be thanks to actor Boris Karloff’s frightening yet sympathetic turn as the iconic horror figure. Image: Boris Karloff / Wikimedia Commons Karloff was born William Henry Pratt on November 23, 1887 in London, England to Edward John Pratt, Jr. and Eliza Sarah Millard. His maternal grandmother, Eliza Julia Edwards, was the sister of Anna Leonowens, whose life in the royal court of Siam formed… Read the full story

On November 19, 1831, James Garfield was born in a log cabin in Orange Township, Ohio. Garfield served as the 20th President of the United States. Image: James Garfield / Library of Congress Garfield had come from very humble beginnings. His father, Abram Garfield, was a wrestler and died when Garfield was just 18 months old. He was raised by his mother, Eliza Ballou, who also continued to run the family’s small farm in Ohio. In… Read the full story

This Veterans Day, the U.S. celebrates the brave men and women who have risked their lives serving in the nation’s armed forces. Now is a good time to take a moment to honor members of your family who have served in the military and celebrate their stories in your family tree. Image: Library of Congress Military records can be a great source of information to better understand the lives of your ancestors. There are also… Read the full story

Today we remember beloved game show host Alex Trebek, who passed away yesterday after a battle with pancreatic cancer. He was 80 years old. Image: Alex Trebek / Nestor Cruz, U.S. Air Force Trebek was born on July 22, 1940 in Sudbury, Ontario, Canada to George Edward Trebek and Lucille Lagacé. His father emigrated from the Ukraine as a child and changed his surname from Terebeychuk to Trebek. In 1961, Trebek graduated from the University… Read the full story

We’re excited to announce that Geni’s World Family Tree now connects over 150 million profiles!  This milestone was possible thanks to the collaboration of over 13 million users and over 200 volunteer Curators from all over the world. The World Family Tree has grown faster than ever with over 11 million profiles added in the last year.  The definitive family tree for the entire world, Geni’s World Family Tree allows millions of people to work… Read the full story

On October 29, 1891, original “Funny Girl” Fanny Brice was born in New York City. Brice is considered to be one of America’s first female comedy superstars. Image: Fanny Brice / Library of Congress The third of four children born to Rose Stern and Charles Borach, Brice began performing at a young age. Born Fania Borach, she used the stage name Fanny Brice to avoid being typecast in Jewish roles. A gifted singer and comedian,… Read the full story

Happy birthday to Ryan Reynolds! Today the star turns 44. Image: Ryan Reynolds / Gage Skidmore, Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 2.0) Reynolds was born on October 23, 1976 in Vancouver, British Columbia to James Chester Reynolds and Tamara Lee Stewart. His paternal grandfather, Chester Reynolds, was a politician and served as a member of the Legislative Assembly of Alberta. The youngest of four boys, Reynolds landed his first acting role at the age of 12… Read the full story

Today we remember singer and songwriter Tom Petty on what would have been his 70th birthday. The lead vocalist and guitarist of Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers, Petty is considered to be one of the best selling music artists of all time. Image: Tom Petty / Takahiro Kyono, Wikimedia Commons (CC BY 2.0) Petty was born on October 20, 1950 in Gainesville, Florida to Earl Petty, a traveling salesman, and Katherine Avery, a local tax… Read the full story

Happy birthday to John Lithgow! Today the actor turns 75. Lithgow was born on October 19, 1945 in Rochester, New York to Sarah Jane Price and Arthur Washington Lithgow, III. Image: John Lithgow / David Shankbone, Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 3.0) He was born into a theatrical family, his mother was an actress and his father was a theatrical producer and director. Due to his father’s job, the family moved frequently during Lithgow’s childhood. Fun… Read the full story

Geni’s World Family Tree continues to grow as new individuals are added and overlapping branches are merged. Sometimes after completing the initial merge of an overlapping branch, a little clean up is needed to resolve any remaining duplicates in the tree. There are multiple ways duplicates can be merged on Geni and in a previous blog post, we discussed how to merge through the profile page. For the purpose of this blog post, we will… Read the full story

Happy birthday to Matt Damon! Today the actor turns 50. Image: Matt Damon / Nicolas Genin, Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 2.0) Damon was born on October 8, 1970 in Cambridge, Massachusetts. He is the second son of Kent Telfer Damon, a stockbroker, and Nancy Carlsson-Paige, a professor in early childhood education. Through his mother’s branch of the family, Damon has Swedish and Finnish roots. His mother’s family surname was changed from “Pajari” to “Paige.” In… Read the full story

Today we remember rock legend Eddie Van Halen, who passed away yesterday at the age of 65. Image: Eddie Van Halen / photo by Alan Light, Wikimedia Commons (CC BY 2.0) He was born Edward Lodewijk van Halen on January 26, 1955 in Amsterdam, Netherlands to Jan van Halen and Eugenia van Beers. His father was a musician and played the clarinet and saxophone. His mother was born in Indonesia and met his father while… Read the full story

Happy birthday to Julie Andrews! Today the actress turns 85. Image: Julie Andrews / Eva Rinaldi, Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 2.0) The Sound of Music star was born Julia Elizabeth Wells on October 1, 1935 in Walton-on-Thames, Surrey, England. Her mother and stepfather were both performers and as a child, she occasionally joined them on stage. She later adopted her stepfather’s surname, Andrews. After finding work on the London stage, Andrews moved to the U.S. In 1956,… Read the full story

Today we remember actor Christopher Reeve on what would have been his 68th birthday. Image: Christopher Reeve / Jbfrankel, Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 3.0) Reeve was born on September 25, 1952 in New York City, New York to Barbara Pitney Lamb, a journalist, and Franklin D’Olier Reeve, a teacher and poet. Through his mother’s branch of the family, Reeve was a direct descendant of Mayflower passenger William Bradford, who served as Governor of the Plymouth… Read the full story

Beloved Muppet creator Jim Henson was born on this day in 1936. Today we remember him on what would have been his 84th birthday. Image: Jim Henson / Library of Congress Henson was born on September 24, 1936 in Greenville, Mississippi to Paul Ransom Henson and Betty Brown. He had a close relationship with his maternal grandmother, who was an avid painter, quilter, and needleworker. She encouraged Henson’s artistic passions and creativity. Henson rose to… Read the full story

Happy birthday to Bruce Springsteen! Today the Boss turns 71. Image: Bruce Springsteen / Takahiro Kyono, Wikimedia Commons (CC BY 2.0) Springsteen was born on September 23, 1949 in Long Beach, New Jersey to Douglas Frederick Springsteen and Adele Zerilli. He was raised in a working class household. His father worked various jobs from bus driver to mill worker while his mother worked as a legal secretary. Springsteen fell in love with rock and roll… Read the full story

We always love to hear stories about how Geni has helped to bring families together. Today we wanted to share with the community a story from Roberto Bastidas Buch, who after years of research, was finally able to reunite his family after decades apart. Arenys de Mar, 2017 family reunion / Photo courtesy of Roberto Bastidas Buch It was around the year 1978, six years after coming back to Colombia, South America, from the States, where… Read the full story

Today Mexico celebrates Independence Day! On this day in 1810, Catholic priest Miguel Hidalgo y Costilla issued the Cry of Dolores, a call to end Spanish rule in Mexico, triggering the start of the Mexican War of Independence. Image: Miguel Hidalgo y Costilla / Library of Congress As the parish priest in Dolores, Guanajuato, Mexico, Hidalgo promoted economic activities, such as introducing new methods of agriculture, to help the poor and rural members of the… Read the full story

Happy birthday to Prince Harry! Today the Duke of Sussex turns 36. Image: Prince Harry, Duke of Sussex / Wikimedia Commons Harry was born on September 15, 1984 at St. Mary’s Hospital in London, England. He was baptized Henry Charles Albert David at St. George’s Chapel at Windsor Castle. The second son of Charles, Prince of Wales and Princess Diana, Harry is currently sixth in the line of succession to the British throne. Harry was… Read the full story

Today we remember legendary actress and Princess of Monaco Grace Kelly, who passed away on this day in 1982 at the age of 52. Image: Grace Kelly / Wikimedia Commons Kelly was born on November 12, 1929 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania to John B. Kelly, a three-time Olympic gold medalist for sculling, and Margaret Katherine Majer, a physical education teacher and first coach of women’s teams at the University of Pennsylvania. Despite her parents’ disapproval, Kelly… Read the full story

Happy birthday to Harry Connick, Jr.! Today the singer turns 53. Image: Harry Connick, Jr. / bg_nh2014, Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 3.0) Joseph Harry Fowler Connick, Jr. was born on September 11, 1967 in New Orleans, Louisiana. From an early age, Connick exhibited a talent for music. He learned the piano at the age of 3 and began performing publicly by the age of 5. He learned to develop his talents under the tutelage of… Read the full story

Today we remember English actress Diana Rigg, who has passed away at the age of 82. Best known as secret agent Emma Peel in the classic 1960s television series The Avengers, Rigg had found a new generation of fans as Lady Olenna Tyrell in the HBO fantasy drama, Game of Thrones. Image: Diana Rigg / Wikimedia Commons Rigg was born on July 20, 1938 in Doncaster, South Yorkshire, England to Louis Rigg, a railway engineer,… Read the full story

Do you know what occupations your ancestors held? If you haven’t been paying attention to what your relatives did for a living, you may want to start now. Knowing what occupations your relatives held can give you better insight into their everyday lives, their social status, education level, or even their migration patterns. Image: U.S. National Archives Occupations can also give you clues for new areas of research. Below are a some places where you… Read the full story

Happy birthday to Beyoncé! Today the music superstar celebrates her 39th birthday. Image: Beyoncé Knowles / Wikimedia Commons Born and raised in Houston, Texas, Beyoncé first catapulted to music stardom in the female R&B group Destiny’s Child. Since launching her own solo career, she has become one of the top selling female performers of all time with over 100 million records sold worldwide. Beyoncé is also the most nominated female artist in Grammy history, with… Read the full story

On this day in 1189, Richard I of England was crowned king in Westminster Abbey. Image: Richard I of England / Wikimedia Commons Born on September 8, 1157, Richard was the third of five sons born to King Henry II of England and Eleanor of Aquitaine. He was known as Richard the Lionheart for his reputation as a great military leader and warrior. During his reign, Richard spent the majority of his time outside of England…. Read the full story

After 72 years on the throne, King Louis XIV of France died on this day in 1715, just four days before his 77th birthday. Image: Louis XIV / Wikimedia Commons Louis XIV was born on September 5, 1638 to Louis XIII and Anne of Austria. Before his birth, his mother had experienced four stillbirths, and so he was named Louis Dieudonné, which was French for “Gift of God.” When he was four, Louis’s father passed away, leaving the… Read the full story

On this day in 1908, Lyndon B. Johnson, the 36th President of the United States, was born in a small farmhouse in Stonewall, Texas. Image: Lyndon B. Johnson / Library of Congress Johnson was the eldest of five children born to Samuel Ealy Johnson, Jr. and Rebekah Baines. His father was a businessman and a politician who served five terms in the Texas House of Representatives. Before pursuing a career in politics, Johnson briefly worked… Read the full story

On this day in 1819, Prince Albert was born. The husband of Queen Victoria, the Prince was one of the Queen’s most trusted advisors. His death at the age of 42 profoundly impacted Victoria for the rest of her life. Image: Albert, Prince Consort / Library of Congress Prince Albert was born on August 26, 1819 at Schloss Rosenau in Bavaria. He was the second son of Ernest III, Duke of Saxe-Coburg-Saafeld, and his first… Read the full story

Have you visited the Gateway Arch in St. Louis, Missouri? On this day in 1910, architect Eero Saarinen was born. Image: Eero Saarinen / Library of Congress Saarinen was born on August 20, 1910 in Kirkkonummi, Finland on his father’s 37th birthday. His father, Eliel Saarinen, was a notable Finnish architect and his mother, Loja Gesellius, was a textile designer and sculptor. When Saarinen was 13, his family immigrated to the United States and settled… Read the full story

Today marks the anniversary of the ratification of the 19th Amendment, which stated “the right of citizens of the United States to vote shall not be denied or abridged by the United States or by any state on account of sex.” U.S. National Archives and Records Administration On August 18, 1920, the Tennessee House of Representatives voted to ratify the 19th Amendment to the United States Constitution, finally granting women the right to vote. The… Read the full story

Are you related to American folk hero Davy Crockett? On this day in 1786, the famous frontiersman was born. Image: Davy Crockett / Library of Congress Crockett was born on August 17, 1786 to John M. Crockett and Rebecca Sullivan Crockett. He learned to shoot at the age of 8 and gained a reputation for hunting and story telling. In 1826, he was elected to Congress and served two terms before leaving politics to join the… Read the full story

MyHeritage has announced that they have unlocked their two popular photo tools – MyHeritage Photo Enhancer and MyHeritage In Color™ – for an entire month! From now until September 10, 2020, everyone can access these powerful photo tools for FREE! These two groundbreaking tools will bring new life to your old, faded, black and white family photos. Sharpen your blurry images with MyHeritage Photo Enhancer and bring them to life in vivid color with MyHeritage… Read the full story

On this day in 1899, legendary filmmaker Alfred Hitchcock was born. Image: Alfred Hitchcock / Library of Congress Hitchcock was born on August 13, 1899 in London, England to William Edgar Hitchcock and Emma Jane Wheland. He was the youngest of three children. Before stepping into the director’s chair, Hitchcock got his start as a title card designer for silent films. In 1929, he directed his first “talkie,” Blackmail, which would become a huge success…. Read the full story

On this day in 1928, singer Eddie Fisher was born. One of the most popular singers of the 1950s, Fisher is also remembered for his part in one of Hollywood’s most famous marital scandals. Image: Eddie Fisher / Wikimedia Commons Fisher was born Edwin Jack Fisher on August 10, 1928 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania to Kate Minnicker and Joseph Tisch, both Jewish immigrants from Russia. The family’s surname was later changed to Fisher. The fourth of… Read the full story

In a recent interview with the U.K’s Capital FM, singer Katy Perry was in for a genealogical surprise when host Sian Welby shared that she and Taylor Swift are distant cousins. Although Perry dismissed it as a bit of fan fiction, it turns out they really are related! MyHeritage found through Geni’s World Family Tree that the two are in fact 9th cousins! Although the pandemic derailed her planned destination wedding with actor Orlando Bloom… Read the full story

Happy birthday to Meghan, Duchess of Sussex! Today the Duchess turns 39. Image: Meghan, Duchess of Sussex / Northern Ireland Office, Wikimedia Commons (CC BY 2.0) She was born Rachel Meghan Markle on August 4, 1981 in Los Angeles, California to Thomas Markle, a television lighting and photography director, and Doria Ragland, a former social worker and yoga instructor. Her parents divorced when she was 6 years old. After struggling to find steady work as… Read the full story

On this day in 1567, James VI and I was crowned King of Scots at only 13 months old after his mother’s forced abdication. James was born in Edinburgh Castle on June 19, 1566. He was the only son of Mary, Queen of Scots, and her second husband, Henry Stuart, Lord Darnley. His mother’s unpopular reign was plagued by scandal. In February 1567, his father was murdered. A few short months later, his mother married… Read the full story

Today we remember legendary actress Olivia de Havilland, who passed away at the age of 104. With a career that spanned over five decades, de Havilland was one of the last major stars of Hollywood’s Golden Age. Image: Olivia de Havilland / Wikimedia Commons She was born on July 1, 1916 in Tokyo, Japan to Lillian Ruse, a stage actress, and Walter de Havilland, an English professor and attorney. Her first cousin was aviation pioneer… Read the full story

On this day in 1802, French author Alexandre Dumas was born. Image: Alexandre Dumas / Metropolitan Museum of Art, Wikimedia Commons Dumas was born Dumas Davy de la Pailleterie on July 24, 1802 in Villers-Cotterêts, Picardy, France to Marie-Louise Élisabeth Labouret and Thomas-Alexandre Dumas. His father was the son of the Marquis Alexandre Antoine Davy de La Pailleterie and Marie-Césette Dumas, a Haitian slave. He served as a French general and stands as one of… Read the full story

Today we remember actor Robin Williams on what would have been his 69th birthday. Image: Robin Williams / Eva Rinaldi, Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 2.0) Williams was born on July 21, 1951 in Chicago, Illinois to Robert Fitzgerald Williams and Laurie McLaurin. His second great grandfather, Anselm J. McLaurin, served as a senator for Mississippi and later, the state’s 34th governor. Williams described himself as a shy child and didn’t break out of his shell… Read the full story