March 2020

On this day in 1685, German composer Johann Sebastian Bach was born. Image: Johann Sebastian Bach / Wikimedia Commons Bach was born on March 31, 1685 in Eisenach, Germany to a musical family. His father, Johann Ambrosius Bach, was a court trumpeter and director of the town musicians. According to Bach’s own genealogy research, the family’s musical tradition stretches back to his second great grandfather, Veit Bach, a miller and amateur musician. Orphaned by the… Read the full story

On this day in 1853, Dutch painter Vincent van Gogh was born in Zundert, Netherlands. Image: Vincent van Gogh / Art Institute of Chicago, CCO He shared the name Vincent with his paternal grandfather and stillborn brother, who died a year before his birth. Despite his family’s status as an upper-middle class family, van Gogh lived much of his life in poverty in pursuit of his art. Although today he is considered one of the greatest artists… Read the full story

On this day in 1874, poet Robert Frost was born. One of the most celebrated poets in American history, Frost remains the only poet to receive four Pulitzer Prizes for Poetry. Image: Robert Frost / Library of Congress Frost was born on March 26, 1874 in San Francisco, California to William Prescott Frost, Jr., a journalist, and Isabelle Moodie. After his father’s death in 1885, the family moved to Lawrence, Massachusetts. A gifted student, Frost… Read the full story

Today we remember music icon Aretha Franklin on what would have been her 78th birthday. Image: Aretha Franklin / Wikimedia Commons Franklin was born on March 25, 1942 at her family’s home in Memphis, Tennessee. Her father, Clarence LaVaughn Franklin, was a Baptist minster and civil rights activist, while her mother, Barbara Siggers, was an accomplished piano player and vocalist. Franklin began singing at a young age and would accompany her father on his “gospel… Read the full story

If you are at home in isolation and are looking for a fun way to pass the time and enjoy genealogy, you may want to check out MyHeritage In Color™, MyHeritage’s groundbreaking new feature to automatically colorize old black and white photos. For a limited time, MyHeritage is providing free and unlimited access to MyHeritage In Color™ to everyone! Normally, only 10 photos can be colorized for users without a MyHeritage Complete Plan. However, from… Read the full story

Norwegian playwright Henrik Ibsen was born on March 20, 1828. Known as “the father of prose drama,” Ibsen is often considered to be one of the greatest playwrights since William Shakespeare. Image: Henrik Ibsen / National Library of Norway Ibsen was born to a wealthy merchant family in Skien, Telemark County, Norway. However, by the time he was 8 years old, the family’s fortunes had taken a significant turn and they were thrown into poverty…. Read the full story

As COVID-19 increasingly impacts our day-to-day lives, we would like to update everyone that all is well at Geni and our Los Angeles-based team. Our top priority is the health and safety of our employees and as of March 12, the entire Geni team has been working from home. We are well suited to work remotely and will be able to continue serving our users without disruption.  We encourage our dedicated team of volunteer curators… Read the full story

Do you have outlaws or lawmen in your family tree? On this day in 1848, Wyatt Earp was born. An iconic figure of the American Wild West, Earp is best remembered for his involvement in the famous gunfight at the O.K. Corral in Tombstone, Arizona. Image: Wyatt Earp / Wikimedia Commons He was born on March 19, 1848 in Monmouth, Illinois. An American frontiersman, gambler, and lawman, Earp moved constantly throughout his life. He eventually… Read the full story

Did you know Grover Cleveland is the only U.S. President to serve non-consecutive terms? He served as the 22nd and 24th President of the United States. Image: Grover Cleveland / Library of Congress Stephen Grover Cleveland was born on March 18, 1837 in Caldwell, New Jersey. The fifth of nine children, he was named Stephen in honor of the first pastor of the First Presbyterian Church of Caldwell, where his father was a pastor at the… Read the full story

It’s St. Patrick’s Day! In honor of the holiday, we took a look into the World Family Tree to explore the surprising Irish heritage of a few celebrities. Check them out below and share how you’re connected too! Martin Sheen Georges Biard / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 3.0) Actor Martin Sheen was born Ramón Antonio Gerardo Estévez to Francsico Malabe Estévez and Mary Anne Phelan. Both of Sheen’s parents were immigrants to the United Sates…. Read the full story

On this day in 1750, astronomer Caroline Herschel was born. A pioneer in the field of astronomy, Herschel was not only the first woman to discover a comet, but also the first woman astronomer to be recognized professionally for her scientific work. Image: Caroline Herschel / Wikimedia Commons Herschel was born on March 16, 1750 in Hanover, Germany to Isaac Herschel and Anna Ilse Mortizen. One of ten children, Herschel was educated at home by… Read the full story

Happy birthday to Liza Minnelli! Today the legendary icon turns 74. Image: Liza Minnelli / Wikimedia Commons The eldest daughter of legendary actress Judy Garland and director Vincente Minnelli, Liza was destined to become a star. She was born on March 12, 1946 in Los Angeles, California and made her film debut at the age of 3 in the musical In the Good Old Summertime, which starred her mother. As a teen, Minnelli left school to pursue… Read the full story

Happy birthday, Chuck Norris! Today the star turns 80. Image: Chuck Norris / Wikimedia Commons Carlos Ray Norris was born in Ryan, Oklahoma to Wilma Scarberry and Ray Norris, who was a World War II Army soldier. In 1958, Norris joined the U.S. Air Force as an Air Policeman. It was while he was based in South Korea that he began training in martial arts. After he was discharged, Norris rose to fame as a martial artist… Read the full story

On this day in 1934, Soviet cosmonaut Yuri Gagarin was born in the village of Klushino in Smolensk, Russia. Gagarin made history in 1961 when he became the first human to travel into outer space. Image: Yuri Gagarin / NASA Gagarin was the third of four children born to Alexey Ivanovich Gagarin, a carpenter and bricklayer, and Anna Timofeyevna Gagarina, a milkmaid. He made his first flight after joining a local flying club. He trained as… Read the full story

We’re back from RootsTech 2020 where we had a fantastic time meeting new people, seeing old friends, and connecting with Geni users. This year thousands of people came together at the Salt Palace Convention Center in Salt Lake City, Utah to celebrate the 10th anniversary of RootsTech. Since making its debut 10 years ago, RootsTech has become the largest genealogy gathering in the world. During the first days of the conference, the Geni booth was… Read the full story

Are you a fan of the works by Michelangelo? On this day in 1475, the Italian Renaissance artist was born in Caprese near Arezzo, Tuscany, today known as Caprese Michelangelo. Image: Michelangelo / Library of Congress He was born Michelangelo di Lodovico Buonarroti Simoni to a family of bankers. As a child, Michelangelo was sent to live with a nanny and her husband, who was a stonecutter, and it was there that he first developed his love for… Read the full story

On this day in 1637, Dutch painter and inventor Jan van der Heyden was born. Image: Jan van der Heyden / Wikimedia Commons A prolific painter, van der Heyden was one of the first Dutch painters to specialize in townscapes. He became known as one of the leading architectural painters of the Dutch Golden Age. In addition to his paintings, van der Heyden made his mark in history for his contributions to firefighting technology. Along… Read the full story

Do you have Quaker ancestors? On this day in 1681, Charles II of England granted William Penn a charter for a large piece of land in America, which would become Pennsylvania. Image: William Penn / New York Public Library William Penn was the son of Margaret Jasper and English Admiral Sir William Penn. Admiral Penn took part in the restoration of Charles II and was eventually knighted and served in the Royal Navy. In 1861, Charles… Read the full story