July 2020

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

Happy birthday to Woody Harrelson! Today the actor celebrates his 59th birthday. Image: Woody Harrelson / LBJ Library photo by Gabriel Cristóver Pérez Harrelson was born Woodrow Tracy Harrelson on July 23, 1961 in Midland, Texas. His father was a convicted contract killer and received a life sentence in 1979. Raised by a single mother, Harrelson grew up in a very religious Presbyterian household. He later attend Hanover College on a Presbyterian scholarship. In 1985,… 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

Happy birthday to Camilla, Duchess of Cornwall! Today the Duchess turns 73. She was born Camilla Rosemary Shand on July 17, 1947 at King’s College Hospital in London. She was the eldest of three children born to Bruce Shand, an officer in the British Army, and Rosalind Cubitt. Although her relationship with Prince Charles was once thought to be highly controversial, the couple was finally married in a civil ceremony in 2005 with the permission… Read the full story

Are you a fan of old fashioned Hollywood musicals? Today we remember Ginger Rogers, who was born on this day in 1911. Image: Ginger Rogers / Wikimedia Commons Rogers was born Virginia Katherine McMath on July 16, 1911 in Independence, Missouri. She started her career in vaudeville after a win at a Charleston dance contest earned her a spot with a traveling vaudeville act. She became most famous for her musical and dance partnership with Fred… Read the full story

On this day in 1606, Dutch painter Rembrandt van Rijn was born. An artist during the Dutch Golden Age, today Rembrandt is considered to be one of the greatest and most important Dutch painters in history. Image: Rembrandt van Rijn / Wikimedia Commons Rembrandt was born on July 15, 1606 in Leiden, Dutch Republic, which is now the Netherlands. He was the ninth child born to Harmen Gerritszoon van Rijn, a miller, and Neeltgen Willemsdochter… Read the full story

Happy birthday to Ringo Starr! Today the legendary musician turns 80. Image: Eva Rinaldi / Wikimedia Commons, (CC BY-SA 2.0) The Beatles drummer was born Richard Starkey in Liverpool, England on July 7, 1940. He was in and out of hospitals for much of his childhood. After contracting tuberculosis in 1953, he was admitted to a sanitarium where he stayed for two years. To help stimulate his motor activity and relieve boredom, Starr was encouraged… Read the full story

Each year on July 4, the United States celebrates Independence Day in commemoration of the adoption of the Declaration of Independence. Drafted by Thomas Jefferson, the document declared the freedom and independence of the 13 American colonies from the rule of the British Empire’s King George III. Have some fun this Independence Day by incorporating your passion for genealogy with your 4th of July celebrations! Thanks to Geni’s World Family Tree, you can see how… Read the full story

Happy birthday to Tom Cruise! Today the actor turns 58. Image: Tom Cruise / Gage Skidmore, Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 2.0) Tom Cruise was born Thomas Cruise Mapother IV on July 3, 1962 in Syracuse, New York. When he was young, Cruise had considered becoming a priest, however, he left after a year in seminary school. He was encouraged to join the drama department in high school and caught the bug for acting. After making… Read the full story