June 2021

Today we remember one of the most iconic actresses in Hollywood, Katharine Hepburn, who died on June 29, 2003 at the age of 96. Image: Katharine Hepburn / Wikimedia Commons Considered one of the greatest actresses in film history, Hepburn garnered multiple awards and nominations for her breathtaking performances. Her career spanned over 60 years, making her last on screen appearance at the age of 87. Katharine Houghton Hepburn was born on May 12, 1907… Read the full story

This Father’s Day we asked you to send a photo of your dad or a father-figure in your life and tell us what makes him special to you. One lucky person would be chosen at random and receive a free 1-year subscription of Geni Pro. We received some lovely stories from the community and today we’re excited to announce the winner of our Father’s Day giveaway – Līga Saleme! Līga shared the following about her… Read the full story

Happy birthday to Meryl Streep! Today the star turns 72. With a record of 21 Academy Award nominations, Steep is often considered to be one of the greatest actresses in history. Image: Meryl Streep / Wikimedia Commons She was born Mary Louise Streep on June 22, 1949 in Summit, New Jersey to Harry William Streep, Jr., a pharmaceutical executive, and Mary Wolf Wilkinson, an artist. Streep’s father was of German and Swiss ancestry. Her second… Read the full story

Happy birthday to Prince William! Today the Duke of Cambridge turns 39. Image: Prince William, Duke of Cambridge / USAID/Vietnam As the eldest son of Prince Charles and Princess Diana, the Duke of Cambridge is the second in line to the British throne. Prince William was born on June 21, 1982 at St. Mary’s Hospital in London, which is also the same hospital where his younger brother, Prince Harry, and Prince William’s three children were born. After completing his… Read the full story

Each year Father’s Day is celebrated to honor fathers and father-figures in our lives. With the special day just around the corner, we thought it would be fun to hear about your dad and what makes him special to you. Share your stories with us and you can win a free 1-year subscription of Geni Pro! From important life lessons to teaching us new skills such as riding a bike, our dads have made long… Read the full story

Today we remember famous oceanographer and explorer Jacques Cousteau, who was born on this day in 1910. A pioneer of marine conservation, Cousteau studied all forms of life in the water and documented his extensive investigations in books and films. Image: Jacques Causteau / Nationaal Archief, CC0 Jacques-Yves Causteau was born on June 11, 1910 in Saint-André-de-Cubzac, France to Daniel Cousteau and Elizabeth Duranthon. In 1930, he entered the French naval academy and graduated as a gunnery… Read the full story

A few months ago, we released some major enhancements to sources on Geni. Today we are happy to announce new improvements to sources to make your citation experience on your mobile device even better.  Sources can now be added from the family tree interface quickly on your phone, making it even easier to document your ancestry while you are on the go. While visiting your local archive, courthouse, or library, you can use your mobile… Read the full story

On this day in 1867, American architect Frank Lloyd Wright was born in Richland Center, Wisconsin. Image: Frank Lloyd Wright / Library of Congress Wright was born on June 8, 1867 to William Carey Wright, an orator, music teacher, and minister, and Anna Lloyd Jones. His mother was a member of a large, prosperous, and well-known Unitarian family that emigrated from Wales to Spring Green, Wisconsin. Considered one of the greatest architects of all time, Wright… Read the full story

Today actress Angelina Jolie celebrates her 46th birthday! Image: Angelina Jolie / Gage Skidmore, Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 2.0) Jolie was born on June 4, 1975 in Los Angeles, California to actors John Voight and Marcheline Betrand. After her parents separated, Jolie and her brother were largely raised by their mother. Jolie began acting at a young age, studying at the Lee Strasberg Theater Institute as a teen. Her breakthrough performance in the 1998 television… Read the full story