April 2022

Happy 89th birthday to Willie Nelson! Image: Willie Nelson / Library of Congress Nelson was born on April 29, 1933 in Abbott, Texas to Myrle Marie Greenhaw and Ira Doyle Nelson. Raised by his paternal grandparents, Nelson developed a love for music at an early age. At the age of 6, his grandfather bought him his first guitar and by 7, he had written his first song. Throughout his childhood, Nelson earned money by performing… Read the full story

Do you remember reading To Kill a Mocking Bird? On April 28, 1926, author Harper Lee was born. Image: Harper Lee / Wikimedia Commons Nelle Harper Lee was born in Monroeville, Alabama and was the youngest child of Francis Cunningham Finch and Amasa Coleman Lee. Growing up, Lee was close childhood friends with author Truman Capote. In 1959, Lee helped serve as Capote’s research assistant for an article he was writing for The New Yorker…. Read the full story

On this day in 1791, inventor Samuel F.B. Morse was born. Morse revolutionized long distance communication with his invention of the single-wire telegraph and the development of Morse code, a code using pulses and pauses to deliver messages quickly over vast distances.  Image: Samuel F.B. Morse / Library of Congress Samuel Finley Breese Morse was born in Charlestown, Massachusetts on April 27, 1791. He was the first child of Jedediah Morse and Elizabeth Ann Finley Breese…. Read the full story

Happy 96th birthday to Queen Elizabeth II! Image: Queen Elizabeth II / Wikimedia Commons, NASA The Queen was born Princess Elizabeth Alexandra Mary on April 21, 1926, in London. At the time of her birth, no one would have predicted that she would someday become queen. Her father, Prince Albert, succeeded to the throne after his brother, King Edward VIII, abdicated the throne six months into his reign. Queen Elizabeth II is the longest-lived and… Read the full story

On this day in 1808, Napoleon III was born in Paris, France. The nephew and only heir to Napoleon Bonaparte, Napoleon was the first Head of State of France to hold the title of President. After being barred from running for a second term, he organized a coup in 1851 and took the throne as Napoleon III. Image: Napoleon III / Wikimedia Commons He was born Charles Louis Napoleon Bonaparte on April 20, 1808. He was the third… Read the full story

On this day in 1452, Renaissance man Leonardo da Vinci was born in the Republic of Florence. Image: Leonardo da Vinci / Library of Congress Little is known about Da Vinci’s early life. He was born on April 15, 1452 and was the illegitimate son of Piero da Vinci, a well-to-do notary, and Catarina, a peasant who later married an artisan. Growing up, da Vinci received an informal education and by the age of 14, became an… Read the full story

On this day in 1865, President Abraham Lincoln was shot by John Wilkes Booth while watching a play at the Ford’s Theater in Washington, D.C. Image: Abraham Lincoln / U.S. National Archives and Records Administration Just five days earlier, Confederate General Robert E. Lee surrendered to General Ulysses S. Grant at Appomattox Court House in Virginia, signaling the end of the American Civil War. The President had gone for an evening out with his wife to… Read the full story

Are you related to a Founding Father of the United States? On this day in 1743, Thomas Jefferson was born at his family home in Virginia. Image: Thomas Jefferson / Wikimedia Commons The third of ten children, Jefferson was born into one of the most prominent families in Virginia. His father, Peter Jefferson, was a successful planter and surveyor. He died when Jefferson was just 14. One of America’s Founding Fathers, Jefferson was the principal author… Read the full story

On this day in 1916, beloved author Beverly Cleary was born. Image: Beverly Cleary / Washington State Archives, Wikimedia Commons Clearly was born Beverly Atlee Bunn on April 12, 1916 in McMinville, Oregon. An only child, Cleary spent the early years of her life on her family’s farm before moving to Portland, Oregon at the age of 6. A passionate reader, Cleary had aspirations to become a children’s librarian after graduating high school. Cleary began writing… Read the full story

On this day in 1918, former First Lady and activist Betty Ford was born. Image: Betty Ford / Library of Congress She was born Elizabeth Anne Bloomer on April 8, 1918 in Chicago Illinois to Hortense Neahr and William Stephenson Bloomer, a traveling salesman. As a young girl, she studied dance and worked as a model at a department store to help pay for her lessons. In 1948, she married Gerald Ford, who at the… Read the full story

Do you enjoy a bowl of corn flakes for breakfast? On this day in 1860, Will Keith Kellogg, breakfast cereal inventor and founder of the Kellogg Company, was born in Battle Creek, Michigan. Image: Kellogg’s corn flakes / State Library and Archives of Florida, Flickr Kellogg began his career selling brooms before joining his older brother, John Harvey Kellogg, to help run the Battle Creek Sanitarium. His brother was a doctor and together, the brothers worked… Read the full story

Do you remember watching To Kill a Mockingbird? On this day in 1916, star Gregory Peck was born. Considered one of Hollywood’s most beloved stars, Peck is fondly remembered for his iconic portrayal of characters with unwavering strength and integrity. Image: Gregory Peck / Wikimedia Commons Peck was born Eldred Gregory Peck on April 5, 1916 in La Jolla, California to Gregory Peck, a chemist, and Bernice Ayres. Before pursing a career as an actor, Peck studied at the University of California,… Read the full story

On this day in 1802, activist and social reformer Dorothea Dix was born in Hampden, Maine. Image: Dorothea Dix / Library of Congress The first of 3 children born to Joseph Dix and Mary Bigelow, Dix left home to live with her wealthy grandmother in Boston at the age of 12. By the age of 14, she became a school teacher and began her own school. She continued to teach for many years, but her health often forced her… Read the full story

The 1950 U.S. census is finally here! The images are available for FREE on MyHeritage now and in the coming days and weeks, MyHeritage will be indexes the images, state by state, so you can start searching the 1950 U.S. census by name. As the records are indexed, you will gradually start receiving Record Matches to the census on your Geni profiles. Until then, you may want to check out MyHeritage’s newly released Census Helper™…. Read the full story

Today we remember actress Debbie Reynolds on what would have been her 90th birthday. Image: Debbie Reynolds / Allan Warren, Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 3.0) Reynolds was born on April 1, 1932 in El Paso, Texas to Maxine “Minnie” Harman and Raymond Francis Reynolds. Her father was a carpenter and worked for the Southern Pacific Railroad. In 1939, her family moved to Burbank, California and at the age of 16, she won the Miss Burbank beauty… Read the full story