May 2024

Today marks the 205th birthday of American poet Walt Whitman! Considered to be one of the most influential poets in American literature, Whitman is often called the “father of free verse.” Image: Walt Whitman /  Library of Congress Whitman was born on May 31, 1819 in West Hills, New York and was the second of nine children. By the age of 11, he had left school and began working to help support his family. He learned… Read the full story

On May 30, 1908, voice actor Mel Blanc was born in San Francisco, California. Nicknamed “The Man of a Thousand Voices,” Blanc is regarded as one of the most influential people in the history of voice acting.  Image: Mel Blanc / Wikimedia Commons Although he began his nearly six-decade long career performing in radio commercials, Blanc is best remembered for his work with Warner Bros. He brought to life a plethora of memorable Looney Tunes cartoons,… Read the full story

Today we remember President John F. Kennedy, who was born on this day in 1917. Image: John F. Kennedy / NASA, Flickr John Fitzgerald Kennedy was born on May 29, 1917 in Brookline, Massachusetts. The second of nine children born to Joseph “Joe” Kennedy and Rose Elizabeth Fitzgerald, John was frequently ill as a child. His older brother, Joe, had been pegged to be the family’s political standard-bearer and was expected by his father to seek the… Read the full story

Today we remember athlete Jim Thorpe, who was born on this day in 1888. Considered one of the most versatile athletes of modern sports, Thorpe was not only an Olympic champion, but also played professional football, baseball, and basketball. Image: Jim Thorpe / Library of Congress Thorpe was born in Indian Territory near the town of Prague, Oklahoma to Hiram Thorpe and Charlotte Vieux. Thorpe had a mix of European and Native American ancestry and… Read the full story

Have you found your connection to the British royal family? On this day in 1819, Queen Victoria was born in Kensington Palace in London, England. Image: Queen Victoria / Library of Congress She was the daughter of Prince Edward, Duke of Kent and Strathearn, who was the fourth son of King George III. At the time of her birth, she was the fifth in the line of succession. While she was still an infant, her grandfather and… Read the full story

On this day in 1707, Swedish botanist and zoologist Carl Linnaeus was born. Known as the “father of modern taxonomy,” Linnaeus is best remembered for formalizing the modern system of naming organisms. Image: Carl Linnaeus / Nationalmuseum, Sweden Linnaeus was born in the village of Råshult in Småland, Sweden to Nicolaus (Nils) Linnaeus, a pastor, and Anna Christina Brodersonia. His father was an avid gardener and introduced Linnaeus to the world of botany at an… Read the full story

On this day in 1859, author Sir Arthur Conan Doyle was born in Edinburgh, Scotland. A prolific writer, Doyle is best remembered for his creation of private detective Sherlock Holmes. He wrote four novels and over fifty short stories featuring the fictional detective. Image: Sir Arthur Conan Doyle / Library of Congress Doyle was born to a prosperous Irish family. He studied medicine at the University of Edinburgh Medical School, where he first began writing… Read the full story

Remember the tongue twister, “She sells seashells on the seashore?” On this day 225 years ago, Mary Anning, the English fossil collector and pioneering paleontologist who inspired the tongue twister, was born. Image: Mary Anning / Wikimedia Commons Anning grew up in the coastal town of Lyme Regis in Dorset, England. Her father, Richard Anning, was a cabinetmaker and supplemented his income by selling curiosities found along the coastal cliffside near the town to tourists…. Read the full story

Today we remember actor James Stewart, who was born on this day in 1908. Image: James Stewart / U.S. Air Force Stewart was the eldest of three children born to Alexander Maitland Stewart and Elizabeth Ruth Jackson. He got his first taste of performing while a student at Princeton University. Although he earned a degree in architecture, Stewart would ultimately choose to pursue an acting career after graduating college. He began his career on stage before finding… Read the full story

On this day in 1749, English physician and scientist Edward Jenner was born. Jenner is best remembered for pioneering the vaccine for smallpox. Image: Edward Jenner / Library of Congress Edward Anthony Jenner was born on May 17, 1749 in Berkeley, Gloucestershire, England. His father was the vicar of Berkeley and believed firmly in a strong education. A country doctor, Jenner was familiar with local folklore that milkmaids who had contracted cowpox, a mild disease, often… Read the full story

Taylor Swift recently kicked off the European leg of her record-breaking Eras Tour with a fresh new era added to the setlist in honor of her latest album, The Tortured Poets Department. Before the start of her Paris concert, MyHeritage shared with the world Swift’s connection to French royalty, the former King of France, Louis XIV. The interesting path can be traced through Geni’s World Family Tree, which shows that Swift and the Sun King… Read the full story

Today we remember actor Henry Fonda, who was born on this day in 1905. Remembered as a legend in Hollywood, Fonda’s remarkable career spanned over five decades. Image: Henry Fonda / Wikimedia Commons, U.S. Navy Fonda was born on May 16, 1905 in Grand Island, Nebraska to William Brace Fonda, a printer, and Herberta Jaynes. Fonda’s Dutch ancestry can be traced back to the early settlers of upstate New York in the small village of Fonda…. Read the full story

Do you love the story of The Wonderful Wizard of Oz? Author L. Frank Baum was born on May 15, 1856 in Chittenango, New York. Image: L. Frank Baum / Library of Congress A popular writer, Baum is best remembered for his story of Dorothy and her dog Toto and their adventure home after a tornado transports them to the magical land of Oz. First published on May 17, 1900, The Wonderful Wizard of Oz was a commercial… Read the full story

Happy birthday to George Lucas! Today the Star Wars creator turns 80. Image: Nicolas Genin, Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 2.0) The iconic filmmaker was born George Walton Lucas, Jr. on May 14, 1944 in Modesto, California. He was the son of Dorothy Bomberger and George Walton Lucas,Sr. As a teen, he formed an interest in filmmaking and car-racing. He spent much of his years in high school racing cars until experiencing a near-fatal car crash at… Read the full story

On this day in 1922, actress Bea Arthur was born. An Emmy and Tony Award-winning actress, Arthur is perhaps best remembered for her roles in Maude and The Golden Girls. Image: Bea Arthur / Photo by Alan Light, Wikimedia Commons CC BY 2.0 Arthur was born Bernice Frankel on May 13, 1922 in New York City, New York to Philip Frankel and Rebecca Pressner. During World War II, Arthur enlisted as one of the first… Read the full story

Today we remember Hollywood icon Fred Astaire, who was born on this day in 1899. Remembered as one of the most influential dancers in the history of film and television musicals, Astaire’s impressive career spanned a total of 76 years.  Image: Fred Astaire / Wikimedia Commons Astaire got his start as a dancer at the tender age of four. By the age of six, he was performing along with his sister Adele as a popular vaudeville act. The siblings changed… Read the full story

Do you remember the story of Peter Pan? On May 9, 1860, playwright J.M. Barrie was born in Kirriemuir, Scotland. Image: J.M. Barrie / National Science and Media Museum, Flickr James Matthew Barrie was the ninth child of ten born to a conservative Calvinist family. He moved to London to pursue a career as a novelist and playwright. It was there that he first met the Llewelyn Davies boys, who would inspire him to write of… Read the full story

Do you have Mexican ancestry? On this day in 1753, Mexican Roman Catholic priest and leader of the Mexican War of Independence, Miguel Hidalgo y Costilla, was born. Image: Miguel Hidalgo y Costilla / Library of Congress Hidalgo was the second child born to Don Cristóbal Hidalgo y Costilla and Doña Ana María Mandarte Villaseñor. In 1779, he entered the priesthood and later became the parish priest in Dolores, Guanajuato. Hidalgo worked hard for the… Read the full story

On this day in 1812, English poet and playwright Robert Browning was born in London, England. A prolific poet, Browning was known as one of the leading Victorian writers of his era. Image: Robert Browning / Library of Congress Browning was the only son born to Sarah Ann Widermann and Robert Browning, who worked as a clerk for the Bank of England. His paternal grandfather was a slave owner in the West Indies, but Browning’s father opposed slavery,… Read the full story

Legendary filmmaker Orson Welles was born on May 6, 1915. Welles was known as one of the greatest radio and cinema artists of the era.  Image: Orson Welles / Wikimedia Commons, Library of Congress Early in his career, Welles juggled work in the theater with his extensive work as a radio actor, writer, director and producer. His famous live broadcast of H.G. Wells’ The War of the Worlds caused widespread panic after many listeners mistakenly believed the show to… Read the full story

On this day in 1903, legendary entertainer Bing Crosby was born. Image: Bing Crosby / U.S. National Archives and Records Administration He was born Henry Lillis Crosby, Jr. on May 3, 1903 in Tacoma, Washington. The fourth of seven children, Crosby loved to listen to music on his phonograph as a child and enjoyed reading the comedy feature “The Bingville Bugle” in the Sunday edition of the Spokesman-Review. His love for the comic earned him the nickname “Bingo… Read the full story

Russian Empress Catherine II, also known as Catherine the Great, was born on this day in 1729. Image: Catherine II of Russia / New York Public Library She was born Sophie Friederike Auguste and was the daughter of a poor German prince. In 1745, she married Peter III, who was the heir to the Russian Empire. After the death of Empress Elizabeth in 1762, Peter III succeeded the throne as Emperor. However, his reign would last… Read the full story

Frontierswoman and sharp-shooter Calamity Jane was born on this day in 1852. Image: Calamity Jane / Library of Congress The legend of Calamity Jane was known throughout the Wild West. However, little hard facts are known about her life and much of what was said was likely embellished or fabricated by writers and storytellers of the day. She was born Martha Jane Canary in Princeton, Missouri and by the age of 12, both of her parents had… Read the full story