2026

Happy birthday to Beyoncé! Today the music superstar turns 45. Image: Beyoncé / Jen Keys, Wikimedia Commons Beyoncé Giselle Knowles on September 4, 1981 in Houston, Texas to Matthew and Celestine “Tina” Knowles. Her first name is a tribute to her mother’s maiden name, Beyoncé. Her maternal grandparents were French-speaking Louisiana Creoles and it is through her mother’s branch of the family that she descends from Joseph Broussard, who led the first group of Acadians to what is today Louisiana. Broussard… Read the full story

Today we remember American poet E.E. Cummings, who passed away on this day in 1962 at the age of 67. A prolific writer, Cummings is often regarded as one of the most important American poets of the 20th century. Image: E.E. Cummings / Library of Congress He was born Edward Estlin Cummings on October 14, 1894 in Cambridge, Massachusetts. His father, Edward Cummings, was a professor and Unitarian minister. From a young age, Cummings began writing… Read the full story

On this day in 1948, high school teacher Christa McAuliffe was born in Boston, Massachusetts. McAuliffe made history when she became the first American civilian to be selected to go into space. Sadly, she died in the explosion of the space shuttle Challenger in 1986. Image: Christa McAuliffe / NASA In 1985, McAuliffe was selected to participate in the NASA Teacher in Space Project and become the first teacher to go to space. The purpose of the program was… Read the full story

Happy birthday to actress and comedy legend Lily Tomlin! Today the star turns 87. Image: Lily Tomlin / U.S. Department of State Tomlin was born Mary Jean Tomlin on September 1, 1939 in Detroit, Michigan to Guy Tomlin and Lillie Mae Ford. After high school, Tomlin enrolled at Wayne State University to study medicine. During her time in school, she began taking theater art classes and before long, she was performing stand-up comedy at local… Read the full story

Happy birthday to Richard Gere! Today the actor turns 77. Image: Richard Gere / Francesco, Flickr (CC BY 2.0) The popular actor was born Richard Tiffany Gere in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania on August 31, 1949. His middle name comes from his mother, whose maiden name was Tiffany. Gere’s family had deep early American roots. He descends from Mayflower passengers through both his mother and father. As a teen, Gere excelled at gymnastics and even earned a… Read the full story

On this day in 1814, Irish horror writer Sheridan Le Fanu was born. Considered to be the leading ghost story writer of the 19th century, Le Fanu’s works played a significant role in shaping the genre during the Victorian era. Image: Sheridan Le Fanu / Wikimedia Commons Le Fanu was born Joseph Thomas Sheridan Le Fanu on August 28, 1814 in Dublin, Ireland. He was born into a literary family with many writers and playwrights, including his great… Read the full story

On this day in 1908, Lyndon B. Johnson was born. Elected as Vice President in 1960, Johnson was sworn in as the 36th President of the United States upon the assassination of President John F. Kennedy in 1963. Image: Lyndon B. Johnson / U.S. National Archives and Records Administration Lyndon Baines Johnson was born in a small farmhouse on August 27, 1908 near Johnson City, Texas. He was the first of five children born to Samuel Ealy… Read the full story

When building out your family tree, you will occasionally come across a fascinating new line, a cluster of DNA matches, or historical records for individuals you know are part of your extended family history, but you just don’t know how they connect to the existing tree yet. To help solve this puzzle on Geni, we created the Create a Branch feature. This free tool allows anyone to seamlessly start an unconnected family tree branch and… Read the full story

On this day in 1819, Prince Albert, the husband of Queen Victoria, was born in Schloss Rosenau, Germany. Image: Albert, Prince Consort / Library of Congress Born Albert Francis Charles Augustus Emmanuel of Saxe-Coburg-Gotha, the Prince was the second son of Ernest I, Duke of Saxe-Coburg-Saalfeld, and his first wife, Louise of Saxe-Gotha-Altenburg. In 1840, he married his first cousin, Queen Victoria, who had inherited the English throne just a few years earlier at the… Read the full story

Today we remember actor Sean Connery on what would have been his 96th birthday. Image: Sean Connery / Nationaal Archief, CC0 Thomas Sean Connery was born on August 25, 1930 in Edinburgh, Scotland to Euphemia McBain, a cleaning woman, and Joseph Connery, a factory worker and lorry driver. Named after his paternal grandfather, Connery went by the name “Tommy” growing up. Before becoming an actor, Connery’s first job was a milkman at the age of… Read the full story

Do you have family ties to Dutch royalty? On this day in 1772, William I of the Netherlands, the first King of the Netherlands, was born. Image: William I of the Netherlands / Wikimedia Commons He was the son of William V, Prince of Orange of the Dutch Republic, and Wilhelmina of Prussia. In 1791, he married his first cousin, Wilhelmina, who was the daughter of King Frederik William II of Prussia. After the French… Read the full story

On this day in 1765, William IV of the United Kingdom was born. The third son of George III, William became king after the death of his elder brother George IV. Image: William IV / Wikimedia Commons William was born at Buckingham Palace on August 21, 1765. As the third son born to King George III and Queen Charlotte, William was never expected to inherit the crown. He joined the Royal Navy at the age… Read the full story

On this day in 1833, Benjamin Harrison was born. Harrison served as the 23rd President of the United States from 1889 to 1893. Image: Benjamin Harrison / Library of Congress Harrison was born on August 20, 1833 to John Harrelson and Elizabeth Irwin in North Bed, Ohio. He was the grandson of William Henry Harrison, the 9th President of the United States and first governor of the Indiana Territory. Harrison was seven years old when his grandfather was… Read the full story

Are you a Star Trek fan? On this day in 1921, Star Trek creator Gene Roddenberry was born in El Paso, Texas. Image: Gene Roddenberry / NASA As a young man, Roddenberry became interested in aeronautical engineering and earned a pilot license through the Civilian Pilot Training Program. During World War II, Roddenberry enlisted in the United States Army Air Corps and flew an estimated 89 combat missions. He was awarded the Air Medal and the Distinguished Flying Cross…. Read the full story

Today we remember Robert Redford on what would have been his 90th birthday. Image: Robert Redford / San Diego Air and Space Museum Archive Charles Robert Redford, Jr. was born on August 18, 1936 in Santa Monica, California. He was the only child born to Martha W. Hart and Charles Robert Redford, Sr., a milkman-turned-accountant. After starting out with small roles on television, Redford became a major star after co-starring with Paul Newman in the box office… Read the full story

Are you related to American folk hero Davy Crockett? On this day in 1786, the famous frontiersman was born. Image: Davy Crockett / Library of Congress Crockett was born on August 17, 1786 to John M. Crockett and Rebecca Sullivan Crockett. He learned to shoot at the age of 8 and gained a reputation for hunting and story telling. In 1826, he was elected to Congress and served two terms before leaving politics to join the… Read the full story

Happy birthday to Halle Berry! Today the famous actress turns 60. Image: Halle Berry / Gage Skidmore, CC BY-SA 2.0 Berry was born Maria Halle Berry on August 14, 1966 in Cleveland, Ohio to Judith Ann Hawkins, a psychiatric nurse, and Jerome Jesse Berry, a hospital attendant. After her parents divorced when she was four years old, Berry and her older sister were raised by her mother. Before becoming an actress, Berry competed in several… Read the full story

On this day in 1818, orator, abolitionist, and suffragist Lucy Stone was born. Image: Lucy Stone / Library of Congress Stone was born on August 13, 1818 on her family’s farm in West Brookfield, Massachusetts to Francis Stone and Hannah Matthews. From an early age, Stone was frustrated by the restrictions placed on women. Although her father ridiculed her desire to further her education, Stone was determined to go to college. She secured a position… Read the full story

On this day in 1881, pioneering film director Cecil B. DeMille was born. Considered to be a founding father of the Hollywood film industry, DeMille’s films were distinguished by their epic scale and groundbreaking special effects, which attracted vast audiences. Image: Cecil B. DeMille / Wikimedia Commons DeMille was born on August 12, 1881 in a boarding house on Main Street in Ashfield, Massachusetts, where his parents had been vacationing for the summer. He was… Read the full story

Do you have any writers in your family tree? On this day in 1937, author Edith Wharton died at the age of 75 in Saint-Brice-sous-Forêt, France. Image: Edith Wharton / Wikimedia Commons Wharton was born Edith Newbold Jones on January 24, 1862 to George Frederic Jones and Lucretia Stevens Rhinelander. The saying “keeping up with the Joneses” is said to refer to her paternal family, who were a very wealthy and socially prominent New York… Read the full story

On this day in 1874, Herbert Hoover, the 31st President of the United States, was born in West Branch, Iowa. Image: Herbert Hoover / Library of Congress Hoover was the son of Hulda Randall Minthorn and Jesse Hoover, a blacksmith. Sadly, by the age of 9, he was an orphan. He was raised by his uncle, John Minthorn, a physician and businessman. Before the presidency, Hoover worked as an engineer in China. He and his… Read the full story

Happy birthday to actress Charlize Theron! Today the star turns 51. Image: Charlize Theron / Gage Skidmore, Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 2.0) Theron was born on August 7, 1975 in Benoni, Gauteng, South Africa and grew up on her family’s farm outside of Johannesburg. She spent her childhood studying ballet, and although she saw herself as a dancer, she began her career as a model. After an injury left her unable to pursue a career as… Read the full story

Today we remember actress Lucille Ball, who was born on this day in 1911. Image: Lucille Ball / Wikimedia Commons Lucille Désirée Ball was born on August 6 ,1911 in Jamestown, New York. After her father died of typhoid fever in 1915, the family moved in with her maternal grandparents. She and her brother were later cared for by their step-grandparents after her mother remarried. As a teen, Ball attended the John Murray Anderson School for… Read the full story

Today we celebrate what would have been astronaut Neil Armstrong’s 96th birthday! Image: Neil Armstrong / NASA Neil Alden Armstrong was born to Stephen Koenig Armstrong and Viola Louise in Wapakoneta, Ohio on August 5, 1930. Armstrong’s love of flying began at a young age when his father took him on his first airplane flight at the age of five. After serving in the Korean War and finishing college, Armstrong joined the National Advisory Committee for… Read the full story

We’re thrilled to announce some new improvements to MyHeritage Record Matches on Geni! Finding historical records for your ancestors is crucial for building a high-quality family tree, and now, we’ve made it easier than ever to discover and confirm records that are completely free to view with no MyHeritage data subscription required. While a MyHeritage data subscription gives you full access to billions of historical records, there are many incredibly valuable collections that are available… Read the full story

On this day in 1792, poet Percy Bysshe Shelley was born in Sussex, England. Regarded as one of the greatest English Romantic poets of the 19th century, Shelley’s work was often characterized as visionary and radical by his peers. Image: Percy Bysshe Shelley / Wikimedia Commons Shelley was the eldest legitimate son born to Sir Timothy Shelley, a member of Parliament, and Elizabeth Pilfold. He grew up learning to fish and hunt in the meadows around… Read the full story

Do you have a connection to Norwegian royalty? On this day in 1872, Haakon VII of Norway was born. Regarded as one of the greatest Norwegians of the 20th century, Haakon VII is one of the few monarchs in history to have been elected to the throne. Image: Haakon VII / National Library of Norway, Flickr The Norwegian king was born Christian Frederick Carl Georg Valdemar Axel on August 3, 1872 in Denmark at Charlottenlund… Read the full story

Did your ancestors fight in the American Civil War? On this day in 1816, Union general George H. Thomas was born. Image: George H. Thomas / Library of Congress Thomas was born on July 31, 1816 in Newsom’s Depot, Virginia to John Thomas and Elizabeth Rochelle. At the outbreak of the American Civil War, Thomas chose to stay with the U.S. Army despite his Virginian heritage. His decision to remain loyal to the Union caused… Read the full story

Happy birthday to Arnold Schwarzenegger! Today the star turns 79. Image: Arnold Schwarzenegger / Library of Congress Arnold Alois Schwarzenegger was born in Thal, Austria to Gustave Schwarzenegger, a local police chief, and Aurelia Jadrny. His father was once a member of the Nazi party and favored his eldest son over Arnold. Struggling with a tough home life, Arnold turned to movies as an escape and dreamed of moving to the U.S. At 15, he began weight… Read the full story

Today we remember Vincent van Gogh, who died on July 29, 1890. Although he is widely considered to be one of the most influential painters of the 20th century, van Gogh was virtually unknown during his lifetime. Image: Vincent van Gogh / Wikimedia Commons Vincent Willem van Gogh was born on March 30, 1853 in Zundert, Netherlands to Theodorus van Gogh, a minister of the Dutch Reformed Church, and Anna Cornelia Carbentus. The eldest of… Read the full story

On this day in 1929, former First Lady Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis was born. Image: Library of Congress Jacqueline Lee Bouvier was born on July 28, 1929 in Southampton, New York. Her father, John Vernou Bouvier III, was a wealthy Wall Street stockbroker whose family had come from France in the early 1800s. Her mother, Janet Norton Lee, was a socialite and accomplished equestrian with Irish heritage. In 1961, she became First Lady of the United States… Read the full story

Today we remember legendary comedian Bob Hope, who died on this day in 2003 at the age of 100. With a career that spanned more than eight decades, Hope conquered almost every entertainment medium, from vaudeville and Broadway to radio, television, and film. Image: Bob Hope / U.S. National Archives and Records Administration He was born Leslie Townes Hope on May 29, 1903 in Eltham, London and was the fifth of seven sons born to… Read the full story

Today we celebrate the 129th birthday of pioneering aviator Amelia Earhart! Image: Amelia Earhart / National Portrait Gallery, Smithsonian Institution Earhart was born on July 24, 1897 in Atchison, Kansas in the home of her maternal grandfather, Alfred Gideon Otis. Since she was a child, Earhart had a strong sense of adventure. During World War I, she trained as a nurse’s aide in Toronto. On December 28, 1920, Earhart took her first plane ride that… Read the full story

Happy birthday to actor Woody Harrelson! Today the star turns 65. Image: Woody Harrelson / LBJ Library photo by Gabriel Cristóver Pérez Harrelson was born Woodrow Tracy Harrelson on July 23, 1961 in Midland, Texas to Diane Oswald and Charles Harrelson. His father was a convicted contract killer and received a life sentence in 1979. He died in prison in 2007. His mother worked as a legal secretary and raised Harrelson and his two brothers alone. In… Read the full story

Image: Emma Lazarus / Library of Congress “Give me your tired, your poor,Your huddled Masses yearning to breathe free” – Emma Lazarus, “The New Colossus” These are the iconic lines inscribed on a bronze plaque at the pedestal of the Statue of Liberty. The words were written by American poet Emma Lazarus in 1883 in her sonnet “The New Colossus.” The poem was originally written to help raise funds for the construction of the statue’s pedestal, but… Read the full story

Today we remember actor Robin Williams on what would have been his 75th 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

Today we remember Italian inventor Guglielmo Marconi, who died on this day in 1937. Known for his pioneering work on long-distance radio transmission, Marconi was awarded the Nobel Prize in Physics for his contributions to the development of wireless technology. Image: Guglielmo Marconi / Smithsonian Institution, Flickr Marconi was born on April 25, 1874 in Bologna, Italy to a wealthy Italian family. His father, Giuseppe Marconi, was an Italian aristocratic landowner, while his mother, Annie… Read the full story

Today we remember actor Donald Sutherland on what would have been his 91st birthday. Image: Donald Sutherland / Frantogian, Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 3.0) Sutherland was born on July 17, 1935 in Saint John, New Brunswick, Canada to Dorothy Isobel McNichol and Frederick McLea Sutherland. As a young teen, Sutherland worked as a news correspondent for a local radio station. He studied engineering and drama at Victoria University before leaving for England to study drama… Read the full story

Today we celebrate Norwegian explorer Roald Amundsen on what would have been his 154th birthday. Image: Roald Amundsen / National Library of Norway, Flickr He was born on July 16, 1872 in Borge, Norway to Jens Amundsen, a successful sea captain, and Hanna Sahlquist. Although he came from a family of ship builders and captains, his mother hoped he would pursue a career in medicine instead. However, after her death in 1893, Amundsen chose to quit school… Read the full story

While your family tree is perfect for illustrating relationships across generations, it isn’t always easy to visualize the geographical journeys behind those lives. Today, we are thrilled to introduce the birth location view, a new enhancement to the family tree fan chart that adds a splash of color to your family history. With this new feature, you can instantly see where your ancestors were born, mapping out your family’s global migration and heritage at a… Read the full story

Today marks the 420th anniversary of the birth of Dutch painter Rembrandt van Rijn. Image: Rembrandt van Rijn / Wikimedia Commons The 17th century painter was born on July 15, 1606 in what is today the Netherlands. The ninth child born to Harmen Gerritszoon van Rijn and Neeltgen Willemsdochter van Zuijtbrouck, Rembrandt showed an early talent for the arts. He trained as an artist under two masters before beginning to practice as a professional portrait… Read the full story

Today we remember folk singer Woody Guthrie, who was born 114 years ago today. Image: Woody Guthrie / Library of Congress He was born Woodrow Wilson Guthrie on July 14, 1912 in Okemah, Oklahoma. His parents named him after Woodrow Wilson, who had become the Democratic candidate for president just weeks before his birth.  The Great Depression hit his family hard. In 1935, he join the thousands of “Okies” migrating West in search for work…. Read the full story

Happy 84th birthday to Harrison Ford! Image: Harrison Ford / Wikimedia Commons, Gage Skidmore (CC BY-SA 2.0) He was born on July 13, 1942 in Chicago, Illinois to Christopher Ford and Dorothy Nidelman. His maternal grandparents, Harrison Nidelman and Annie Lifshitz, were Jewish immigrants from Minsk, Belarus. While his paternal grandparents, John Fitzgerald Ford and Florence Niehaus, were of Irish and German ancestry. Ford was working as a carpenter before he finally found success as… Read the full story

Today we celebrate the 170th birthday of inventor Nikola Tesla! Tesla is remembered for his groundbreaking discoveries in the production, transmission, and application of electric power. Image: Nikola Tesla / Library of Congress Tesla was born in what is now Smiljan, Croatia on July 10, 1856. He was one of five children born to Milutin Tesla, an Eastern Orthodox priest, and Đuka Mandić.  In 1884, Tesla came to the United States and began working for Thomas Edison. However, a… Read the full story

Do you have a favorite Tom Hanks movie? Today the beloved actor turns 70! Image: Tom Hanks / Wikimedia Commons Hanks was born Thomas Jeffrey Hanks on July 9, 1956 in Concord, California to Janet Frager, a hospital worker, and Amos Mefford, a cook. In 1979, he moved to New York City to pursue an acting career. After appearing in low-budget movies and bit parts on television, Hanks landed the lead role in the television comedy Bosom… Read the full story

Happy birthday to Kevin Bacon! Today the actor turns 68. Image: Kevin Bacon / Gage Skidmore, Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 2.0) Kevin Norwood Bacon was born on July 8, 1958 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania to Edmund Norwood Bacon, a prominent architect, and Ruth Hilda Holmes, a teacher and activist. The youngest of six children, Bacon left home at the age of 17 to pursue an acting career full time. In 1984, Bacon skyrocketed to fame after starring in the box-office… Read the full story

Today we celebrate musician Ringo Starr’s 86th birthday! Image: Ringo Starr / Library of Congress The former Beatle was born Richard Starkey to Elsie Gleave and Richard Starkey in Liverpool, England. He spent some of his childhood in and out of hospitals. After an appendectomy at the age of 6, he contracted peritonitis, which left him living in a children’s hospital for a year while he recovered. A few years later, he contracted tuberculosis and was… Read the full story

Do you have Mexican ancestry? On this day in 1907, Mexican painter Frida Kahlo was born. Image: Frida Kahlo / Library of Congress She was born Magdalena Carmen Frieda Kahlo y Calderón in her parents’ house, known as La Casa Azul, in Coyocoán, a town on the outskirts of Mexico City. Her father, Guillermo Kahlo, was born Carl Wilhelm Kahlo in Pforzheim, Germany. A photographer, Frida’s father traveled to Mexico at the age of 19 and changed his… Read the full story

Happy birthday to Tom Cruise! Today the actor turns 64. 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

Every genealogist knows the unique thrill of uncovering an ancestor who played a role in shaping history. This week, that connection feels more profound than ever. On July 4th, the United States will celebrate a monumental historic milestone, the Semiquincentennial, marking 250 years since the signing of the Declaration of Independence. Thanks to Geni’s World Family Tree, millions of our users are already deeply interconnected with the very fabric of America’s founding story. To celebrate… Read the full story