May 2026

On this day in 1953, New Zealand mountaineer and explorer Edmund Hillary and Nepalese Sherpa Tenzing Norgay became the first climbers known to reach the summit of Mount Everest. Image: The Windsor Daily Star, July 3, 1953 / MyHeritage SuperSearch The duo reached the summit at 11:30am and spent 15 minutes atop the highest point on Earth. Hillary and Tenzing were a part of the ninth British expedition to Everest, led by John Hunt. Upon their… 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

Do you have any gun-slingers in your family tree? On this day in 1837, legendary gunfighter Wild Bill Hickok was born in Troy Grove, Illinois. Image: James B. “Wild Bill” Hickok / Gilman Collection, Metropolitan Museum of Art, public domain Born James Butler Hickok, “Wild Bill” was an excellent marksman from a very young age. His adventurous life was ripe for legendary status. During the American Civil War, he served as a civilian scout for the Union Army. Although… Read the full story

Do you have a favorite Western film? On this day in 1907, legendary icon John Wayne was born in Winterset, Iowa. Image: John Wayne / Nationaal Archief, CC0 Although he was born Marion Robert Morrison, he preferred to be called by his nickname, “Duke.” He was a gifted athlete and even landed a football scholarship to the University of Southern California. Wayne got his start in film with small parts in low budget Westerns. His big… Read the full story

Do you have a poet in your family tree? On this day in 1803, American essayist and poet Ralph Waldo Emerson was born in Boston, Massachusetts. Image: Ralph Waldo Emerson / Library of Congress The son of Rev. William Emerson and Ruth Haskins, Emerson was named after his mother’s brother Ralph and his father’s great grandmother, Rebecca Waldo. He is descended from Mayflower passengers John Howland and Elizabeth Tilley. In fact, he carried the mitochondrial DNA… Read the full story

On this day in 1907, legendary actor Laurence Olivier was born. Image: Laurence Olivier / Library of Congress Olivier was born on May 22, 1907 in Dorking, Surry, England to Gerard Kerr Olivier, a reverend, and Agnes Louise Crookenden. Although he came from a family of clergymen, Olivier was encouraged from a young age to pursue a career in acting. A prominent figure on both the stage and screen, Olivier became known for bringing the plays of William… Read the full story

The National Genealogical Society 2026 Family History Conference is just around the corner and Geni is excited to be there. This year the conference is being held in Fort Wayne, Indiana from May 27-30, 2026. Whether you’re a longtime Geni user or just starting your journey on the World Family Tree, this is a great opportunity to connect with the community and sharpen your research skills. This year’s theme, “America at 250,” promises an incredible… Read the full story

On this day in 1927, Charles Lindberg completed the world’s first solo nonstop flight across the Atlantic Ocean. Lindbergh completed the flight in his custom built single-engine monoplane, Spirit of St. Louis, from Roosevelt Field, Long Island, New York to Paris, France in 33 and a half hours. Image: Charles Lindbergh / Library of Congress Lindbergh was born on February 4, 1902 in Detroit, Michigan to Charles August Lindbergh, a former Congressman, and Evangeline Lodge Land…. Read the full story

Happy birthday to Cher! Today the music icon turns 80. Image: Cher / Wikimedia Commons Cher was born Cherilyn Sarkisian on May 20, 1946 in El Centro, California to John Sarkisian and Jackie Jean Crouch. With dreams of becoming famous, Cher dropped out of school at 16 to pursue an acting career. She rose to stardom as part of a singing act with her husband, Sonny Bono, whom she met in 1962. The duo was… Read the full story

Today we remember Anne Boleyn, who was executed on this day in 1536 for treason and adultery. Image: Anne Boleyn / Wikimedia Commons The marriage between Anne and King Henry VIII was scandalous from the start. The union plunged the country into political and religious upheaval, resulting in breakage from the Roman Catholic Church and the establishment of the Church of England. Soon after becoming Henry VIII’s second wife, Anne gave birth to a daughter, the future… Read the full story

On this day in 1868, Nicholas II of Russia was born in St. Petersburg, Russia. The last Emperor of Russia, Nicholas II’s reign saw the Russian Empire fall from one of the greatest powers in Europe and into economic and military ruin. Image: Nicholas II of Russia / Library of Congress Nicholas II was the eldest son of Emperor Alexander III and Empress Maria Feodorovna. He was closely related to several monarchs in Europe, including King George V… Read the full story

Did you read The Wonderful Wizard of Oz growing up? On this day in 1856, author L. Frank Baum was born in Chittenango, New York. Image: L.Frank Baum / Library of Congress The popular children’s book author was born Lyman Frank Baum to Cynthia Ann Stanton and Benjamin Ward Baum, a successful businessman, and grew up on his family’s estate, Rose Lawn. A sickly child, Baum began writing at a young age. After his father gifted him a cheap… Read the full story

On May 14, 1804, explorers Meriwether Lewis and William Clark left St. Louis, Missouri to begin their historic expedition to explore the lands of the American Northwest. Image: Meriwether Lewis / National Portrait Gallery, Smithsonian Institution, CC0 President Thomas Jefferson commissioned the expedition after the Louisiana Purchase in 1803. Lewis and Clark were given the mission to explore the newly acquired territory, establish an American presence in the area, and find a practical route to the west. Along the… Read the full story

Happy birthday to Stephen Colbert! Today the comedian and late-night host turns 62. Image: David Shankbone, Flickr Colbert was born on May 13, 1964 in Washington, D.C. to James William Colbert, Jr. and Lorna Elizabeth Tuck. The youngest of 11 children, Colbert grew up in Charleston, South Carolina in a devout Catholic household. He experienced tragedy early in life when at the age of 10, his father and two brothers died in a plane crash…. Read the full story

Have you found your connection to the “Lady with the Lamp”? On this day in 1820, Florence Nightingale was born in Florence, Italy. A nursing pioneer, Nightingale is remembered as the founder of modern nursing. Image: Florence Nightingale / Library of Congress Nightingale was born to an affluent and elite British family. Growing up, she felt uncomfortable among her family’s social circles and preferred to spend her time helping the poor and ill near her family’s… Read the full story

Do you have Spanish ancestry? On this day in 1904, surrealist painter Salvador Dalí was born. Image: Salvador Dalí / Library of Congres He was born Salvador Domingo Felipe Jacinto Dalí y Domènech in Figueres, Spain. Nine months before his birth, his older brother, also named Salvador, died of gastroenteritis. At the age of five, his parents had told him that he was the reincarnation of his brother. A believer in the concept, Dalí incorporated… Read the full story

On this day in 1884, President Harry S. Truman was born. Truman served as the 33rd President of the United States. Image: Harry S. Truman / Library of Congress Truman was born on May 8, 1884 in Lamar, Missouri to John Anderson Truman and Martha Ellen Young. His parents named him after his maternal uncle, Harrison “Harry” Young,  but had difficulty settling on a middle name. Ultimately, they simply chose to use the letter “S” in tribute… 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

Today marks the birth of American journalist, inventor, and record-breaker Nellie Bly! Image: Nellie Bly / Library of Congress She was born Elizabeth Jane Cochrane on May 5, 1864 in Cochran’s Mills, Pennsylvania. Writing under the the pen name “Nellie Bly,” Bly was a pioneer of her field and launched a new kind of investigative journalism. As a reporter for Joseph Pulitzer’s New York World, Bly wrote one of her earliest and most provocative pieces, a startling exposé on… Read the full story

Today we remember actress Audrey Hepburn on what would have been her 97th birthday. Image: Audrey Hepburn / Wikimedia Commons Hepburn was born on May 4, 1929 in Brussels, Belgium. She was the daughter of Joseph Victor Anthony Ruston and Ella van Heemstra, a Dutch baroness. After her father left the family, her mother raised Hepburn on her own as a single mother. Her maternal grandfather, Aarnoud Van Heemstra, was the mayor of Arnhem and… 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