We’re back from Grand Rapids, Michigan where the Geni team was at the National Genealogical Society 2018 Family History Conference. Over 2,000 people were in attendance for the genealogy conference, which took place May 2-5 at the DeVos Place Convention Center in Grand Rapids, Michigan. It was exciting to introduce Geni to those who were still unfamiliar with the concept of the World Family Tree and they were quickly intrigued by the idea of connecting the… Read the full story

Happy Cinco de Mayo! The Mexican holiday is primarily observed in the United States and parts of Mexico as a celebration of Mexican heritage and culture. Many don’t realize that the holiday also commemorates the Mexican Army’s unlikely victory over French forces at the Battle of Puebla on May 5, 1862. Image: DeGolyer Library, Southern Methodist University / Flickr In honor of the holiday, here are 5 things to know about the history of Cinco de… Read the full story

It recently came to our attention that the privacy policy page on Geni omitted an important detail. The description of who can edit the public profiles you manage failed to include users within the maximum Family Group range of the managed profile, as well as limited access to all Geni users. These are explained in detail below. Maximum Family Group Public profiles can be edited by users that are near the profile in the family… Read the full story

This week we’ll be in Grand Rapids, Michigan for the National Genealogical Society 2018 Family History Conference. This exciting conference will take place May 2-5, 2018. Will you be there? NGS 2018 is the perfect opportunity to learn from over 175 lectures on a variety of genealogy topics for all skill levels. Explore the exhibit hall and come visit Geni at booth 206! We’re excited to share the power of collaboration in Geni’s World Family Tree and meet Geni… Read the full story

It’s DNA Day! Celebrated each year on April 25, DNA Day commemorates the completion of the Human Genome Project in April 2003 and the discovery of the double helix structure of DNA in 1953 by James Watson and Francis Crick. In honor of the anniversary of the completion of the Human Genome Project, here are 15 interesting facts about DNA: 1. The discovery of structure of DNA would not have been possible without the work of… Read the full story

Congratulations to the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge! The royal couple welcomed their third child, a healthy baby boy, on April 23, 2018 at 11:01 local time at St. Mary’s Hospital in Paddington, West London. The prince weighed 8 pounds and 7 ounces. Welcome to the family. pic.twitter.com/nKSd5kh5bZ — Kensington Palace (@KensingtonRoyal) April 23, 2018 While the public awaits for the official announcement of the prince’s name, here are some interesting facts about the newest addition to… Read the full story

Some people are lucky to have found old letters during their genealogy research. They may be thoughtful love letters sent home from soldiers at war or general greetings from one cousin to another across the country. But did you know that in the early days of the U.S. parcel service, some parents tried to send their babies by mail? Smithsonian Institution / Flickr After the parcel service was introduced in 1913, a few children were sent via parcel post with… Read the full story

We’ve made some new enhancements on how to share content from Geni. Now when you want to share a page on Geni, whether it’s a profile, a project or even a discussion, you can simply click on the new Share icon at the top of every page to quickly copy the URL or share it on social media. In the heading of a page, you will now see a new Share icon between your notification count and your profile picture. When… Read the full story

While researching your ancestors, have you come across a cause of death that you do not recognize? When looking at old records, it’s not uncommon to find a cause of death or illness whose name is no longer in use today. You may find these terms in old historical records such as obituaries, death certificates, probate records, or census mortality schedules. Here’s a quick roundup of a few terms you may encounter: Croup – a swelling of… Read the full story

Did your ancestors ever received mail via the Pony Express? The Pony Express was once hailed as the fastest way to send and receive mail across the United States. Although it’s existence was short, its impact and popularity on the American West has continued to endure. Pony Express poster / Wikimedia Commons Check out these interesting facts about the old mail-delivery system of the United States. 1. The Pony Express was founded by William Russell, Alexander Majors,… Read the full story