We’re hitting the road again next week for the National Genealogical Society 2017 Family History Conference in Raleigh, North Carolina. Between May 10-13, genealogists from all over the country will come together for four exciting days of genealogy fun. Attendees will have the opportunity to choose from over 175 sessions designed to help beginners and advanced genealogy researchers and family historians. If you can’t make it, NGS will be live streaming several sessions. The Geni team will… Read the full story

We’re back from the New England Regional Genealogical Consortium 2017 conference in Springfield, Massachusetts. We had a great time meeting Geni users and introducing Geni to genealogists and family historians who were still unfamiliar with the World Family Tree. This year saw a record number of registrants, while the exhibit hall was also open and free to the public. The Geni booth at NERGC 2017 The conference took place at the MassMutual Convention Center, where… Read the full story

Next week, Geni will be heading to the New England Regional Genealogical Consortium 2017 Conference in Springfield, Massachusetts. Held every other year, this year’s conference will focus on “Using the Tools of Today & Tomorrow to Understand the Past.” NERGC 2017 will take place April 26-29, 2017 at the MassMutal Center in Springfield. The exhibit hall will be open April 27-29 and will be open to the general public. Geni will be there at booths B,… Read the full story

No one looks forward to doing their taxes year after year. However, since everyone is expected to pay their taxes each year, tax records make an excellent resource for genealogists. Ohio 1826 tax records / MyHeritage SuperSearch Here are 5 reasons why tax records are great for genealogy research: 1. They are consistent. As Benjamin Franklin once said, “In this world nothing can be said to be certain, expect death and taxes.” Everyone is expected to diligently… Read the full story

When the RMS Titanic sank on April 15, 1912, over 1,500 people died in what was one of the deadliest peacetime maritime disasters in history. Of the estimated 2,240 passengers and crew on board, over 700 survived. Amongst the survivors where two young French boys who were tossed into a lifeboat by their father, who had died in the disaster. Unable to speak English, the identity of the boys was a mystery. The boys were at first misidentified as Louis and… Read the full story

Did your family serve in World War I? On this day 100 years ago, the United States entered World War I and joined the Allies in the fight against Germany. Called the “War to End All Wars,” the Great War would be unlike any war ever seen before. East Oregonian, April 6, 1917 / Library of Congress Upon the announcement, President Woodrow Wilson called on all citizens to volunteer their services to the country. The president declared the… Read the full story

When you interview your relatives about your family history, the goal is often to gather names, dates, and locations. Sometimes you may lose sight of the stories behind those names, dates, and locations. Some of the greatest insights into your family come from the family stories that relatives remember. It is easy to forget what questions to ask during a family interview, so it is always best to be prepared with a list of questions…. Read the full story

During your genealogy research, you’ll often come across the signatures of your ancestors. Signatures are fascinating because they might be the only traces of handwriting you may find in your ancestors’ own hand. Not only are they fun to find, they can also help supplement your genealogy research. Signatures can be a good way to verify if separate documents belong to the same person. For example, by comparing signatures, you may be able to conclude that a deed signed by James Ford is… Read the full story

It’s St. Patrick’s Day! To celebrate, here are some interesting facts about the holiday that you may not have known: 1. Saint Patrick was not Irish. St. Patrick’s Day is celebrated on the anniversary of the death of Saint Patrick, the patron saint of Ireland. He was actually born in Britain, probably in Scotland. He was kidnapped by pirates at the age of 16 and spent 6 years as a slave in Ireland. He became… Read the full story

Today we celebrate the birthday of Albert Einstein, one of the most brilliant minds in history. Albert Einstein was born on March 14, 1879 in Ulm, in the Kingdom of Wüttemberg in what was then the German Empire. Considered one of the most influential physicists of the 20th century, Einstein’s scientific breakthroughs dramatically changed our understanding of the universe. Albert Einstein / Library of Congress In honor of his birthday, here are some interesting facts about Albert… Read the full story