Happy Chinese New Year! This lunar year welcomes the Year of the Rooster, which begins Saturday, January 28.  Also known as the Lunar New Year or the Spring Festival, the holiday is celebrated across 15 days in many countries around the world. At its core, the holiday is about home and family. Steeped in tradition, symbolism and superstition, Chinese New Year is an important time for families to reunite to honor their ancestors. Multiple generations and extended family… Read the full story

Yesterday, beloved TV icon Mary Tyler Moore died in Greenwich, Connecticut at the age of 80. She starred in two classic television shows and helped change the portrayal of women on television. When The Mary Tyler Moore Show first premiered in 1970, it marked the first time a single, never-married, independent career woman was the central character on TV. The show would go on to influence generations of viewers. The Mary Tyler Moore Show / Wikimedia Commons In… Read the full story

When Geni first launched in January 2007, we had one very ambition goal: to create a family tree of the whole world! We invited users to build their family trees and invite their relatives to join them. What began as several smaller family trees naturally led to merging overlapping families, connecting these separate trees into one big tree. Now, thanks to the collaborative efforts of millions of genealogists and family historians, Geni’s World Family Tree has grown to over 112 million profiles! Geni’s… Read the full story

Have you checked out your family map lately? If the profiles in your family tree have their birth or current locations entered, you can easily see them displayed on a world map. The map page is also a great way to see if you have any relatives in the family tree that are missing these locations on their profiles. To view the map, click on Family at the top of the page and select Map. Here you… Read the full story

It’s the start of a New Year! Now is the best time to set your genealogy goals for 2017. Check out a few New Year’s resolution ideas to get you started in 2017: Take a DNA test and add your test results to your family tree on Geni Finally break through that troublesome brick wall in your family tree Visit the graves of your ancestors and take photos of their tombstones to add to their profiles Order… Read the full story

As we come to the end of the year, we take a look back at what we have accomplished in 2016. We are proud the milestones we’ve hit as well as the fantastic new features we’ve introduced this year to make Geni’s World Family Tree even better. Here are our highlights from 2016 on Geni: Geni hit a huge milestone in January when the World Family Tree surpassed 100 million profiles. Thanks to the collaborative efforts of the… Read the full story

On the morning of December 27, 2016, Star Wars icon Carrie Fisher passed away after suffering a heart attack on a flight from London to Los Angeles just four days earlier. Image: Gage Skidmore / Wikimedia Commons  An accomplished author, screenwriter and actress, Fisher was well known for her quick wit and candor. She held memorable parts in When Harry Met Sally and Hannah and Her Sisters, but she will perhaps forever be remembered for her iconic… Read the full story

Do you remember writing letters to Santa Claus? What did you ask for? Every year, children all around the world take a moment to ask Santa for gifts for being good during the year. The Mountainair Independent, December 21, 1916 / MyHeritage SuperSearch Have you ever wondered what your ancestors may have asked for 100 years ago? Newspapers often printed children’s letters to Santa. Common gift requests included dolls, firecrackers, candy, and fruits, particularly apples and… Read the full story

Looking for a great gift for the holidays? Whether you are looking for a gift for the family historian or genealogist in your circle of friends and family or just looking to share your love of family history with your relatives, here are some nifty gift ideas for this holiday season. For something nostalgic…   Poster of your family tree A family tree poster is an excellent gift to to give to your family. You can… Read the full story

On December 8, legendary astronaut John Glenn died at the age of 95. A hero of the space age and the last of the original Mercury 7, Glenn inspired generations of scientists and explorers. Image: NASA Remembered best as the first American to orbit Earth, Glenn was also a national war hero and former U.S. Senator. In honor of his memory, here are some interesting facts about the life of the American icon. 1. He grew up… Read the full story