When getting started on your family history research, one of the best places to begin is your family. Your living relatives are an incredible resource for your family’s genealogy. While it’s important to make sure ask basic questions about names, birth dates and locations for the person you are interviewing and for other relatives, it’s also just as imperative to get them to open up with stories about their lives or your family history. Image: Powerhouse Museum, Flickr Some of… Read the full story

Genealogy can often bring about a good chuckle. Funny names, amusing newspaper articles, unusual census entries can often lead to some amusing discoveries. We’ve previously shared some funny and unusual names found in Geni’s World Family Tree. Now here are a few more funny names to add to the collection of names. Check out the funny names below: 1. Captain Preserved Fish 2. Cookie Baker 3. Happy Card 4. Houston Texas Whitecotton 5. Olive Pitt 6. Ima Hogg 7…. Read the full story

Overtime, the information on gravestones may deteriorate and disappear forever. Taking photographs of these markers now is essential to preserving them for future generations. This fun activity is perfect for genealogists and family historians. Here are some tips to keep in mind for your next adventure to the cemetery: 1. Ask for permission Before taking your first snapshot, make sure you have permission to take photographs in the cemetery. A quick search online for the cemetery’s website or a… Read the full story

Genealogists love old family photos. It’s great when we can share these photos with loved ones in the family tree. Photographs lets us place a face with the names in the tree. When adding photos, have you ever found yourself a little frustrated when the photograph doesn’t quite appear the way you want? Below we’ll show you how to easily solve this simple problem in the tree. In your family tree, navigate to the person whose photo you… Read the full story

Remember receiving the yellow pages on your door step? Now that we have the Internet at our fingertips, we see these books less and less. However, years ago, thick city directories were one of the few ways a person could look up the names and addresses of local businesses and residents. Old city directories provide a snapshot of a time and place, which makes them a perfect resource for genealogy researchers. 1889 Boston, Massachusetts city directory / MyHeritage SuperSearch Directories… Read the full story

Can you believe it’s been 50 years since Star Trek aired its first episode? On September 8, 1966, the iconic show made its debut and introduced audiences to Gene Roddenberry’s vision of future exploration and discovery. Image: Wikipedia Although canceled after just three seasons, the show’s devoted fanbase kept its spirit alive as a cult classic and eventually, a cultural phenomenon. The groundbreaking show tackled significant social issues of the era, including racism, sexism and war. It broke new ground when it became the first… Read the full story

In the days just before Labor Day weekend, the Geni team went to Springfield, Illinois for the FGS 2016 National Conference hosted by the Federation of Genealogical Societies. The genealogy conference was held from August 31 – September 3. The home of Abraham Lincoln in Springfield, Illinois It was amazing to spend some time in the “Land of Lincoln” surrounded by so much history with some of the country’s leading family history researchers and genealogists. A big crowd in the… Read the full story

Next week Geni will be heading to Springfield, Illinois for the Federation of Genealogical Societies 2016 National Conference. From August 31 – September 3, genealogists and family historians will come together at the Prairie Capital Convention Center in Springfield. This year’s theme is “Time Travel: Centuries of Memories” with tracks geared to inspire and enrich your family history. Attendees will have the opportunity to choose from a wide variety of sessions offered by many of the… Read the full story

Geni curators spend a great deal of time working hard to ensure the World Family Tree is the highest-quality family tree of the entire world. Always eager to collaborate and interact in discussions and projects, our dedicated group of volunteers have assisted many Geni users over the years. If you haven’t yet had the pleasure of working with a curator, we thought it would be fun to get to know some members of the curator… Read the full story

This past week, Geni headed to Seattle, Washington for the 36th IAJGS International Conference on Jewish Genealogy. We had an amazing time seeing old friends and meeting new visitors eager to learn more about collaborative genealogy in Geni’s World Family Tree. The Geni booth at IAJGS 2016 The conference got off to a fantastic start with the Share Fair on Sunday. The exhibit hall had a steady crowd all day with people reuniting with old friends and learning… Read the full story