We’re excited to announce big news – Geni and Family Tree DNA, a global leader in genetic genealogy, have partnered to integrate Family Tree DNA test results into Geni’s World Family Tree. Today we are releasing a project that has been one and a half years in the making! As of today, Geni supports three major DNA technologies to enhance the World Family Tree – Y-DNA, mitochondrial DNA and autosomal DNA. Users can now link their… Read the full story

When relatives pass away, we may be lucky enough to inherit family heirlooms that have been passed on through generations. Some common family heirlooms include family Bibles, jewelry or furniture. However, sometimes we end up inheriting something that’s a little more unusual. (Image: U.S. National Archives) The Franklin D. Roosevelt Library holds an unusual family heirloom of President Franklin D. Roosevelt. The image above is the Roosevelt Family Hairwork Bouquet, which was made from the hair… Read the full story

Genealogy reports are an important part of family history research. Today, we’re happy to introduce Ancestor and Descendant Reports for your family tree on Geni. Ancestor and Descendant reports will enable you to view a compact list of a profile’s ancestors or descendants up to 20 generations. You may also export the report as a PDF to save to your computer, print it or share it with a friend or relative. To view a profile’s Ancestor and Descendant report, navigate… Read the full story

Summer is finally here! It’s the perfect time to get outdoors for some fun genealogy activities with your family. With longer days, you and your family can spend even more quality time together while also learning about your family’s heritage. Make the most of these long summer days with these family history activities: Photograph gravestones Now that the days are filled with sun, take your family on a trip to visit the graves of your ancestors or… Read the full story

How’s this for a birthday gift? For her 100th birthday, Dorothy Martell witnessed the birth of her great-great grandson! KPNX reports that Weston Alexander Heiser was born on June 6, 2016, exactly 100 years to the day since Dorothy was born. Weston is the first son of Dorothy’s great granddaughter, Alyssa Heiser. Since finding out about her pregnancy, Alyssa had hoped she might give birth on her great grandmother’s birthday. She had gone into early labor… Read the full story

This weekend the Geni team headed over to the Los Angeles Marriott Burbank Airport for the 47th annual Southern California Genealogy Jamboree. Over 1,400 people attended this year’s conference. The Geni booth before the exhibit hall opened We had a wonderful time catching up with old friends, chatting with Geni users and introducing the power of collaboration on Geni’s World Family Tree to newcomers. The conference flew by as the exhibit hall was filled with attendees throughout… Read the full story

Thanks to the collaboration of millions of genealogists and family historians, Geni’s World Family Tree has over 100 million profiles connected. That’s over 100 million people connected to a single family tree! Here are 10 reasons why you should be collaborating in the World Family Tree now: 1. Work with others in projects Why research alone, when there’s an entire community who is just as passionate about genealogy as you? Who better to work with than… Read the full story

We’re excited for the 47th Annual Southern California Genealogy Jamboree taking place on June 3-5, 2016 at the Los Angeles Marriott Burbank Airport Hotel. Jamboree has always been one of the most fun genealogy events of the year. A short drive from the Geni office, Jamboree is a great opportunity to reunite with old friends and meet new faces. This year’s theme is “Giving to the Future by Preserving the Past.” Presentations will be held on a… Read the full story

Do you have royal blood? On this day in 1819, Queen Victoria was born in Kensington Palace in London. One of the longest reigning monarchs in British history, Victoria’s strategic marriage of her nine children to royal and noble families across Europe earned her the nickname, “the Grandmother of Europe.” Image: Library of Congress In honor of her birthday, here are some interesting facts about Queen Victoria: 1. She was the daughter of Prince Edward, Duke… Read the full story

Have you found any funny or unusual names during your genealogy research? Naming trends change and evolve over time, so what may seem odd-sounding to us today, may not have been so strange at the time. Nevertheless, we still get a good chuckle when we come across one of these names as we think to ourselves, “what were they thinking?” Check out some funny and unusual names we found in Geni’s World Family Tree! 1. Experience Bliss 2. Fanny Rash 3. Honest… Read the full story