Since the first grade, Geni Curator Jim Wile knew what he wanted to be when he grew up. With dreams to become a math teacher, Jim was working towards his degree in education when his birth date was called in the military draft lottery. He enlisted in the U.S. Army and was assigned to the 902nd Military Intelligence Group. Despite his three-year detour, Jim went on to achieve his goal to become a teacher of… Read the full story
After spending time merging duplicates, it’s easy to forget to go back to resolve conflicting data on profiles. Data conflicts arise when two profiles are merged but some of the information on the profiles do not match. Instead of discarding the mismatched information, we allow you to review these conflicts and choose the best data to keep. The information you select will appear on the individual’s profile page. Below we’ll walk you through how to review and… Read the full story
Today we mourn the death of brilliant author Harper Lee. She passed away at the age of 89 in her hometown of Monroeville, Alabama. The beloved author of To Kill a Mockingbird was revered by many who grew up reading her classic novel. In honor of her passing, we take a look back at her life. 1. Nelle Harper Lee was the youngest of four children born to Frances Cunningham (Finch) and Amasa Coleman Lee. Her first name was… Read the full story
Learning about your genealogy can be a rich and rewarding experience, but many who are eager to discover more often find they are at a loss on to where or how to begin. Family history research doesn’t need to feel so overwhelming. Check out these tips on how to get started on researching your family tree: 1. Start with what you know The easiest way to begin is to start with the information you already know. As… Read the full story
Have you found your ancestors’ wedding or anniversary announcements in old newspaper records? These happy announcements can be a wonderful treasure trove of genealogical information. They may also hold stories of the love your relatives shared on their special day. Many of these may even include a photograph of the happy couple! We’ve uncovered a few lovely examples below. Check them out: Sisters married on the anniversary of their parents’ wedding The Ogden Standard, February 14, 1920 A… Read the full story
We had a fantastic time at RootsTech 2016 in Salt Lake City, Utah! This year’s conference was bigger than ever with an estimated 25,000 people attending and over 150,000 watching classes online. The Geni booth at RootsTech 2016 This year, Geni had an amazing booth with plenty of room to accommodate the crowds of visitors eager to learn more about collaborative genealogy in a single family tree. New users starting their family trees on Geni We loved… Read the full story
Recently, actress Jennifer Lawrence and comedian Amy Schumer made headlines with their newfound friendship. The new pals made a splash at the Golden Globes, where they were both up for Best Performance by an Actress in a Motion Picture – Musical or Comedy. Lawrence took home the coveted prize for her performance as the titular character in Joy. But there’s no love lost between the two friends. The duo are reportedly co-writing a screenplay along with Schumer’s sister, where the two actresses will… Read the full story
Next week, the Geni team will be heading to RootsTech 2016, the largest family history event in the world. From February 3-6, genealogists and family history enthusiasts from around the country will gather at the Salt Palace Convention Center in Salt Lake City, Utah to attend this unique genealogy conference. From the family history novice to genealogy experts, everyone has the opportunity to learn and discover the latest tools and technologies for researching your family history. This innovative… Read the full story
Today we’re excited to announce that Geni’s World Family Tree now connects over 100 million profiles! Thanks to the collaborative efforts of the entire Geni community, the World Family Tree has quickly become the largest, highest-quality family tree of the world. This significant milestone is the product of the hard work and research done by our dedicated community of users and our trusted team of volunteer Curators. The World Family Tree is the definitive family… Read the full story
We love hearing stories from our users when they make fascinating new discoveries. Recently, genealogy blogger Kitty Cooper shared an amazing discovery she made just last week thanks to Geni. Through the power of collaboration, she’s found her long lost second cousins in Germany! Kitty shares that her family has always known of family in Bavaria, but surnames and where they lived remained a mystery. According to family lore, Kitty’s great grandfather, Benedict Reiner, was studying to… Read the full story