October is Family History Month! What better time to introduce your children to your family’s heritage than the month dedicated to it? Take some time to spark your children’s interest in your family’s history and they will love it and appreciate it as they get older. Here are some fun activities to get your budding genealogists active in learning about your family’s roots: Become a Family Detective Image: Anna, Wikimedia Commons Have a little Sherlock Holmes or Nancy Drew on your hands?… Read the full story

When it comes to family resemblances, we often talk about the physical similarities between ourselves and our relatives and ancestors. From a cousin who shares the same eyes of a grandparent to a baby nephew who is the spitting image of his second great grandfather, these similarities are frequently a popular topic of any family get-together. Image: Florida Memory, Flickr But what about personality traits? Has a relative ever commented that you share your grandfather’s sense of adventure? Or perhaps your… Read the full story

While researching your family history, you may come across many old handwritten records that are hard to read. Although genealogists would love to see clear, easy-to-read penmanship, you’ll find that that is not always the case. From the census enumerator with the sloppy cursive to your ancestors’ flourished writings in old journals, handwritten documents can sometimes feel impossible to decipher. Image: 1912 Catholic Church marriage record from Mexico Time and patience are key to understanding exactly what is written on the page. Check… Read the full story

Choosing a name for your baby can be one of the hardest tasks for soon-to-be parents. Picking out the perfect name can be a lot of pressure. Many parents may look back into their family tree in search for inspiration. Image: Nationaal Archief / Flickr Here’s a look back at the top 5 most popular girl and boy names from 100 years ago according to the U.S. Social Security Administration: Top 5 Female Names of 1915 Mary Helen… Read the full story

Did you know you can customize the view of your family tree to your own preferences? Geni’s easy to use family tree interface is customizable so you can choose the family tree view that works best for you. Here are a few tips on what you can see: Starting with the view most are familiar with, the Standard tree view will show each profile’s node, picture (if available) and years of birth and death. Click… Read the full story

Half-sisters Diana Lee and Yevan Chernoff-Christian were separated for decades until a family friend made a discovery that would bring them together. Image: Yevan Chernoff-Christian and Diana Lee / GlendaleNewsPress A recent article in the Glendale News Press revealed that the sisters were reunited after a friend made a remarkable discovery on Geni. Two years ago, Melanie Kunisch, Yevan’s friend and an avid genealogists, spent some time helping Yevan research her ancestry. After tracing her parents’… Read the full story

Today Queen Elizabeth II achieves a new milestone – not only is she the United Kingdom’s longest lived monarch, but she now holds the distinction of being the longest reigning monarch in British history. She surpasses Queen Victoria’s record of 63 years, seven months and two days on the throne. Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh, June 1953 / Library and Archives Canada Just like her second great grandmother, Queen Victoria, Elizabeth II was never… Read the full story

This Monday, the United States celebrates Labor Day in honor of the contributions and achievements that workers have made. Celebrated on the first Monday of each September, Labor Day was created as a result of the Labor Movement of the late 19th century. Today, the holiday also symbolizes the end of summer and is celebrated with parties, parades and community events. Working in bottling factory / Library of Congress The origins of Labor Day can… Read the full story

We love hearing from Geni users about their experiences in genealogy. Today we want to share the story of Virginia Lee Oldham (Hopper)’s journey uncovering her family history. She was born in Princeton, Kentucky at the family home on Baldwin Avenue. In 1967, Virginia married Billy Joe Oldham and together, had two daughters, Sara Lee and Heather Jo. Between 1979-1989, Virginia was the owner and instructor of a downtown craft supply store. She was the… Read the full story

This year marks the 100th birthday of legendary actress Ingrid Bergman. From humble beginnings, Bergman would go on to become one of the most famous actresses in Hollywood history. In honor of the 100th anniversary of her birth, we take a look back on the life of the Hollywood legend. The only surviving child of Justus Bergman and Frieda Adler, Bergman was born on August 29, 1915 in Stockholm, Sweden. She was named “Ingrid” after Princess… Read the full story