Presidents Day on Geni

This Monday, February 20, the U.S. celebrates Presidents Day across the country. Although the holiday was created specifically to remember George Washington‘s birthday, observance of the holiday has expanded to honor all the presidents of the United States. Check out how you can celebrate Presidents Day on Geni!

U.S. Presidents and Vice Presidents Project

 
A great Geni project is dedicated to all the U.S. Presidents and Vice Presidents. Check out the family trees of all previous U.S. Presidents and learn some really interesting facts about their genealogy.

Martin Van Buren, 8th President of the USA

Did you know that Martin Van Buren was the first President to be born an American citizen? Or that his first language was actually Dutch? All previous presidents were born before the American Revolution, and therefore born in the British colonies. Van Buren was born in Kinderhook, New York in 1782.

He was also the first president not to be of English or Irish descent. His third great grandfather, Cornelis Maessen van Buren arrived to the New World from the Netherlands in 1631.

While checking out the project, you may also notice that there are a few father-son presidential legacies, such as John Adams and his son, John Quincy Adams or George H.W. Bush and his son, George W. Bush. However, this presidential family skipped a generation. Did you know that Benjamin Harrison was the grandson of William Henry Harrison? Interestingly, William Harrison also holds the record for serving the shortest term as President, dying of pnueumonia only 31 days into his presidency.

Harrison family tree

See how they are related!

 
You can also have some fun seeing how you are related to the presidents or how the presidents are related to each other! Here’s another fun fact – Bill Clinton once met John F. Kennedy as a teenager. Who knew he would also one day become president? And that’s not their only connection – Bill Clinton is John F. Kennedy’s 12 cousin thrice removed!

To learn more about the family trees of all the Presidents of the United States, take some time to check out the U.S. Presidents and Vice Presidents project and see how you’re related!

View the U.S. Presidents and Vice Presidents Project