September 2015

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

Today we remember legendary actor James Dean, who passed away on this day 60 years ago. James Byron Dean was born on February 8, 1931 in Marion, Indiana to Winton Dean and Mildred Marie Wilson. After his family moved to California, Dean’s mother died of uterine cancer. His father, unable to care for him, sent Dean back to Indiana to live with family. He later returned to California and enrolled in UCLA to study theater. Once he… Read the full story

Happy 80th birthday to Jerry Lee Lewis! The rock and roll legend was born on September 29, 1935 in Ferriday, Louisiana. Lewis taught himself the play the piano at an early age and at 14, he made his first public performance. He eventually headed to Memphis, Tennessee and found work with Sun Records. While working as a studio musician, Lewis had the opportunity to play his piano alongside Carl Perkins, Johnny Cash, and Elvis Presley…. 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

Do you remember watching The Partridge Family? Today, we celebrate the 45th anniversary of the hit sitcom starring Shirley Jones and David Cassidy. The show premiered on September 25, 1970 and ran for four seasons. Jones played the widowed mother of five musically talented children with Cassidy portraying her eldest son. In real life, Jones was married to David Cassidy’s father, Jack. The show was loosely based on The Cowsills, a popular family music group in the 1960s. The… 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

On this day in 1849, Harriet Tubman escaped from slavery in the South. She would go on to lead many others to freedom along the Underground Railroad. Araminta Harriet Ross was one of nine children born to Harriet “Rit” and Ben Ross. She was born into slavery around 1820 in Dorchester County, Maryland. On September 17, 1849, Harriet escaped to Philadelphia. She would soon return to Maryland to lead her family and many others to… 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

Happy birthday, Prince Harry! Today the British royal turns 31. The youngest son of Prince Charles and Princess Diana, Harry was born at St. Mary’s Hospital in London of September 15, 1984. He is currently fifth in line to the throne, after his nephew, Prince George, and his niece, Princess Charlotte. After graduating from school, Harry pursued a career in the military and did two tours of duty in Afghanistan. Harry is also involved in numerous charities… 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

Have you read The Hobbit or The Lord of the Rings? On this day in 1973, author J.R.R. Tolkien died at the age of 81. John Ronald Reuel Tolkein was born on January 3, 1892 in Bloemfontein, Free State, South Africa. When he was 4, Tolkien’s father died of rheumatic fever, leaving the family without an income. His mother took Tolkien and his brother to live with her parents in England. She died in 1904. During World War… 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

Remember the story of Tarzan? On this day in 1875, author Edgar Rice Burroughs was born in Chicago, Illinois. Burroughs was the fourth son of George Tyler Burroughs and Mary Evaline Zieger. His father was a businessman and Civil War veteran. He worked a number of different jobs throughout his lifetime, from a pencil sharpener wholesaler to war correspondent during World War II. In 1912, Burroughs published the first of his Tarzan series, Tarzan of the Apes. The… Read the full story