December 2015

It’s New Year’s Eve! Do you remember ringing in the New Year with host Dick Clark? Today we remember the American Bandstand host who helped transform rock & roll into a cultural force. For 40 years, Clark hosted the annual special New Year’s Rockin’ Eve from Time Square in New York City. Millions of viewers wached each year as the lovable host helped countdown the ball drop as the previous year came to an end and the new year… Read the full story

As the new year approaches, we take a look back at some of the great things we accomplished in 2015. Many of our amazing feats could not have been done without the collaborative efforts of our amazing users and volunteer Curators, who work everyday on making Geni’s World Family Tree the largest and most accurate single family tree in the world. The year got off to an exciting start as we headed to Salt Lake City,… Read the full story

Happy birthday to Mary Tyler Moore! Today the actress turns 79. The oldest of three siblings, Mary Tyler Moore was born on December 29, 1936 in Brooklyn, New York to Marjorie Hackett and George Tyler Moore. Her paternal great grandfather was Lieutenant Colonel Lewis Tighman Moore, a commander in the Confederate States Army. In 1861, Moore had offered his home in Winchester, Virginia to serve as the headquarters for Confederate General Stonewall Jackson. Today, the home… Read the full story

Happy birthday, Dame Maggie Smith! Today the legendary British actress turns 81. She was born Margaret Nathalie Smith on December 28, 1934 in Essex, England. Since making her stage debut at the age of 17, Smith has had an extensive and acclaimed career on film, stage and television. She won her first Academy Award in 1969 for her starring role in The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie opposite Michael Caine. She was introduced to a new generation of fans… Read the full story

Can you believe it’s been nearly 40 years since George Lucas first introduced Star Wars to the world? First released on May 25, 1977, few would have expected the film to become a worldwide phenomenon. Today, it would be hard to find someone who has not heard of the movies. This week, the iconic film franchise returns to the big screen to the great anticipation and delight of young and older generations with the latest installment, Star Wars: The Force Awakens. Taking the helm from… Read the full story

Today marks Brad Pitt’s 52nd birthday! William Bradley Pitt was born on December 18, 1963 in Shawnee, Oklahoma to Jane Etta Hillhouse and William Alvin Pitt. He grew up in Springfield, Missouri and majored in journalism at the University of Missouri. However, just weeks before graduating, Pitt packed up all of his belongings and moved to Los Angeles to pursue a career in acting. He worked odd jobs around the city as he struggled to… Read the full story

Have you found your connection to royalty? On this day in 1485, Catherine of Aragon, the first wife of King Henry VIII, was born in Alcalá de Henares near Madrid, Spain. The youngest daughter of Spanish monarchs King Ferdinand II and Queen Isabella, Catharine was initially married to Henry’s older brother, Prince Albert. However, when the heir to the English throne died of an illness in 1502, Catherine found herself a widow. Shortly after Henry VIII… Read the full story

The holidays are fast approaching and many may still be scrambling to find last minute gifts for relatives and friends. Here are some gift ideas for the genealogist or family historian in your family: 1. DNA Test Give the gift of a genealogy DNA test to members of your family or friends. A DNA test is the perfect gift for relatives who may have hit a brick wall or simply want to know more about their origins…. Read the full story

December 12, 2015 marks Frank Sinatra’s 100th birthday. Known for his smooth voice and charm, Sinatra is remembered as one of the most popular and influential artists of the 20th century. Frank Sinatra, 1947 / Library of Congress In honor of the centennial of his birth, here are 10 interesting facts about Ol’ Blue Eyes: 1. His birth left him with lifelong scars. Francis Albert Sinatra was born on December 12, 1915 in an upstairs tenement… Read the full story

Two hundred years ago today, pioneering mathematician Ada Lovelace was born in London, England. Augusta Ada Byron was born on December 10, 1815. She was the only legitimate child of the famous poet Lord George Gordon Byron, who left his wife and child shortly after Ada was born. Ada showed an apt for mathematics at an early age. Despite being outside the norm for women at the time, her mother encouraged her education in science and math,… Read the full story

The year 2015 saw an unusual naming trend emerge. According to the parenting website BabyCenter.com, millennial parents have started to name their babies after Instagram filters. While it’s common for parents to draw inspiration from popular culture, many may still find it surprising to hear that the popular photo sharing app’s filters are the source of inspiration. Image: National Media Museum / Flickr If you’re a frequent user of Instagram, you may immediately recognize these unusual names…. Read the full story

On this day 250 years ago, inventor Eli Whitney was born in Westborough, Massachusetts. Whitney was the eldest child of Eli Whitney, Sr., a prosperous farmer, and Elizabeth Fay. During the American Revolutionary War, Whitney had his own profitable nail manufacturing operation in his father’s workshop. After graduating from Yale, Whitney made his way to the South. It was there that he revolutionized the cotton industry with his invention of the cotton gin. His new machine quickly… Read the full story

Congratulations to new parents Mark Zuckerberg and his wife, Priscilla Chan! The couple recently announced the birth of their daughter, Max, on Zuckerberg’s Facebook page. Maxima Chan Zuckerberg was born last week and was a healthy seven pounds, eight ounces. In a moving letter to their daughter, the happy parents expressed the joy they share for her arrival and their hopes for her future to live in a better world than today. To help make their desire a reality,… Read the full story

Did you visit the circus growing up? On this day in 1936, John Ringling, co-founder of the Ringling Brothers Circus, died at the age of 70. He was born Johan Nicholas Rüngeling on May 31, 1866 in McGregor, Iowa to German immigrants, Marie Salomé Juliar and August Rüngeling. In 1884, John and his brothers formed the Ringling Brothers Circus and traveled across the country with their show. Soon, they became a major competitor to the powerful Barnum & Bailey… Read the full story

Sixty years ago, Rosa Parks became one of the defining symbols of the American Civil Rights movement when she refused to give up her seat on a segregated bus in Montgomery, Alabama. This simple act of defiance sparked a wave of non-violent protest for equal rights. On December 1, 1955, Rosa Parks was riding home from a long day at work on a segregated bus. She had been working as a seamstress at a Montgomery department… Read the full story