February 2020

Today we remember music legend Johnny Cash on what would have been his 88th birthday. One of the best-selling music artists of all time, Cash’s music transcended multiple genres, affording him the rare honor of multiple inductions in the Country Music Hall of Fame, the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, and the Gospel Music Hall of Fame. Image: Johnny Cash / Library of Congress Cash was born J.R. Cash on February 26, 1932 in… Read the full story

Do you have any artists in your family tree? Today we celebrate the life of French artist Pierre-Auguste Renoir on his 179th birthday. Image: Pierre-Auguste Renoir / Bibliothèque national de France Renoir was born on February 25, 1841 in Limoges, Haute-Vienne, France to a working-class family. As a boy, he worked in a porcelain factory and utilized his talents to paint designs on fine china. Intent on pursuing his craft, Renoir enrolled in art school and… Read the full story

On February 21, 1728, Peter III, Emperor of Russia, was born. Although he didn’t speak much Russian, Peter III was named heir presumptive by his aunt Elizabeth, Empress of Russia, who also arranged for Peter to marry his second cousin, Sophie Friederike Auguste. Sophie would take on the name Catherine after converting to the Russian Orthodox Church. In 1762,  Peter succeeded to the throne, but proved to be an unpopular ruler. He served a mere… Read the full story

Next week Geni will be heading to Salt Lake City, Utah for RootsTech 2020! Between February 26-29, thousands of genealogists and family history enthusiasts will come together at the Salt Palace Convention Center to partake in the world’s largest family history event of the year. This year RootsTech celebrates its 10th anniversary with an exciting line up of keynote speakers, including Pro Football Hall of Famer Emmitt Smith and Leigh Anne Tuohy, whose family served… Read the full story

Do you have any astronomers in your family tree? On February 19, 1473, Renaissance mathematician and astronomer Nicolaus Copernicus was born in Torun, Poland. Image: Nicolaus Copernicus / New York Public Library In one of the most significant astronomical breakthroughs in history, Copernicus formulated a heliocentric model of the universe, which placed the Sun, rather than the Earth, at the center. Just before his death, he published his findings in De revolutionbus orbium coelestium (On the… Read the full story

Happy birthday to John Travolta! Today the film star turns 66. Image: Georges Biard / Wikimedia Commons, (CC BY-SA 3.0) Travolta was born on February 18, 1954 in Englewood, New Jersey. The youngest of six children, Travolta was born into a family of entertainers. His father, Salvatore Travolta, was a semi-professional football player and his mother, Helen Cecilia Burke, was an actress and singer. Intent on pursuing a career in acting, Travolta dropped out of… Read the full story

On this day in 1847, Anna Howard Shaw was born. A leader of the women’s suffrage movement in the United States, Shaw was also a physician and one of the first ordained female Methodist ministers in the country. Image: Anna Howard Shaw / Library of Congress Shaw was born on February 14, 1847 in Newcastle-upon-Tyne, England. At about the age of 4, Shaw and her family immigrated to the United States and settled in Massachusetts…. Read the full story

Will you be at RootsTech 2020 on February 26-29 in Salt Lake City, Utah? Wonder if any new cousins will also be there? The Geni Pathfinder can now send you a notification to let you know if new relatives are also attending the conference. Simply go to the RootsTech 2020 Pathfinder event page or scan the QR code below to register for notifications. On the pathfinder event page, select how you would like to be… Read the full story

On this day in 1728, Scottish surgeon John Hunter was born. Known as the “Father of Scientific Surgery,” Hunter’s pioneering work led to many remarkable insights in medicine. Image: John Hunter / National Library of Wales, Wikimedia Commons Hunter was born on February 13, 1728 in Long Calderwood, East Kilbride, Scotland. The youngest of 10 children, Hunter had little formal education. In 1748, he traveled to London to work as a dissection assistant to his… Read the full story

Today marks the 211th anniversary of the birth of Charles Darwin. Celebrated as Darwin Day throughout the world, the day commemorates Darwin’s enormous contribution to science. Image: Charles Darwin / Library of Congress Charles Robert Darwin was born on February 12, 1809 at his family’s home in Shrewsbury, England. His family was wealthy and well known in English society. His paternal grandfather, Erasmus Darwin, was an abolitionist and a key thinker of the Enlightenment movement. While… Read the full story

“Our greatest weakness lies in giving up. The most certain way to succeed is always to try just one more time.” – Thomas Edison Image: Thomas Edison / Library of Congress On this day in 1847, Thomas Edison was born on in Milan, Ohio. He was the youngest of seven children born to Samuel Ogden Edison, Jr. and Nancy Matthews Elliott. His father was an exiled political activist from Canada and had taken part in… Read the full story

Happy birthday to Laura Dern! Today the actress not only celebrates her 53rd birthday, but also her first Oscar win! Last night, Dern won her first Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress for her performance in Marriage Story. In her acceptance speech, Dern called it “the best birthday present ever.” Image: Laura Dern / Georges Biard, Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 3.0) Dern was born on February 10, 1967 in Los Angeles, California to stars Bruce… Read the full story

On this day in 1812, Victorian writer Charles Dickens was born in Landport, Portsmouth, England. Considered the greatest writer of the Victorian era, Dickens’s work was widely popular during his lifetime. Image: Charles Dickens / Library of Congress Dickens was the second of eight children born to Elizabeth Barrow and John Dickens, a clerk in the Royal Navy Pay Office. The family struggled financially and eventually, his father was sent to Marshalsea Debtor’s Prison for his… Read the full story

Today we remember Hollywood icon Kirk Douglas, who passed away yesterday at the age of 103. Image: Kirk Douglas / Wikimedia Commons Douglas was born Issur Danielovitch on December 9, 1916 in Amsterdam, New York. The family had adopted the surname “Demsky” after arriving to the United States. As the son of Russian-Jewish immigrants, Douglas grew up speaking Yiddish at home. In his youth, Douglas took on a series of odd jobs to help support… Read the full story

On this day in 1810, Norwegian violinist Ole Bull was born. Known as one of Norway’s most notable and gifted violinists, Bull is also remembered for his efforts to start a new Norwegian colony he called New Norway in Pennsylvania. Image: Ole Bull / National Library of Norway, Flickr Bull was born on February 5, 1810 in Bergen, Norway to Johan Storm Bull and Anna Dorotea Borse Geelmuyden. The eldest of ten children, Bull’s father… Read the full story

Today we remember American illustrator Norman Rockwell, who was born on February 3, 1894. Image: Norman Rockwell / Library of Congress Rockwell was born in New York City, New York to Jarvis Waring Rockwell and Anne “Nancy” Hill. From a young age, Rockwell wanted to be an artist and by the age of 14, he had enrolled in art school to pursue his passion. He found success early on when he landed his first major commission… Read the full story