We are thrilled to unveil an exclusive new feature for our Geni Pro subscribers, the Geni Pro Workspace. The Geni Pro Workspace is a private, dedicated area to organize your family history research exactly how you want it. Whether you are deep in a research rabbit hole or just getting started on a new branch, the Geni Pro Workspace lets you capture notes, set to-dos, and manage your private projects without ever leaving Geni.

Have you ever wanted to jot down a theory about a profile but weren’t ready to share it with the world? Or perhaps you need a personal to-do list to keep track of what items to research on your next visit to the archives? With the Geni Pro Workspace, you can finally separate your “work-in-progress” from your public contributions to the World Family Tree. 

All items in your Geni Pro Workspace are private to you. Link any profile (private or public) to your notes, to-dos, or private projects for quick reference. Tagging a profile to your Workspace items is purely for your organization. It does not change your existing permissions on those profiles. It’s simply a better way to stay connected to your research.

Getting Started: How to View the Geni Pro Workspace

We’ve made it incredibly easy to jump into your research from wherever you are on the site. You can access your Geni Pro Workspace in four quick ways:

Your Homepage: From the moment you log in to your account, you’ll see a dedicated Geni Pro Workspace section on your homepage. This shows your most recent Workspace activity at a glance, which is perfect for picking up exactly where you left off. 

The Research Menu: You may also access your Geni Pro Workspace from the Research menu at the top of the page. Simply click “Research” and select “Geni Pro Workspace” in the dropdown.

Your Personal Menu: Your Geni Pro Workspace can also be accessed by clicking on your name at the top right corner of the page and selecting “Geni Pro Workspace.” 

The Workspace Toolbox: You can also easily return to your Geni Pro Workspace by clicking on the home icon in the Workspace toolbox. 

Your Tools: Workspace Dashboard, Toolbox, and Tabs

The Geni Pro Workspace isn’t just a single page, it’s an integrated system designed to follow you as you work. 

Geni Pro Workspace Dashboard

The Geni Pro Workspace Dashboard is your “one-stop shop” for all your family history research. Whether you are at home or researching at a library across the globe, your notes, to-dos, and projects are ready at your fingertips.

Getting started is easy. Just click on the “Create” button to create a note, to-do, or a private project.

Workspace Toolbox

The Geni Pro Workspace toolbox can be found at the right of all pages on the site so you can quickly create a note, to-do, or private project without interruption. You can click and drag the toolbox anywhere on your screen, so it’s never in your way. Or click on the “x” at the top right of the toolbox to hide it. You can bring it back anytime in your Workspace settings.

Workspace Profile Tab

Every profile page now has a Workspace tab visible only to you. Here you can view every note, to-do, or private project linked to that individual, right on their profile. This provides the best of both worlds: it keeps the public tree clean and factual, while also keeping your personal notes and to-do lists for your eyes only.

Notes

Notes are your space to brainstorm, comment, and theorize without worrying about polishing your findings for the public tree.

To create a note, click on the clipboard icon in the Workspace toolbox or click “Create” in your Workspace dashboard. You can also add a new note on a profile’s Workspace tab.

In the edit window, a location icon will appear at the top right, indicating where on Geni the note was created. Enter and format your note how you would like, and click “Save.” The note will be saved to your Workspace dashboard. If linked to a profile, the note will also be shown in that profile’s Workspace tab.

To-Dos

Create quick, actionable items as you work anywhere on Geni.

Spot something in the tree that needs verifying? Click on the checklist icon in the Workspace toolbox to create a to-do item right then and there. To-Dos may also be created with the “Create” button in the Workspace dashboard or on a profile’s Workspace tab.

The location of where the to-do item was created will appear at the top of the edit window. Click “Save” to save your to-do item to your Workspace dashboard. If created on a profile page, the to-do item will also appear in the Workspace tab of the profile.

Click the circle to check off the to-do list item once you’re done!

Private Projects

Some research is personal, complex, or just “in-progress.” Private projects are perfect for sensitive topics like proving/disproving family legends or preparing SAR/DAR applications. Just like public projects, you can add photos, documents, and tag profiles to a private project, but now you also have the added power of its own dedicated notes and to-dos.

To create a private project, click on the briefcase icon in the Workspace toolbox or click “Create” in the Workspace dashboard. 

You can create the project in the same way you would create a public project, only now you can also add private profiles to the project. Only you will be able to view and edit the private project.

A briefcase icon will appear at the top left of the project to let you know you are viewing a private project. Related project notes can be found at the top right, below the project’s Photos and Documents. The project to-do list is located at the right of the page. If you no longer want to associate a to-do list item with the project, you can click on the small x at the top right of the item to remove it. The to-do list item will still appear in your Workspace dashboard.

When you view your project dashboard, private projects will be highlighted in purple, so you know immediately which projects are public and private.

Important reminder: Your existing view/edit permissions remain the same. While you may tag private profiles to private projects, it will not grant any new privileges on these private profiles.

View Related Items

Whenever you land on a page where you’ve previously created a note, to-do, or project, a location icon will appear in the Workspace toolbox. The icon displays a number, indicating exactly how many Workspace items are linked to that specific page. 

Click the icon to view a list of those related items in your Workspace dashboard.

Organization at Your Fingertips: Tags and Favorites

With our new tagging and favorite systems, you can categorize your research with custom, color-coded tags or highlight priority items.

Tags

Tags are labels that can be used to group items together to better organize your research.

These can be created and edited in your Tag settings in your Workspace dashboard. To create a new tag, click the “Create a New Tag” button. 

Enter the tag name and select a color for the label. Click on the eyedropper to open a color wheel to further customize your color selection. Once you are done, click “Save.”

In your Workspace dashboard, click on the checkbox at the top of the items list to display selectable boxes next to each Workspace item. 

Select the items you wish to tag and click on the hashtag icon at the top of the list. 

A pop-up will appear for you to select an existing tag or create a new one. Click “Done” after making your selection. Notice that you can also create new tags in this window!

You will now see that tag represented by the colored circle attached to the Workspace items selected.

If you are viewing the Workspace tab on a profile, simply click on the hashtag icon next to the Workspace item to add a new tag.

All items with the same tag can be viewed by clicking on the tag name at the left of your Workspace dashboard.

Star Your Favorites

Some items are just more important than others. Use the star icon to highlight high-priority items. This makes them stand out in your Dashboard and on profile tabs.

Deleting and Recovering Items

To delete a Workspace item, click on the trash icon next to the item; or if in the Workspace dashboard, by selecting the items to be deleted.

All of your deleted items can be found in your Workspace dashboard under “Deleted Items.” If you need to recover a deleted item, click on the trashcan icon with the up arrow to restore the item.

If you want to permanently delete your Workspace items, click on the selection box and select the items to permanently delete. Next click on the trash icon with the X to delete it forever.

Elevate Your Research: Get a Geni Pro Subscription

When you upgrade to Geni Pro, you unlock the full power of the Workspace, plus these exclusive benefits:

• Tree Matches: discover new branches of your family with instant Tree Matches 
• Enhanced search: search over 280 million profiles to find and connect with possible relatives
• Relationship Path Diagrams: visualize complex relationships with our powerful diagraming tool
• Unlimited Media: store and share unlimited photos, videos, and documents 
• Premium Support: communicate directly with our expert support staff

Don’t let your notes get lost in paper piles or scattered files. Bring them into your Geni Pro Workspace and keep them with you wherever you go.

Upgrade to Geni Pro today 

Summary

The Geni Pro Workspace is designed to help you organize your family history research like never before. While the World Family Tree is a collaborative effort, your research process is personal. A Geni Pro subscription gives you the private space you need to brainstorm, track, and build. By bridging the gap between your private research and the World Family Tree, we’re giving you a digital home for every lead and discovery you may encounter. We can’t wait to see how this new space helps you break through your toughest brick walls and bring your ancestors’ stories to life.

Ready to take your research to the next level? Explore the Geni Pro Workspace now or upgrade to Geni Pro to start building your private command center today.

The post New! Organize Your Research with the Geni Pro Workspace first appeared on About Geni.

It’s that time of year again! The Geni Team will be in Salt Lake City, Utah from March 5-7 for RootsTech 2026. Whether you are joining us in person at the Salt Palace Convention Center or tuning in virtually from home, we’re excited to connect with the genealogy community. Between hundreds of genealogy classes and the electric energy of the exhibit hall, we can’t wait to attend this one-of-a-kind conference.

Visit the Geni Booth (#1101)

If you’re walking the floor of the exhibit hall, be sure to stop by our booth (#1101) to say hello. We love meeting users and hearing your family history success stories. Come early to pick up a free handy Geni notebook before they are all gone!

• Ask the Experts: Bring your Geni questions! Our team will be on hand to help you navigate your tree or answer questions about your account
• Test Drive Geni Pro: Take a seat at our dedicated conference computers to experience Geni Pro features for free all conference long
• Exclusive Special: We’ll be offering a special conference discount on Geni Pro that you don’t want to miss.

Attending virtually? Visit our virtual booth to join the chat, say hello, and get your questions answered by the Geni team.

MyHeritage Booth Lecture

Join us for a lecture at the MyHeritage booth (#900) to hear all about Geni’s newest features from our General Manager Mike Stangel. Mike will be sharing an exciting look at the latest tools for organizing your family history research on Geni.

• When: Thursday, March 5 at 1:00pm
• Where: MyHeritage booth in the exhibit hall

Be sure to arrive early to snag a seat!

Discover Your Connections with Geni Pathfinder

Have a little fun viewing your relationship paths in Geni’s World Family Tree! We are happy to have the Geni Pathfinder back for the conference. Scan the QR code in the image above to register for notifications and see how you’re related to other RootsTech attendees. During the conference, we’ll send you an inbox message when we find a new connection in the World Family Tree. You can also discover how you’re related to this year’s keynote speakers, Academy Award winner Marlee Matlin and NFL Hall of Famer Steve Young.

Geni’s relationship path diagrams are perfect to visualize all the new relationship paths you may find, even those long in-law connections, such as that between Matlin and Young.

Will we see you there?

Are you attending RootsTech 2026 in person or online? We look forward to seeing you there!

The post RootsTech 2026: Join Geni in Salt Lake City! first appeared on About Geni.

Every family tree holds a few surprises, but some stories are so unexpected that they feel stranger than fiction. From long-lost relatives to unbelievable twists uncovered through research, family history has a way of revealing the extraordinary hidden within the ordinary. We asked the Geni community to share their wildest and most surprising family stories, and the responses reminded us why genealogy is never just about names and dates. It’s about moments, mysteries, and discoveries that bring our shared history to life.

Check out some of the wildest family stories from the Geni community below:

A witch in the family

My 9th great grandmother was Susannah North Martin who was tried in the Salem Witch Hysteria and hanged in 1692.

M. Gonzales

On my husband’s tree…. His great great etc grandmother was hanged as a witch!

S. Fowler

One was [in] town records, an ancestor burned at the stake for being a witch. They would accuse her of making their crops fail and her sister for turning in to a cat and terrorising people. Also said to have been seen talking to the devil by her grandson. I feel the betrayal of that one.

A. Temmink

That I had great (maybe one more great) aunts that were witches. Made tables levitate and all that strange stuff. My one aunt always said that when they died they knew it as the family went out side and saw them ride off in a chariot of fire across the sky. That is a strange story. I’m just going to assume these aunts if I heard their names don’t remember were strange to say the least.

K. French Smith

A wanted bride

A Native American chief fell in love with a great great great grandmother in a wagon train. The train was going thru his territory. He tried his best to offer stuff to the family (bride bribes). The family eventually had to lie to the chief by telling him she had passed away and GGG grandma had to hide in the wagon till they passed thru his territory. It’s recorded in several books.

C. Lehto

No hats at church

Obadiah Holmes was whipped by the Puritans for wearing a hat at a Church meeting.

K. Cotton

An incredible escape

My paternal great grandfather was actually married and had got a divorce in 1903 he fathered a child who went back to Germany with his mother. That child’s children were able to escape Nazi Germany because they could prove that their father was indeed American. I found this out by happenstance when I ordered the divorce papers from Chicago.

L. Lorber

Pirates

That my 9th and 8th Great-grandfathers (William and John Barrow) were close friends of Blackbeard and after Blackbeard’s execution, my 8th great-grandfather helped scurry away Blackbeard’s widow so she wouldn’t face arrest and execution herself and married her into the family quickly to change her name which is what saved her life ultimately.

S. Green

Justice served, in the family way.

My great-great-grandmother’s daughter my great-grandmother came home from school one day covered in injuries. A nun had beaten her so badly that she was bleeding. Outraged, my great-great-grandmother stormed the school and gave that nun a beating so fierce that she was never able to teach again. Justice was served, in the family way.

A. Temmink

Big families

My great grandmother’s parents had three sets of twins.

M. Greenblatt

That I’m distantly related to 2 bigamists who had an odd connection. The step-mother of one was the 4th wife (not the marriage resulting in bigamy charges) of the other. They lived in the same county and were close to the same age. Both also spent time in prison for theft along with the one who served for bigamy. The 2nd wife of the one who went to prison for bigamy was also a distant relative of mine.

But then again, one set of my 6th great grandparents had the same step-mother. She was the step-mother of the man and then after his father died, she re-married and became the woman’s step-mother. But they were adults when it happened so they weren’t raised together.

W. Porter

Not who you thought

A relative in the 1700s/1800s was a woman who lived in a community of deeply religious, unmarried women. Men and other debauchery were forbidden within that community. And yet, she was convicted of public drunkenness, it turned out she was an alcoholic and not the God-fearing woman we thought she was.

A. Nota-Kruize

Criminals

How Uncle Bud Ray murdered the former Sheriff of Christian County, Missouri, in broad daylight.

@MsLaceyLoo

My great grandfather was a moonshiner in Laurel hills in PA and also involved in the murder of another moonshiner.

R. Stelmarski

Notorious friends

My great uncle whom I adored used to hang out with a bank robber! They were really good friends.

T. Moore-Parry

Surprising relatives

My grandfather deserted a wife and six children and immigrated with a pregnant woman who he claimed was his wife!!!

A. Long

My mother passed away not knowing that she had a half sister, it came out through my DNA I have photos of this lady and the resemblance is unbelievable. 

J. Macdonell

My childhood friend until 5th grade when she moved away is my 3rd cousin! Our grandparents’ families shared a duplex in the early 1900s.

S. Badler

These stories show just how full of surprises family history can be and that there is always something new waiting to be uncovered. Whether it is a tale that made you laugh, gasp, or see your family in a whole new light, those moments are what make genealogy so rewarding.

Now it’s your turn. What are the wildest or most surprising stories in your family? Share your family’s craziest tales in the comments below!

The post Your Wildest Family Stories first appeared on About Geni.

As the year comes to a close, we’re taking a moment to reflect on what made 2025 such a memorable year for Geni. From new features to a major milestone for the World Family Tree, this year was filled with discoveries, collaboration, and connections that brought family history to life. Join us as we revisit some of the highlights that made 2025 a year to remember on Geni.

New Features and a Major Milestone

We began the year by rolling out several enhancements designed to improve collaboration and customization across Geni. One of the first updates introduced wikitext formatting in discussions and inbox messages for Geni Pro users, making it easier to communicate clearly and effectively with others. The customization enhancements continued with the addition of custom profile facts to profile name displays. This update addressed one of the ongoing challenges of collaborative genealogy, balancing individual preferences within a shared tree. Geni’s flexible name preference settings now allows you to add custom profile facts to name displays, giving you even more control over how you view names across Geni without imposing your personal preference on others.

We were also thrilled to unveil a new addition to Geni’s family tree views, the family tree fan chart! This fully interactive tree view offers a new way to illustrate your family history. Similar to the pedigree view, the fan chart includes only directly ancestors, but spread out in a semi-circular layout, displaying four to seven generations at a glance.

The biggest milestone of the year came when Geni’s World Family Tree reached 200 million profiles! This incredible achievement was only possible thanks to the dedication, research, and collaboration of the entire Geni community. To celebrate, we offered a free day of Geni Pro to users who had contributed at least one profile to Geni. Many took advantage of the opportunity to merge, resolve Tree Matches, and clean up branches of the tree, strengthening the World Family Tree even further.

We also revealed Relationship Path Diagrams, an exclusive feature for Geni Pro subscribers that provides clear, shareable visualizations of how people are connected in the World Family Tree. These diagrams offer a new and engaging way to explore relationships, especially those complex in-law connections that can be difficult to follow.

Famous Connections and Surprising Discoveries

One of the joys of the World Family Tree is uncovering unexpected connections, and 2025 delivered memorable moments. When the Roman Catholic Church announced Cardinal Robert Francis Prevost as the next pope, taking the name Pope Leo XIV, the Geni community quickly came together to research and build his family tree. The effort revealed not only a rich and diverse heritage, but also an unexpected connection to Hollywood – actress Shailene Woodley and Pope Leo XIV are second cousins thrice removed!

We also explored the Mayflower roots of several famous figures in history and pop culture. From Taylor Swift to the Wright Brothers to Orson Welles, these discoveries highlighted just how interconnected the world truly is and how fun it can be to find famous cousins along the way.

Genealogy Conferences

In 2025, we had the pleasure of connecting with genealogists face-to-face at several conferences. We kicked off the year at RootsTech 2025 in Salt Lake City, Utah. This lively conference is always a joy to attend. It was also the first time we debuted the family tree fan chart view to the public.

Geni’s General Manager Mike Stangel delivered a well-attended presentation at the MyHeritage booth showcasing this latest addition to our family tree views, drawing strong interest from attendees.

In May, we travelled to Louisville, Kentucky for the NGS 2025 Family History Conference. We had a great time talking about collaboration in the World Family Tree with conference attendees. The team also had some fun outside the walls of the exhibit hall exploring the Cave Hill Cemetery where some of Louisville’s most notable figures are buried. Genealogists just can’t resist a visit to the cemetery!

We wrapped up our conference season in Fort Wayne, Indiana at the 45th IAJGS International Conference on Jewish Genealogy. It’s always a treat to reconnect with old genealogy friends and share a meal with Geni curators. The Relationship Pathfinder was a big hit again, with attendees stopping by to tell us about a new cousin discovery.

Looking Ahead

From new Geni Pro features to a new family tree view, 2025 was a busy and rewarding year for Geni. Together, we reached an incredible milestone of over 200 million connected profiles and uncovered fascinating connections across the World Family Tree.

We’re excited for what’s ahead in 2026 and can’t wait to share what we have planned with the entire Geni community.

Wishing you all a very happy New Year!

The post A Look Back at 2025 on Geni first appeared on About Geni.

When the Mayflower arrived in the New World in 1620, it carried with it 102 passengers. The settlers established the Plymouth colony in what is now Massachusetts. Today, millions of Americans can trace their ancestry back to these early settlers. Here’s a look at some notable Mayflower passengers and their famous descendants.

Jane Fonda

Actress Jane Fonda is a direct descendant of Mayflower passenger William Bradford. Bradford was an English Separatist leader, a signer of the Mayflower Compact, and served as the Governor of the Plymouth colony five times over the span of 30 years. Fonda is Bradford’s 8th great granddaughter.

Julia Child

Beloved chef and author Julia Child was also an 8th great granddaughter of William Bradford. Of course that also means that Child and Fonda are related too!

Orson Welles

Legendary filmmaker Orson Welles is the 8th great grandson of John Alden. Alden started his journey to the New World as a crew member of the Mayflower. When the ship returned to England, Alden decided to remain in Plymouth Colony. He was prominent member of the colony and a signer of the Mayflower Compact.

Jodie Foster

Another notable descendant of Alden is actress and director Jodie Foster. She is Alden’s 9th great granddaughter.

Zachary Taylor

Many U.S. presidents can trace their ancestry back to the Mayflower. One such president is Zachary Taylor, the 12th President of the United States. He was the fourth great grandson of William Brewster, leader of Plymouth Colony.

Katharine Hepburn

Legendary actress Katharine Hepburn was Brewster’s 9th great granddaughter.

Taylor Swift

Mega superstar Taylor Swift is a direct descendant of Mayflower passenger Richard Warren. Warren had traveled alone on the Mayflower, leaving his wife and five daughters behind. He waited until he deemed conditions suitable before bringing his family to the colony. Swift is Warren’s 9th great granddaughter!

Orville and Wilbur Wright

The Orville and Wilbur Wright made history in 1903 when they made world’s first sustained, man-powered, heavier-than-air flight. They were both 8th great grandsons of Warren.

Norman Rockwell

American painter Norman Rockwell was known for his beloved illustrations of everyday American life. Rockwell’s ancestry can be traced back to the passengers of the Mayflower. He is the 9th great grandson of Stephen Hopkins, who was one of the signatories of the Mayflower Compact and an assistant to the governor of Plymouth Colony for many years. Hopkins was the only Mayflower passenger who had previously been to the New World. After surviving a shipwreck, Hopkins lived in Jamestown from 1610-1614, then returned to England. He later settled in Plymouth Colony, where he lived until his death in 1644.

Allison Janney

Award-winning actress Allison Janney also has early roots in American history. She is Hopkins’s 11th great granddaughter.

Great Migration: Passengers of the Mayflower, 1620 Genealogy Project

Are you a Mayflower descendant? You can find all the passengers of the Mayflower in the Great Migration: Passengers of the Mayflower, 1620 genealogy project on Geni. Explore the project and discover how you’re related to the Mayflower passengers in Geni’s World Family Tree!

The post 11 Famous Mayflower Descendants first appeared on About Geni.

What is the Statistics feature on Geni?

The Statistics page on Geni allows you to view detailed data about the people in your family tree within your family group, your blood relatives, and your ancestors. Your family group consists of your third great grandparents to fourth cousins and closer, plus in-laws. It’s a fascinating snapshot that breaks down information about your relatives in interesting and insightful ways. These stats include:

• Age distribution of living
• Average life expectancy
• Oldest & youngest living
• Married vs. single
• Number of children
• Birth month
• Most common first names
• Most common surnames
• Gender distribution
• Country of birth
• Current location
• Ethnicity
• Languages
• Political views
• Religion

These stats give you a bird’s-eye view of your family tree and can help you spot trends and patterns that may not be obvious from individual profiles alone.

How to access your Statistics

To view your family statistics, click “Family” at the top of the page and select “Statistics.”

The Statistics page will load with graphs and charts for your family group. You can also choose to see the statistics for your blood relatives or ancestors by clicking on the tabs above the charts.

You can view each category in more detail by clicking on the chart or the link to view the list of family members included in the data.

When you click to view more details, you’ll find the chart at the top of the page and a list of profiles below.

At the left of the chart, you can select which type of chart to view from the drop downs. You can also select the group you want to view or dive deeper into a specific slice of data.

You may also click on a region in the chart itself to view a list of profiles in that selection.

For some categories, you may also fill in missing data in the family tree to make the chart even better.

How the Statistics Feature Can Benefit Your Family History Research

While exploring your family statistics, you might notice gaps, like missing birthdates or locations. This is an effective way to identify where information is incomplete and more research is needed.

It is also a great way to visualize your family history. Instead of looking at just names and dates, the family statistics gives you a chance to see your family history from a new perspective. For example, if you see that many ancestors lived well into their 90s, it can make you wonder about their quality of life, socioeconomic status, or advances in medicine that helped them live longer.

Tips for Maximizing the Statistics Feature

• Keep Your Tree Updated: The more information you add to your family tree, the more accurate your statistics will be. Make sure to input as much data as possible – birth and death dates and locations, marriage details, and more.
• Use the Insights for Research Clues: If you notice a high concentration of relatives in a certain region or an unexpected drop in lifespan during a particular period, use this as a research clue. It could lead you to new records or sources to explore.
• Share With Relatives: The statistics feature provides fun and meaningful insights that you can share with your family. These stats might spark conversations or memories that help you fill in even more details in your tree.

The statistics feature is a hidden gem for anyone serious about family history research. It turns the data you’ve carefully gathered into visual insights that help you see the bigger picture of your family’s history. Whether you’re comparing lifespans or just looking for trends, this feature can provide the missing puzzle pieces to your genealogical story.

Explore your family statistics now!

The post Geni Tips: Use the Statistics Feature to Unlock Insights Into Your Family Tree first appeared on About Geni.

Labor Day is a time to celebrate the contributions of workers throughout history. It’s also the perfect opportunity to reflect on the hardworking ancestors in our own families. Have you ever wondered what kind of work your great-grandparents did to support their families? Or how their occupations shaped the paths of future generations?

The Importance of Occupations in Family History

When researching your family tree, names and dates are just the beginning. Discovering what your ancestors did for a living can bring their stories to life and help you understand the world they lived in. Occupations can reveal:

• Social and economic status
• Family traditions or trades passed down across generations
• Migration patterns as families moved in search of work
• Personal stories of resilience, skill, and community contribution

By exploring these details, you can gain a deeper appreciation for the challenges your ancestors faced and the legacy they left behind.

Where to Find Your Relatives’ Occupations

A wide variety of historical records can reveal what your relatives did for a living or provide clues for further investigation. Exploring these sources can help you piece together a fuller picture of their daily lives. From census records, city directories, old newspapers, and more, these paper trails can lead you to discover more about your ancestors’ field of work over time. For example, census records will often list a person’s occupation or trade. With a new census every 10 years, you can see if this changes or stays the same over time. Census records may also show a pattern in movement, perhaps the family relocated in search of work. You may also want to pay attention to the neighbors because often other relatives lived nearby.

See what other records can reveal about your ancestors occupations.

Sharing and Preserving Their Legacy

This Labor Day, take a moment to honor your ancestors’ hard work by adding their occupations to their Geni profiles. Not only does this preserve important family history details, but it also helps paint a richer picture of your relatives for future generations.

On Geni, it’s easy to record these details:

1. Go to your relative’s profile and click “Edit Profile.”
2. Select the “Work” tab to enter their occupation and work history
3. Save your changes.

The work history will appear as events in their profile Timeline, where you can add more documentation related to their positions. Don’t forget to upload your sources for their occupation so you and others will know where the information came from.

Celebrate workers in your family by taking the time to discover and share the occupations that shaped your family’s journey. Whether your relatives were farmers, teachers, minors, or entrepreneurs, their stories of work and perseverance deserve to be remembered and preserved on the World Family Tree.

The post Tracing the Occupations of Your Ancestors first appeared on About Geni.

We’re back from Fort Wayne, Indiana where we attended the 45th IAJGS International Conference on Jewish Genealogy. From August 10-14, Jewish genealogists came together for a week of educational sessions, activities, and fun. It was wonderful to see old friends and reunite with several Geni curators in-person.

The Geni booth

Geni had a booth in the exhibit hall and many attendees stopped by with questions about their Geni accounts. Last year the Geni Pathfinder was made available to IAJGS attendees for the first time. It was a fun way for attendees to discover how they were related to other attendees in Geni’s World Family Tree. We happily brought it back this year and many people were eager to participate. Throughout the conference, Geni users would stop by to let us know that they found some new connections, including unknown connections between their friends!

Mike helping attendees register for Geni Pathfinder

One of our favorite parts of the conference is the opportunity to spend time with Geni curators in person. We always look forward to our Geni curator dinners!

Geni curator dinner

Although this year’s conference was smaller than in the past, Geni users were able to spend more time working on their trees at the Geni booth. For the conference, we granted free access to our Geni Pro tools and free access to MyHeritage Record Matches and Smart Matches at the booth computers. A few people took advantage of the down time to review and confirm their matches to their Geni profiles.

Geni users working on confirming Record Matches and Smart Matches

There were also many evening activities planned during the conference, including a baseball game! Many conference attendees made their way to Parkview Field to attend a minor league baseball game between the Fort Wayne TinCaps and the West Michigan Whitecaps. It was a great to spend time with everyone outside of the convention center.

Enjoying the baseball game with IAJGS attendees

Next year’s conference will be virtual. If you were unable to make it in-person this year, perhaps you can catch it from the comfort of your own home in 2026. We hope to see you there!

The post Conference Recap: IAJGS 2025 first appeared on About Geni.

Come find us in the conference exhibit hall and say hello! Remember to bring your Geni questions for one-on-one help from the team. We’ll also be offering an exclusive conference discount on Geni Pro subscriptions that you won’t want to miss. If you’re not ready to upgrade but still want to try our Geni Pro features, pencil in some time at our conference computers to take advantage of our premium features for free. It’s a great opportunity to review your matches or, if you haven’t done so already, connect to the World Family Tree.

Last year was the first time we enabled Geni Pathfinder for the IAJGS conference and it was a huge hit. Geni users got a kick out of seeing how they were connected to others at the conference, even if the connection was a bit distant. Now with Geni’s new relationship path diagrams, those long in-law connections may become a little easier to understand and, perhaps, may not seem so far away afterall. Register now to be notified during the conference of other Geni users who are also attending. Simply scan the QR code below or go to the IAJGS 2025 Geni Pathfinder page to get started. Once the conference begins, we’ll send you a Geni inbox message letting you know when a new relative is found.

Will you be in Fort Wayne, Indiana for the 45th IAJGS International Conference on Jewish Genealogy? Be sure to stop by and say hi!

The post Join Us at IAJGS 2025 in Fort Wayne, Indiana first appeared on About Geni.

Declaration of Independence, Goddard broadside / Library of Congress

Every year on July 4th, the United States celebrates Independence Day to commemorate the ratification of the Declaration of Independence. Drafted by Thomas Jefferson, the document declared the freedom and independence of the 13 American colonies from British rule under King George III. On July 4, 1776 the Second Continental Congress gathered at the Pennsylvania State House to unanimously adopt the Declaration of Independence. The document was signed by 56 delegates, although not all signed at the same time. The handwritten copy of the Declaration was sent to the print shop of John Dunlap, who printed the first 200 copies, now known as the Dunlap broadside.

Declaration of Independence, Dunlap broadside / U.S. National Archives and Records Administration

In 1777, the Continental Congress commissioned Mary Katharine Goddard to print a new broadside of the Declaration of Independence. Known as the Goddard broadside, this edition marked the second official printing of the document and the first to include the typeset names of the signers. At the time, openly associating with the Declaration was a dangerous act; to the British Crown, it was considered treason. Nevertheless, Mary Katharine boldly included her full name in the colophon, making clear her support of American independence.

Declaration of Independence, Goddard broadside / Library of Congress

Who was Mary Katharine Goddard?

Mary Katharine Goddard was born on June 16, 1738 in Connecticut to Dr. Giles Goddard and Sarah Updike. Her father was a respected physician and postmaster of New London, Connecticut, while her mother was well educated, and ensured Mary Katharine learned to read and write. Her brother, William, would go on to become a prominent publisher and printer. After her father’s death, the family relocated to Providence, Rhode Island. There, Sarah and William established the Providence Gazette, the city’s first newspaper. As the business grew, William moved to Philadelphia and founded the Pennsylvania Chronicle alongside several partners, including Benjamin Franklin. Mary Katharine and her mother remained in Providence to manage the paper, but eventually joined William in Philadelphia.

Printer, Publisher, Postmaster

After their mother’s death, William moved to Baltimore, Maryland where he launched the revolutionary publication, the Maryland Journal and the Baltimore Advertiser. In 1774, Mary Katharine joined him in Baltimore to assist her brother in running the publication. A firm believer in freedom of the press, she took over sole editorship of the Maryland Journal in 1775 and the paper’s colophon was changed to read, “Published by M.K. Goddard.” William turned his focus to developing a new colonial postal system. By 1773, the British authorities had begun heavily censoring mail and blocking communication between the colonies. In response, William helped establish an alternative postal network. During its development, he was advised by Benjamin Franklin, who had served as the Crown’s Chief Postmaster for the British colonies. The new system formed the basis of what would become the U.S. Postal Service. After the Second Continental Congress appointed Franklin as the first U.S. Postmaster General, William was named Surveyor of the Posts. In 1775, Mary Katharine was appointed the first postmaster of Baltimore, making her the first woman to hold such a position. Throughout the Revolutionary War, she not only maintain vital lines of communication through mail, but also continued publishing the newspaper, and printed almanacs and other books.

Goddard Broadside

In January 1777, the Continental Congress moved to make the Declaration of Independence more widely distributed. After recently evacuating to Baltimore to escape the British Army, the Continental Congress commissioned Mary Katharine to print a new broadside. Unlike the Dunlap broadside, the new print would include the typeset names of the signers of the Declaration of Independence. It would be the first time their names were made public in print. Notably absent from the list is Thomas McKean, who likely signed the document at a later date.

The signers of the Declaration of Independence / Library of Congress

At the bottom of the broadside, Mary Katharine added her full name to the colophon. It reads: “Baltimore, in Maryland: Printed by Mary Katharine Goddard.” By adding her full name, Mary Katharine was also publicly aligning herself in support of Independence and risking her own safety in the process.

Mary Katharine Goddard’s name on the Declaration of Independence / Library of Congress

The Goddard broadsides were sent to each state for their official archives. Today, only nine known copies are believed to still exist.

Life After the American Revolutionary War

After the war, Mary Katharine and William appeared to have a falling out. William returned to the Maryland Journal and forced her out of the publication. Despite this setback, she continued to serve as Baltimore’s postmaster until 1789 when Postmaster General Samuel Osgood removed her from the role. He claimed that a woman could not handle the extensive travel the position required and appointed a political ally to take her place. In response, Mary Katharine filed a petition with the backing of over 200 businessmen, including the Governor of Maryland, to President George Washington and the U.S. Senate to reinstate her position. Unfortunately, the petition was not successful.

Petition of Mary Katherine Goddard for Reinstatement as Postmaster of Baltimore / U.S. National Archives and Records Administration

Mary Katharine went on to run a dry goods and stationary business. She died on August 12, 1816 at the age of 78. In her will, she posthumously freed her slave, Belinda Starling, and left all of her possessions to her.

Baltimore American and Commercial Advertiser / OldNews

Mary Katharine Goddard’s remarkable contributions to early American history have often been overlooked, but her legacy is undeniable. As a pioneering printer, postmaster, and Patriot, she played a vital role in spreading revolutionary ideas and preserving one of the most important documents in American history. She is remembered for her courage, determination, and commitment to the cause of independence. Her work remains an important part of the nation’s early history.

The post Mary Katharine Goddard: The Woman who Printed the Declaration of Independence first appeared on About Geni.

We’re happy to announce an exciting new feature exclusive to Geni Pro subscribers – Relationship Path Diagrams! These easy-to-read visualizations offer a fresh way to explore how any two people are connected to others in the World Family Tree. 

Whether you’re related to a historical figure, a celebrity, or a newfound cousin, the new relationship path diagrams bring these connections to life in a clear and engaging way. It’s never been easier to trace your relationships – especially those complex in-law connections – at a glance.

A New Way to See Your Connections

If you’ve received an email notification about a famous connection, you may have already had a sneak peek at the new diagrams. Now, Geni Pro subscribers can generate these visualizations for any relationship path found on Geni. The diagrams don’t just make your blood relationship paths easier to follow, they also simplify those complex in-law paths that Geni is uniquely able to uncover. With just a click of a button, you will be able to see how every person in the path is linked in a beautifully rendered chart.

How it Works

When you view a profile page, click the “How are you related?” button to begin your relationship search. Once the path is found, the “Generate Diagram” button will appear below the path. Simply click on the button to create a visual representation of the path.

At the top of the path page, you’ll see the familiar text layout of the relationship path. As you scroll down, you will find the relationship illustrated in a simple diagram. 

You will also find three useful tools at the top right of the diagram:

• Node shape toggle: use this to switch between rectangular or square node shapes 
• Zoom to fit: instantly adjust the view to display the full relationship path on the screen (especially helpful for distant or more complex connections)
• Download: save the diagram as an image file to share with friends, family, or on social media

Relationship path diagram with square nodes

A Closer Look: Keanu Reeves is Related to Elvis Presley

Let’s take a look at a real example: actor Keanu Reeves and music legend Elvis Presley. We discovered both a blood and in-law relationship path between the pair in the World Family Tree. 

Their blood connection reveals they are 15th cousins! The new relationship path diagram clearly shows that the pair descend from John Williamson, Esq. and Jane Angevine, their 14th great grandparents.  

But it gets even more interesting with their in-law path: Elvis Presley is Keanu Reeves’ second cousin twice removed’s wife’s brother’s wife’s third cousin once removed! 

That’s a mouthful! It’s also difficult to follow without a little help. With Geni’s new visual layout, each step becomes easy to see and understand.

Try It for Free

Curious to see one for yourself? Geni users who have a free basic account may generate their first relationship path diagram for free. After that, you’ll need to upgrade to a Geni Pro subscription to unlock unlimited relationship path diagrams and enjoy even more powerful genealogy tools.

If you are not yet ready to upgrade to Geni Pro, you may still view relationship paths in their original format by clicking the arrow to the right of the relationship path or “Share this path” to view the relationship path page.

Start Exploring Your Connections Today

Whether you’re unraveling a surprising in-law connection or tracing a direct line to a famous ancestor, Geni’s new relationship path diagrams make it easier than ever to understand and share your place in the World Family Tree. It’s a powerful new way to explore your genealogy and just one more reason to upgrade to Geni Pro. 

Explore your connections today by revisiting old paths or search for new paths among our most popular profiles and see your family history come to life!

The post New Relationship Path Diagrams for Geni Pro Users first appeared on About Geni.

As always, our conference computers were equipped with free access to Geni Pro. We had the pleasure of meeting an enthusiastic user who asked for help to upload his GEDCOM file to Geni. It was a little tricky because he already had an existing tree on Geni. With a little patience, we were able to import all the missing pieces of the tree while minimizing duplication. After several merges, he discovered several second cousins already on Geni. We did the same to his wife’s branch of the family and found more distant cousins for her!

We also had fun talking with attendees who were not yet familiar with collaboration in a shared family tree. It was blast to see their minds blown after seeing relationship paths between the most unexpected people in the World Family Tree. This was also a great opportunity to show off the new fan chart view of the family tree.

The historic city of Louisville was also joy to explore. The team spent a few hours visiting the Cave Hill Cemetery, where some of Louisville’s most notable figures are buried.

We paid a visit to the grave of Colonel Harland Sanders, the founder of one of the U.S.’s most famous fast food chicken chains, Kentucky Fried Chicken. Sanders died on December 16, 1980 at the age of 90 and was buried in his famous white suit and black western string tie. He is buried with his wife, Claudia, who died on December 31, 1996. The bust on his grave was sculpted by his daughter, Margaret. When we arrived, we saw that visitors had left some ketchup packets at his grave.

Boxing legend Muhammad Ali was born in Louisville on January 17, 1942 and died on June 3, 2016 at the age of 74. On June 10, 2016, Ali’s funeral procession passed through the streets of Louisville and ended at Cave Hill Cemetery, where he was interred in a private ceremony. A public televised memorial was held during the afternoon and was estimated to have been watched by nearly a billion people worldwide. On Ali’s headstone is an inscription of his quote, “Service to others is the rent you pay for your room in heaven.”

Before we left, we passed by the graves of Patty and Mildred Hill, who wrote the “Happy Birthday” song. Patty was a kindergarten teacher and Mildred was a composer. While teaching at the Louisville Experimental Kindergarten School, the Hill sisters co-wrote the song “Good Morning to All.” Patty wrote the original lyrics, while Mildred wrote the melody. Later the tune was used for the “Happy Birthday to You” song everyone knows today. In 1996, the sisters were posthumously inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame.

We had a great time in Louisville and we look forward to seeing everyone next year at NGS 2026 in Fort Wayne, Indiana!

The post NGS 2025 Recap first appeared on About Geni.

Geni will be at the NGS 2025 Family History Conference in Louisville, Kentucky on May 23-26, 2025. This year’s conference will be both in-person and online.

If you are planning to attend in-person, be sure to stop by the Expo Hall and visit the Geni booth #218. You can pick up a handy Geni notebook or sit down and take advantage of free Geni Pro and MyHeritage data subscription access from the booth’s computers. New and existing users can also take advantage of our conference special – 50% off a 1-year Geni Pro subscription!

We love meeting Geni users and we’re happy to help answer any questions you may have about your family tree. Virtual attendees can also visit the Geni virtual booth and submit your questions through the conference app’s chat feature or stop by to say hello! Virtual attendees will also have the opportunity to take advantage of our Geni Pro conference special.

Are you attending NGS 2025? We hope to see you there!

The post Join Geni at the NGS 2025 Family History Conference first appeared on About Geni.

The Roman Catholic Church has announced its next pope – Cardinal Robert Francis Prevost, whose chosen name is Pope Leo XIV. He makes history as the first American to be elected pope.

Pope Leo XIV was born on September 14, 1955 to Louis Prevost and Mildred Martinez in Chicago, Illinois. His father was a World War II Navy veteran and school administrator and his mother was a former librarian at Von Stuben and Mendel Catholic High Schools. The Pope’s recently uncovered Louisiana Creole ancestry through his mother’s family has been most interesting to researchers and has led to more than one unexpected discovery.

A Surprising Hollywood Connection

Diving deeper into his Creole roots, Geni curators documenting the tree discovered a surprising connection to one of Hollywood’s stars – actress Shailene Woodley. According to Geni’s World Family Tree, Pope Leo XIV and Shailene Woodley are second cousins thrice removed!

Their shared ancestors are Jacques Martinez and Marie Rosa Ramos, a Creole couple who were both born in New Orleans, Louisiana during the 1820s. They were Pope Leo XIV’s great grandparents and Woodley’s fourth great grandparents.

The family can be found in the 1870 U.S. census in New Orleans with their children, including Michel Martinez (Woodley’s third great grandfather) and Joseph Norval Martinez (Pope Leo XIV’s maternal grandfather). In the record, Jacques’s occupation is tailor and the family is identified as “mulatto.”

Image: 1870 U.S. census / MyHeritage (click to enlarge)

In 1880, Michel married Louise Roussel and together they had several children, including Aline Louise Martinez, Woodley’s second great grandmother. At the age of 17, Aline married Joseph Matthews Fauria. Their family continued to live in New Orleans before moving to Ontario, Canada where Woodley’s great grandfather, Vernon Louis Fauria, was born. Vernon eventually moved to California, where at the age of 18, he married Marguerite Lois Davis.

Woodley was born on November 15, 1991 in San Bernardino, California. She first gained prominence as the star of the teen drama series The Secret Life of the American Teenager. She has since gone on to star in a variety of roles from the Divergent film series to the HBO drama Big Little Lies, for which she earned an Emmy award nomination.

Pope Leo XIV’s Maternal Grandparents

Pope Leo XIV’s maternal grandfather, Joseph Nerval Martinez, was born on January 8, 1864 in Haiti. In September 17, 1887, he married Louise Baquie, who was born in New Orleans.

Image: MyHeritage

A 1900 U.S. census record revealed that the family was listed as “black.” At the time, Joseph was working as a cigar maker. The family was living in New Orlean’s 7th Ward, which is home to a large Creole community.

Image: 1900 US census record / MyHeritage (click to enlarge)

The family moved to Chicago, Illinois, where Pope Leo XIV’s mother, Mildred, was born on December 30, 1911. Later census records identified the family’s race as “white” as seen in the 1920 U.S. census record with the family still living in Chicago. The record shows his mother’s siblings (Irma, Marguerite, Lydia, Louise, and Hilda) were born in Louisiana and she in Illinois.

Image: 1920 U.S. census record / MyHeritage (click to enlarge)

A Religious Family

Pope Leo XIV was not the first in his family to answer the call to serve. His two maternal aunts, Louise Eugenie Martinez (Sister Mary Sulpice, RSM) and Hilda Anne Martinez (Sister Mary Amarita, BVM), served as nuns in the Catholic Church. Sister Mary Sulpice was a member of the Sisters of Mercy for 77 years and died in 1999. According to the obituary of Sister Mary Amarita, she entered the novitiate of the Sisters of Charity, B.V.M. on September 8, 1926. She died on April 22, 1945 after she was stricken with a serious illness the previous December.

Image: The Telegraph-Herald, April 25, 1945 / OldNews.com

Pope Leo XIV’s election is historic not just because he is the first American pope, but also because of his rich and diverse heritage. From his Creole roots to his surprising Hollywood connection, Pope Leo XIV’s family background is a reminder of how interconnected we all are.

Big thank you to the collaborative efforts of the Geni community and curators who helped research, connect, and document Pope Leo XIV’s family tree on Geni!

Explore Pope Leo XIV’s family tree on Geni and share how you’re related.

The post Pope Leo XIV’s Creole Roots Leads to a Surprising Hollywood Connection first appeared on About Geni.

We’re thrilled to share an exciting new milestone – Geni’s World Family Tree has now surpassed 200 million profiles!

A Global Family, Built Together

This incredible achievement is a testament to the hard work, dedication, and passion of our amazing community of genealogists, family history enthusiasts, and volunteer curators from around the world. Together, we are building the most comprehensive and collaborative family tree ever created.

The World Family Tree is a single, shared family tree that connects people from all walks of life, across countries and centuries. Reaching 200 million profiles is more than just a number – it represents countless hours of careful research, collaboration, and a collective desire to preserve and share our common history. 

Thank You to the Geni Community

We are especially grateful to our team of volunteer curators, who continue to play a vital role in maintaining the quality and accuracy of the tree. Their expertise, commitment, and generosity make it possible to keep the World Family Tree well-organized and growing stronger every day.

To every Geni user who has added, merged, or documented even a single profile – thank you. Whether you’ve helped connect distant branches or just beginning your family history research, your contributions matter and are deeply appreciated. 

A Special Gift to Celebrate

As a token of our appreciation, we’re excited to offer a FREE day of Geni Pro to all users who have added at least one profile to Geni.

A Geni Pro subscription gives you access to advanced features, such as:

• Tree Matches
• Enhanced Search
• Unlimited Media Storage
• Inbox Message Search
• Priority Support

This gift is available for a limited time. Whether you’re just starting your family history journey or have years of experience, Geni Pro can help take your research to the next level.

Not Yet Connected to the World Family Tree?

If you’re not yet connected to the World Family Tree, now is the perfect time to dive into your family history. Keep researching and building your tree and watch out for new tree matches. As you are expanding the tree, Geni is automatically looking for duplicate profiles to help you quickly uncover and connect with new relatives. You might be one merge away from discovering how you’re related to millions of others around the globe. By connecting to the World Family Tree, you may uncover unexpected connections to historical figures, distant cousins, or even new branches of your family. 

View more tips on how to connect to the World Family Tree.

Already Connected? Keep the Momentum Going!

And for those of you already connected – keep up the amazing work! Continue collaborating, sourcing, and merging with fellow Geni users to grow and improve the World Family Tree. Every new connection brings us one step closer to a more complete picture of our global family.

One of the most impactful ways to contribute is by reviewing and updating the profiles you’ve already added. Revisit your relatives’ profiles to ensure names, dates, and locations are accurate. Take a moment to add any missing details that can give future generations a fuller picture of their ancestors. And most importantly – include your sources! If profiles are missing supporting records, such as birth records, census records, or obituaries, now is a great time to add them. These sources not only add credibility, but also help other researchers verify and build on your work.

You can also help merge duplicate profiles to help reduce fragmentation in the tree and bring branches closer together. Review your Merge Center to see if you have any pending merges, tree conflicts, or data conflicts. Take a look at your tree matches too! Perhaps you can help connect unlinked relatives to the World Family Tree.

View more ways you can help clean up the family tree on Geni.

Don’t forget to invite your relatives to collaborate! Family members may hold valuable information, old photos, or family stories you’ve never heard. Getting them involved can enrich the shared tree and preserve memories that might otherwise be lost.

Every small contribution adds up to something remarkable. Let’s keep building, connecting, and discovering together!

The post Geni’s World Family Tree Reaches 200 Million Profiles! first appeared on About Geni.

It’s not uncommon to let things slide as you are researching your family history. Sometimes you are on a roll and don’t take the time to clear a data conflict after a merge or research an inconsistency warning in the tree. You may say to yourself, “I’ll get to it later” and then before you know it, the work has piled up. With spring in the air, now is the perfect time to do a little spring cleaning in your family tree to get it into tip-top shape.

Below are a few things you can do to get the Geni family tree organized and cleaned up so that you can continue your genealogy research with a fresh start.

1. Clean Out Your Merge Center

When was the last time you really took a look at your Merge Center? The Merge Center not only holds all of your Tree Matches, Record Matches, and Smart Matches, but it is also the hub for all of your Requested Merges, Tree Conflicts, and Data Conflicts.

Requested Merges

You may want to review any pending requested merges that might have slipped your attention. You never know when a merge will connect to a new branch with relatives you never knew before. It a may even lead you to some new-found cousins to collaborate with.

Tree Conflicts

While completing merges, it’s easy to forget to look for nearby duplicates, thus leaving a branch of the family tree a mess of doubles. Take the time to clear out your tree conflicts to help make the family tree cleaner for everybody. By merging the duplicate profiles together, you may find your relationship paths to others get closer as the merges better connects people in the tree. Pay attention to when relatives, such as parents, conflict too. That may be a sign of an incorrect merge, in which case, you may contact a volunteer curator for assistance to undo the merge.

Data Conflicts

Sometimes after completing a merge, a data conflict may arise if some of the information on the profiles didn’t quite match. These data conflicts may require a little extra research to ensure the correct information remains on the profile, and so they get left behind until they can be looked at later. Now is a good time to sit down and see if you can clear out these data conflicts and ensure profiles are as accurate as possible.

2. Review Inconsistencies in the Family Tree

Geni’s Consistency Checker is constantly monitoring changes to profiles to detect common errors or inconsistencies and bring them to your attention. You may want to carve out some time to look over any inconsistencies to see if you can resolve them. Keep in mind that just because there is an inconsistency warning, it doesn’t mean the information is wrong. If the information is correct, take the time to mark it correct for all users to clear out the warning for everyone. This will also help prevent any mistakes or misunderstandings from happening in the tree.

3. Review Your Source Conflicts

While you are reviewing your inconsistencies, be sure to also review any pending source conflicts. Source conflicts occur when a profile has information that differs from the source citation values provided. Resolving your source conflicts will help ensure that the best information, backed by documentation, is included on your Geni profiles.

4. Take Care of Your Source Assistant Items

Don’t leave valuable information behind! The Source Assistant is a quick and easy way to extract new and updated information from any Record Match or Smart Match. If you have any lingering Source Assistant items, take this moment to see what new information is waiting to be added to the family tree.

5. Resolve Your Matches for GEDCOM Imports

Let’s be honest – GEDCOM imports can be messy. While Geni’s GEDCOM importer is designed to minimize the number of duplicates imported to the tree, there is still the chance of duplication as new profiles are added. Once duplicates are detected, the import will pause until you review and resolve the matches. If you have imported a GEDCOM file to Geni, head back to your GEDCOM dashboard and see if the import has stopped at branches with unresolved matches. Cleaning up after your import not only helps you, but the entire Geni community.

Are you ready for a little spring cleaning in your family tree? Get started today!

The post Cleaning Up the Family Tree on Geni first appeared on About Geni.

The Geni Booth

The Geni booth had a steady number of visitors throughout the conference. Attendees from around the world stopped by to chat, ask questions, and share their own family history discoveries. Also catching people’s attention was our ever-popular Geni notebooks! These handy notebooks have become a genealogy conference essential and we were thrilled to see so many excited faces stop by to pick up the must-have item.

Many visitors also took advantage of the opportunity to sit down at the booth and receive one-on-one assistance from the Geni team. They were able to investigate matches, resolve merge issues, and gain a deeper insight into using Geni for their family history research. We were even able to connect brand new Geni users to the World Family Tree right at the booth!

The Power of Collaboration

One of the most memorable moments happened on the very first day. A Geni user approached us with a pressing question about a Scottish ancestor – an ancestor she was counting on being correct as she prepared for an upcoming trip to Scotland. Uncertain about the accuracy of the lineage, she sought our help to verify the connection.

Our curator Ashley Odell quickly posted the inquiry in a public discussion and the Geni community sprang into action. The verdict? Unfortunately, the ancestor in question was not the correct one, and the incorrect connection had to be removed. While initially disappointed, the user was incredibly appreciative of the correction. However, the story didn’t end there! Thanks to the dedication and expertise of our curators and users, the correct Scottish ancestor was soon identified. When the user returned to our booth later, she was overjoyed to learn that she had been successfully reconnected to the right lineage. This powerful example showcased the incredible collaborative spirit that makes Geni so special.

Showcasing the Family Tree Fan Chart View

Another major highlight of the conference was the opportunity to share Geni’s latest feature: the family tree fan chart view! On Friday, Geni’s General Manager, Mike Stangel, delivered an engaging presentation at the MyHeritage booth, showcasing the newest addition to our family tree views. The response was fantastic! Attendees loved the new visualization, which makes it easier than ever to explore family connections in a clear and intuitive format.

Many stopped by our booth afterwards for a hands-on demo, eager to dive into their own family trees using the fan chart.

Dinner with the Geni team and curators

One of our favorite parts of RootsTech is the chance to meet in person with Geni’s curators who made the journey to Salt Lake City. We had a lovely dinner with Ashley, Jarrett Ross, and Raquel Levy-Toledano.

RootsTech 2025 was an unforgettable experience. We’re thankful to everyone who stopped by the Geni booth, attended our presentation, and participated in the collaborative spirit of genealogy. We can’t wait to do it all over again next year!

The post Highlights from RootsTech 2025 first appeared on About Geni.

We’re thrilled to announce the newest addition to Geni’s family tree views – the fan chart! The fan chart view illustrates the family tree in a new and exciting way, offering a different perspective on your family history.

With this new addition, there are now three options to view the family tree – standard view, pedigree view, and fan chart view. Similar to the pedigree view, the fan chart will include only direct ancestors, but spread out in a semi-circular layout with the focus person at its center. The fan chart can display 4-7 generations of ancestors. 

And just like our other tree views, this new feature is also completely interactive! When you use the fan chart to view the family tree, you will still be able to add and edit profiles, resolve duplicates, get matches, and more. 

The fan chart view is available on your desktop, tablets, and mobile devices.

How to View the Fan Chart

On the family tree page, you can switch to the fan chart view by clicking on the tree icon at the bottom right of the page. 

You will now see three tree view options. Click on the fan icon to switch to the new fan chart view.

The focus person will appear at the bottom center of the fan and each generation is represented by another ring growing outward from the center. You may click on the slider at the left of the page to adjust the zoom level. 

Selecting a Profile

As you mouse over a profile in the tree, their node will be highlighted.

Clicking on the node will open the side panel for the profile. You will now notice that all tree notifications, such as matches, inconsistencies, tree conflicts, etc., can now be found under the Notifications section of the side panel. 

To refocus the tree, navigate to the person you would like to refocus on and click on the tree icon in the tab.

Adding Relatives

When you want to add a new parent to the tree, click on the +. Note that when you hover over the +, the node will show “Add mother” or “Add father.”

You can add more relatives through the side panel. Click on a name to open the side panel for the profile. Next click “Add.”

A list of the profile’s immediate family will appear in a pop up on the tree so that you can see what relatives already exist in the tree or add new ones. You may also edit existing profiles or refocus the tree.

Tree Preferences

You may open your tree preferences by clicking on the gear icon at the left of the page. Use the slider to adjust the number of generations of ancestors to display or enter the number in the box to the right. Keep in mind that the fan chart view is limited to 4-7 generations of ancestors.

Cycles

When you hover over a profile that is in a cycle (meaning the profile is connected to the tree in more than one way), that profile will be highlighted in both areas of the tree, if it is within the same tree view. A green x2 will also appear in the small tab above the name.

Multiple Sets of Parents

When a profile has multiple sets of parents, such as in cases of adoption, you will now see a radio button next to each set of parents in the side panel. Click on the button to select the set of parents you would like to see in the tree.

Printing a Fan Chart of the Family Tree

You can print a PDF of the fan chart by clicking on the printer icon at the bottom right of the page. Next select “Basic” to print the current tree view.  The PDF will automatically download.

Summary

The fan chart view is a powerful new way to explore your family history on Geni. With its interactive design, you can easily visualize up to seven generations of ancestors while still managing your tree just as you would in other views. Whether you’re a seasoned genealogist or just beginning your journey, the fan chart offers a fresh perspective to uncover and understand your roots. Try it out today and see your family tree in a whole new light!

The post Introducing the Family Tree Fan Chart View on Geni first appeared on About Geni.

This year RootsTech has some exciting keynote speakers including Emmy-winning singer Rachel Platten, Olympic and Paralympic gold medalists Tara Davis-Woodhall and Hunter Woodhall, and activist and author Ndaba Mandela, who is the grandson of Nelson Mandela.

See Geni in the Expo Hall

If you’re attending in person, you can stop by the expo hall to meet the Geni team at booth #1202. We’re happy to chat and answer all of your questions. Or take a break and sit down to do a little work on the tree. Our conference computers will have free access to all Geni Pro features! We’re also giving away our famous Geni notebooks. Be sure to stop by and pick one up before they are all gone.

If you’re attending online, you may visit Geni’s virtual booth in the online expo hall. Join the booth chat to say hello or post any questions you may have. We’ll be happy to help!

MyHeritage Booth Lecture

Every day MyHeritage will be holding short lectures at their booth. Stop by the MyHeritage booth on Friday, March 7 at 11:00am to see Geni’s General Manager Mike Stangel introduce our newest feature in the tree. You definitely don’t want to miss it!

Discover New Relatives with the Geni Pathfinder

Whether you are participating in person or online, you can also have a little fun with World Family Tree with the Geni Pathfinder to see how you’re related to other RootsTech attendees. Scan the QR code in the image above or go to the Geni Pathfinder page to sign up to be notified of new cousin discoveries during the conference. Visit the Geni Pathfinder page at anytime to view a list of attending relatives and send a message to your new connections.

Whether you’re attending in-person or online, we can’t wait to see you there!

The post Geni is Heading to RootsTech 2025 first appeared on About Geni.

One of the challenges of building and maintaining the World Family Tree is balancing personal preferences within a shared, collaborative environment. A perfect example of this is how names are displayed on Geni. From surnames in all caps to displaying birth surnames instead of last names, Geni’s flexible Name Preferences settings offers you the chance to view profile names exactly how you want them without imposing your preference on others. 

Today we’re excited to take these customizations even further! You can now add custom profile facts to name displays, giving you even more control over how you see names across Geni. These custom facts will appear wherever names are shown, including profile pages, tree view, list views, and more.

What are Custom Profile Facts?

In addition to the standard data fields provided by Geni, you may create your own custom fact labels and values to display on a profile. These labels and values are displayed on the profile page in the main information section next to the profile photo. Since these are displayed prominently on a profile, we ask users to be selective about what information is placed here. Some suggested uses include: 

• De Villiers numbers (DVN) 
• Tribal/clan affiliation 
• Royal house affiliation 

Custom profile facts can be seen by anyone on the profile page, depending on their viewing permissions.

How to Add Custom Profile Facts

When you edit a profile, scroll to the bottom of the Basics tab and click “Add more information.”

Custom profile facts are made up of two parts: Label and Field value. In the “Label” box, enter the name of the fact you would like to add. Or you can click on the down triangle to view a list of custom profile facts that were added to profiles you follow.

Next, enter the value of the field in the “Field value” box.

After saving your changes, you will now see the new custom profile fact in the main information section of the profile page.

Why Add Custom Profile Facts to Name Preferences?

Despite the addition of custom profile facts on profile pages, many users continued to place non-name information into the suffix field of profiles in order to see this data wherever names appear on Geni. Adding custom profile facts to the name preferences means there will no longer be a need to do this, and by making it a user-selected option, they can see the information without forcing it upon everyone else on Geni.

When you customize your name preferences, only you will see this additional information where names are displayed.

How to Add Custom Profile Facts to Name Preferences

You can add custom profile facts in your Name Preferences settings. First, click on your name at the top right of the page and select “Account Settings.”

Next select “Name Preferences.”

In the section to set your preferences for general name display on Geni, check the box “Show custom profile facts when viewing profile names.”

Once checked, you may start typing the custom profile fact label into the box to create a new label or select from an existing fact label you have already created. Or you may click on the down triangle to a list of custom profile facts that already appear on the profiles you follow. After selecting or creating a label, click the button “Add Label to Profile Names.”

An example of how names will be displayed will appear below. You may further customize how these fact labels are displayed by filling in the “Prepend” and “Append” boxes. For example, if you would like to see Royal houses next to profile names, you may add the label “House.” “House” will now appear in the example name above the labels list. If you would like to see this data within square brackets [ ], then you may add [ in the Prepend character box and ] in the Append character box. The example will show the profile name and [House] after it. Once you are done, click “Save Changes.”

Now when you view a profile that has “House” as a custom profile fact, you will see the field value with the profile name. 

You may add multiple custom profile facts to the name display and customize how each one will be displayed using the “Prepend” and “Append” character boxes. To reorder how the fact labels are displayed, simply click on the horizontal lines at the left and drag the label to your preferred order. Be sure to save your changes after reordering the labels.

If you no longer wish to see a custom profile fact displayed with names, click on the x on the right for that label. 

If you would like to remove a custom profile fact from the list of suggestions, you may click on the x to the right of the label. Removing the label from the list will not delete any data from profiles using that label. 

Search Custom Profile Facts

We’re also happy to announce that custom profile facts are now searchable. A new search field called “Custom Profile Facts” has been added to our advanced search filters. You can search for the text that appears in the label, field value, or both. Note that you do not need to include any name fields when searching for custom profile facts.

For example, if you perform a search for the custom profile fact “Immigration to Australia,” then the search results will list all profiles that include “Immigration to Australia” as a custom profile fact and the names will be displayed in accordance with your name preference settings.

Summary

With these new enhancements to Name Preferences, Geni continues to empower users with greater control over how they view names on the site. The ability to add custom profile facts to name displays and search for them makes it easier than ever to personalize your experience while keeping collaboration seamless. We’re excited to see how this update enhances your experience on Geni!

The post New: Personalize the Way You View Profile Names with Custom Profile Facts first appeared on About Geni.

This feature has been available to Geni curators for a while and we are happy to finally give access to this handy feature to all Geni Pro users. 

Discussions

When composing a new discussion message, you will now see a wikitext toolbar to help format and customize your messages. Simply hover your mouse over each icon in the toolbar to learn more about what it does.

Or you can click on “formatting help” at the right to reveal a pop-up with more wikitext formatting information. 

In the Edit tab, you will be able to write and customize the format of your message with the new wikitext tools.

After completing your message, you may click on the Preview tab to review your message before posting it.

Note that there are two ways to embed images into a message:

1. If the image has already been uploaded to Geni or another image-hosting site, you can click the image button in the wikitext toolbar and paste the URL of the image;
   
2. If you have the image in your device’s clipboard, simply paste it into the text window and it will automatically upload to Geni

Inbox Messages

Geni Pro users will now also see the wikitext toolbar when composing an inbox message. As with discussions, you may click on the “Preview” tab to review your message to make sure it is formatted correctly before sending it.

We hope our Geni Pro users find the new wikitext formatting for discussions and inbox messages helpful! Stay tuned for more new features coming soon on Geni. 

The post Wikitext Formatting in Discussions and Inbox Messages Now Available to Geni Pro Users first appeared on About Geni.

Today many people around the world celebrate Lunar New Year, also known as Chinese New Year or the Spring Festival. Rooted in centuries-old traditions, this vibrant holiday marks a fresh start, inviting prosperity and good fortune in the new year.

Based on the lunar calendar, the date of the holiday varies slightly each year, typically falling between late January and mid-February. Each year of the 12-year Chinese zodiac calendar is represented by an animal – rat, ox, tiger, rabbit, dragon, snake, horse, goat, monkey, rooster, dog, and pig. Your zodiac animal is determined by your year of birth on the lunar calendar. This lunar year welcomes the Year of the Snake. According to the Chinese zodiac, those born in the year of the snake are said to be known for their wisdom, resourcefulness, and charm.

From legendary entertainers to visionary leaders, let’s take a look at some notable individuals born in the Year of the Snake, all connected through Geni’s World Family Tree!

Audrey Hepburn

Birthdate: May 4, 1929

Taylor Swift

Birthdate: December 13, 1989

John F. Kennedy

Birthdate: May 29, 1917

Shania Twain

Birthdate: August 28, 1965

Bob Dylan

Birthdate: May 24, 1941

Daniel Radcliffe

Birthdate: July 23, 1989

Muhammad Ali

Birthdate: January 17, 1942

I.M. Pei

Birthdate: April 26, 1917

Martha Stewart

Birthdate: August 3, 1941

Clara Bow

Birthdate: July 29, 1905

Ella Fitzgerald

Birthdate: April 25, 1917

Robert Downey, Jr.

Birthdate: April 4, 1965

The post Lunar New Year 2025: Famous Folks Born in the Year of the Snake first appeared on About Geni.

We did a lot of work behind the scenes to make Geni run even better. Early in the year we began sending new Source Assistant email notifications for when there are pending Source Assistant items to review. These notifications serve as a reminder that you may have exciting new information waiting to be added to the family tree.

Thanks to the request of our users, we also introduced a new tree legend to the family tree page. As we all interact with the family tree interface on Geni, we may encounter many icons and other graphical elements that give more information about the profiles presented in this view. The legend not only provides a list of all the icon and graphical elements found in the tree, but also a brief explanation and a graphic that displays its placement in the tree. You can click on the ? icon at the left of the tree page to view the family tree legend for yourself!

In 2024, we hit a new milestone in the World Family Tree – 190 million profiles connected! This accomplishment was made possible by Geni’s incredibly collaborative community and with the aide of our dedicated team of volunteer Curators. We are looking forward to 2025, which will see the World Family Tree hit 200 million profiles. We can’t wait!

While Taylor Swift had an amazing year as she finished the run of her record-breaking Eras Tour and released a new album, The Tortured Poets Department, we had fun discovering some surprising connections in Geni’s World Family Tree. We found that Swift is related to artist Post Malone, who was featured on The Tortured Poets Department‘s first single “Fortnight.” According to Geni’s World Family Tree, the musical collaborators are 10th cousins thrice removed!

Geni was also on hand at a couple of in-person genealogy conferences throughout the year. In March, we made our way to Salt Lake City, Utah for RootsTech, the world’s largest genealogy conference. It was great fun to meet new users and reconnect with longtime genealogy friends.

One of our favorite things about attending conferences is the chance to meet Geni Curators in person. This year we had the opportunity to meet curators from afar – Sandra Levien, who flew in from Canada, and Mona Magno-Veluz, who traveled all the way from the Philippines!

Curator Benjamin Schoenbrun was a big help throughout the year, not only traveling to Utah to staff the booth for RootsTech, but also spending time hanging out at the Geni booth at the IAJGS conference in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, helping to connect attendees to the World Family Tree. For the IAJGS conference, we removed the limitations of the Geni Pathfinder and expanded it to find any blood and in-law relationships between attendees. Those who registered for the event’s Pathfinder feature were able to receive a notification if a new relationship was found to another attendee. The change was a big hit! Attendees were very excited to learn how they were connected.

Each year we also look forward to our annual IAJGS curator dinner, which always turns out to be a blast!

In the world of social media, Geni can now also be found on Instagram and Bluesky! Be sure to follow us on those social platforms too.

We have some very exciting things cooking for 2025 that we can’t wait to share with you. Be on the lookout for more Geni news in the coming months.

We hope you all have a very happy new year!

The post Geni’s 2024 Highlights: A Year in Review first appeared on About Geni.

Does music run in your family tree? For many legendary musicians, a love for music and talent is a family affair, passed down from one generation to the next. From classical composers to contemporary rock stars, some of history’s most iconic musicians belong to families with rich musical roots. Below we’ll explore a few these fascinating lineages in Geni’s World Family Tree and see how musical talent has shaped entire generations.

The Bach Family

German composer Johann Sebastian Bach is often regarded as one of the greatest composers in the history of Western music. It may be said that Johann Sebastian had music in his blood. He came from a family of musicians, stretching back generations. His second great grandfather, Veit Bach, was a baker, miller, and founder of the Bach musical dynasty. He played the cittern and passed on his love for music to his son Johannes Bach, who became the first professional musician of the family and served as the town piper’s apprentice. Johann Sebastian’s own father, Johann Ambrosius Bach, was the director of the town musicians, and all of his uncles were also professional musicians. Several of his children also became well known composers. His fifth child and second surviving son by is first wife Maria Barbara Bach, Carl Philipp Emanuel Bach, was an influential composer working at time when the music style was transitioning from his father’s Baroque style to the Classical style that followed it. Johann Sebastian’s youngest son, Johann Christian Bach, by his second wife, Anna Magdalena Bach. In Johann Christian’s youth, he studied music under his father, and after his father’s death, he continued his musical training under his brother Carl Philipp. A popular composer, Johann Christian’s work would greatly influence a young Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart.

The Carter Family

Country music wouldn’t be the same without the members of the Carter Family. Dubbed the “First Family of Country Music,” the Carters were one of the first vocal groups to record commercially produced country music. The group began with original members Alvin “A.P” Carter, his wife Sara Carter, and Maybelle Carter. Maybelle was Sara’s cousin and married to A.P.’s brother Ezra Carter. In 1927, the group made their first recordings and were on their way to becoming country music’s first stars. In 1936, A.P. and Sara’s marriage ended and by 1943, the group officially disbanded. It was during this time in the 1940s that Maybelle began performing with her daughters, Anita Carter, June Carter, and Helen Carter as “The Carter Sisters and Mother Maybelle,” later known as “The Carter Sisters.” After the death of A.P., Maybelle renamed the group “The Carter Family,” and they began working as part of the Johnny Cash road show. June married Johnny in 1968 and they remained married until her death in 2003. Each of June’s three children would go on to become successful country music singers and songwriters as well. Her son, John Carter Cash, was a member of the third revival of the Carter Family group under the name Carter Family III, which also featured A.P. and Sara Carter’s grandson Dale Jett and John’s second wife Laura.

The Warwick and Houston Family

It started with the Drinkards. Nicholas “Nitch” Drinkard had eight children. After the death of children’s mother, he encouraged four of his youngest children to form a gospel singing group. Originally called “The Drinkard Jubiliars,” the original quartet were Anne Drinkard, Nicky Drinkard, Larry Drinkard, and Emily Drinkard, who would later be more famously known as Cissy Houston. When their sister Marie joined the group, they became the Drinkard Singers. The Drinkard Singers were the first gospel group to perform at Carnegie Hall and one of the first gospel groups to be signed to a major record label. In 1958, they released their first and only studio album, A Joyful Noise. They had great success as a group, with various family members participating throughout the years. Cissy Houston would go on to have a highly successful solo career and give birth to music icon Whitney Houston. One of the best-selling artists in the world, Whitney is often ranked as one of the greatest singers of all time. Whitney’s first cousins, were notable singers Dee Dee Warwick and Dionne Warwick, whose mother was Arthur Lee “Nana” Warwick (Drinkard). Dionne has two sons who also followed in the family footsteps. Her eldest son David Elliott is a Grammy-nominated songwriter and her son Damon Elliott is a successful producer, composer, and recording artist. Throughout his career, Damon has garnered multiple Grammy nominations and even an Academy Award nomination for producing the song “Applause” from the 2022 film Tell It Like a Woman. Lastly, her granddaughter Cheyenne Elliott has also embarked on her own singer career.

The Williams Family

Country music’s first superstar, Hank Williams, is often regarded as one of the most important country music artists of all time. Hank rose to fame quickly after releasing his first hit song, “Move It on Over” in 1947. He recorded 55 singles that reached the top 10 of the Billboard Country & Western Best Sellers chart, five were released posthumously. Although he died at the young age of 29, Williams left a musical legacy that continues to influence country music today. His son, Hank Williams, Jr., followed in his famous father’s footsteps to become a country and Southern rock singer. In 2020, he was inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame. Hank’s grandson, Hank Williams III, has also continued the family’s musical legacy as a singer and songwriter, but has recorded in vastly different genres, from country to punk rock and heavy metal. His granddaughter, Holly Williams, is also a singer-songwriter and has released three studio albums. Lastly, Hank’s first great grandson, Coleman Finchum Williams, has emerged as a performer himself under the moniker “IV.”

As we have seen, musical talent often flows through family lines, creating dynasties of artists who continue to shape and inspire the world of music. From classical composers to modern-day performers, these families have left their mark on history, passing down their passion, skills, and influence. And there are many more musical legacies out there! What are other legendary families you’ve uncovered that are musically linked across generations? Share your discoveries with us and help celebrate the enduring power of music in the family tree.

The post Famous Musical Families on Geni first appeared on About Geni.

We’ll do our best to complete the maintenance quickly and return to normal service as soon as possible.

Many thanks for your patience.

The Geni Team

The post Scheduled Site Maintenance first appeared on About Geni.

Do you like to hear ghost stories? This spooky season, we’re highlighting the Ghosts of North America genealogy project on Geni. This project brings together historical figures whose spirits are said to roam some of the most notable sites across North America. Let’s take a closer look at a few of these spectral personalities who may still walk among us in the shadows.

Hiram Mills Perkins

Image: Lawrence Sun American, July 20, 1922 / OldNews.com

Hiram Mills Perkins was a Professor of Mathematics and Astronomy at Ohio Wesleyan University. When the Civil War began, Perkins left his teaching position to join the Union Army. However, he was rejected by the army as unfit for service because, at 6 feet 4 inches and 97 pounds, he was determined to be too skinny. Changing gears, Perkins returned to his family’s pig farm in Ohio and found success raising hogs to feed the Union Army. A strict methodist, Perkins felt it was immoral to use the wealth he acquired from war. He returned to teaching at Ohio Wesleyan University after the war, where he remained until his retirement in 1907. Over his lifetime, Perkins saved a small fortune with the dream that the university would erect a great telescope on campus. At the age of 89, Perkins donated all of his wealth to the university to obtain the world’s third largest telescope. In 1923, construction began on what would be called the Perkins Observatory. Perkins died shortly after at the age of 90, never to see the completion of the observatory. Per his request at the time of his death, Perkins’s personal bible remains at the observatory. It is said that the ghost of Perkins now haunts its halls frustrated that he never got to use the observatory he founded.

Carolyn Foster Stickney

Image: Carolyn Foster Stickney / Library of Congress

In 1902, Joseph Stickney, a wealthy coal broker and hotelier, built the luxurious Mount Washington Hotel (today the Omni Mount Washington resort) in Bretton Woods, New Hampshire. A year after the hotel’s completion, Stickney passed away and his wife, Carolyn Foster Stickney, inherited the property. Every summer until her death, Carolyn stayed at the hotel in her personal suite, room 314. The room had the best views overlooking the hotel entrance and Carolyn was known to stand at her balcony to watch guests arrive. After marrying a French royal, Prince Aymon de Faucigny-Lucinge, Carolyn became known as “the Princess” by the staff and today, room 314 is known as “The Princess Room.” In 1936, Carolyn died in her home in Rhode Island. However, guests and staff have reported seeing Carolyn wandering the hotel halls over the years. Those who stay in room 314 have reported seeing a woman sitting at the edge of their bed.

Cassius Clay

Image: Cassius Marcellus Clay / Smithsonian Institution, National Portrait Gallery CC0

Military officer, politician, and abolitionist Cassius Marcellus Clay was born on October 19, 1810 in Madison County, Kentucky to Sally Lewis and Green Clay, one of Kentucky’s wealthiest planters and slave owners. Despite his family background, Cassius became a prominent abolitionist. The Clay Family home, White Hall, was built in the late 1700’s by Green in Richmond, Kentucky. It was later renovated by Cassius’s wife, Mary Jane, in 1861. The sprawling 44 room mansion was inherited by Cassius after the death of his father, who died in the home. Clay lived at White Hall for most of his life with his wife and children. His daughters, Laura Clay and Mary Barr Clay, would become early leaders of the women’s suffrage movement. Today White Hall has been designated a historic site and is reportedly haunted by Cassius. Visitors have reported hearing footsteps and seeing moving candle lights. Some have reported hearing piano and violin music and have witnessed ghostly apparitions walking the halls.

Check out the Ghosts of North America project to find more notable figures with their own ghostly stories.

The post Featured Project: Ghosts of North America first appeared on About Geni.

The exhibit hall was open for the entire conference and attendees made good use of their time visiting the Geni table. We were happy to grant extended walkthroughs of the website to help users better understand how they can make use of all of Geni’s powerful features. Several times we were even able to connect new users to the World Family Tree within just three generations! We loved hearing from long-time users who let us know how much they have enjoyed using Geni to share their family history and collaborate with relatives.

We are grateful to Geni Curator Benjamin Schoenbrun, who volunteered some of his time to sit with attendees at the Geni table to help users with their trees.

Curator Randy Schoenberg held a Birds of a Feather for Geni users. After relocating to the tables in the exhibit hall, Randy brought the entire group over to say hello at the Geni table.

For this conference, we removed the limitations on the Geni Pathfinder and expanded it to find any blood or in-law path between two people. Geni users who registered on the Pathfinder event page received a notification if a new relationship was found to another attendee. Many people had a lot of fun with these paths and even made new discoveries! Thanks to an in-law path, a very happy user discovered that her husband was a blood relative of William Penn, the founder of Pennsylvania.

One of the best parts of going to genealogy conferences is the opportunity to see Geni Curators in person. It’s always a really fun time when we can get together for our Geni Curator dinners. We were lucky to be joined by local curators too!

We had an amazing time in Philadelphia and we can’t wait to see everyone next year in Fort Wayne, Indiana!

The post IAJGS 2024 Conference Recap first appeared on About Geni.

Soon Geni will be heading to Philadelphia, Pennsylvania for the 44th IAJGS International Conference on Jewish Genealogy. The conference will take place August 18 – 22 with a jam-packed schedule every day.

Come find us at the Geni table in the conference exhibit hall. We’ll be eager to chat and help answer any questions you may have about Geni. The IAJGS conferences are one of our favorites because we get to spend lots of one-on-one time with our users. It also presents an excellent opportunity to get together in-person with the Geni curators who are in attendance.

Find Family Connections with the Geni Pathfinder

If you are connected to the World Family Tree, you can use the Geni Pathfinder to see how you are related to other conference attendees who are also connected. For this conference, we expanded the Geni Pathfinder to find any blood or in-law path between two people. Previously, the Pathfinder was limited to 12th cousins or closer. By expanding the relationship path search, attendees will be able to discover more connections than ever before. Simply scan the QR code above or go to the IAJGS 2024 Geni Pathfinder page to sign up to receive notifications of new relatives at the conference. Once the conference begins, we’ll send you a Geni inbox message or a text letting you know when a new relative is found. You may even want to reach out by sending a Geni inbox message to meet up with your newly discovered relatives too!

You can update your notification settings on the event page or unregister from the event at anytime.

Will you be at IAJGS 2024 in Philadelphia? Make sure to stop by the exhibit hall to say hello!

Register for Geni Pathfinder at IAJGS now!

The post Geni is Heading to IAJGS 2024 first appeared on About Geni.

Have you been watching the Paris 2024 Summer Olympics? Athletes from all around the world have come together in Paris, France to compete for the gold. In celebration of this year’s Olympic games, we’re highlighting the Paris 2024 Summer Olympics genealogy project. You can bring your love of genealogy and your enthusiasm for the Olympics together and collaborate with others to build the family trees of this summer’s Olympic athletes.

Collaborators have been hard at work connecting Olympic athletes to the World Family Tree. You can also find some of this year’s most popular athletes already connected. Let’s take a look at a few of them below!

Simone Biles

This week gymnast Simone Biles made history by becoming the most decorated U.S. gymnast in Olympic history. The U.S. women’s gymnastic team took home the gold in the team final. Just a couple of days later, Biles cinched the gold medal in the women’s all-around final. She faced fierce competition against Brazil’s Rebeca Andrade, who came in second with a silver medal. Andrade had previously won a silver medal at the Olympic games in Tokyo, which made her the first Brazilian female gymnast to medal at an Olympic Games. Biles’s Team USA teammate Suni Lee placed third with a bronze medal.

Stephen Nedoroscik

Men’s gymnastics has also received a lot of attention thanks to pommel horse expert Stephen Nedoroscik. The “Clark Kent” of the U.S. men’s gymnastic team, Nedoroscik’s showing on the pommel horse during the men’s gymnastics final helped secure the bronze medal for the U.S. men’s artistic gymnastic team. It is the team’s first medal in almost 16 years!

Katie Ledecky

Swimmer Katie Ledecky became the most decorated female U.S. Olympian of all time when she won silver in the women’s 4x200m freestyle relay. The Paris games mark her fourth Olympic games. Earlier in the week, Ledecky earned gold in the 1,500-meter freestyle, breaking her own Olympic record with a finish of 15:30.02.

The Paris 2024 Summer Olympics project serves as an umbrella project for the games. You can find several sub-projects that focus on athletes from specific countries, including the United States, Israel, Great Britain, the Philippines, and more. If you don’t see the athletes in your country represented, you can create your own project and add it as a related project in the 2024 Olympic umbrella project so others may easily find it and join.

Get started today!

Join the Paris 2024 Summer Olympics project

The post Featured Project: Paris 2024 Summer Olympics first appeared on About Geni.

Taylor Swift recently kicked off the European leg of her record-breaking Eras Tour with a fresh new era added to the setlist in honor of her latest album, The Tortured Poets Department. Before the start of her Paris concert, MyHeritage shared with the world Swift’s connection to French royalty, the former King of France, Louis XIV. The interesting path can be traced through Geni’s World Family Tree, which shows that Swift and the Sun King are 8th cousin 11 times removed.

We thought it would be fun to take a look at some other interesting connections the superstar has in the World Family Tree.

The lead single off her 11th studio album is “Fortnight” featuring Post Malone. It turns out the musical collaborators are 10th cousins thrice removed.

In addition to Post Malone, the song’s music video featured Dead Poets’ Society stars Ethan Hawke and Josh Charles as psychiatrists carrying out tests on Swift. The video was a family affair as Hawke and Swift are also 11th cousins once removed.

This also means that Post Malone and Ethan Hawke are distantly related! According to the World Family Tree, they are 15th cousins once removed.

Throughout the album, Swift name drops many well known names, from Dylan Thomas and Patti Smith to Clara Bow and Stevie Nicks. Physical copies of the album included an original poem by Nicks, who has praised Swift’s songwriting talents in the past. The duo have performed together previously at the 2010 Grammy Awards. Thanks to Geni’s World Family Tree, we can see that the music icons are ninth cousins twice removed.

How are you related to Taylor Swift? Explore Taylor Swift’s family tree on Geni and you can discover how you’re connected the star.

View Taylor Swift’s Geni Profile

The post Look Who’s Related: Taylor Swift, Post Malone, and More From the Tortured Poets Department first appeared on About Geni.

Image: Violet Jessop / Wikimedia Commons

Jessop was born on October 2, 1887 in Argentina to Irish immigrants William Jessop and Katherine Kelly. After the death of her father in 1903, the family moved to England. While her mother was working at sea as a stewardess, Jessop attended school and cared for her younger siblings. After her mother became ill, Jessop left school and followed in her mother’s footsteps to become a stewardess.

RMS Olympic

In 1911, Jessop began working for the White Start Line liner RMS Olympic. The Olympic was a luxury ship and the largest civilian liner at the time. Her time on the Olympic would mark her first encounter with dangers on the sea. On September 20, 1911, the Olympic left port at Southampton and collided with the British warship HMS Hawke. Fortunately, the accident resulted in no fatalities and the ship was able to return to port despite a gaping hole in her starboard quarter.

Boston Evening Record, September 20, 1911 / MyHeritage SuperSearch

RMS Titanic

Jessop continued to work aboard the Olympic until 1912 when she was transferred to her sister ship, the RMS Titanic, for her maiden voyage. In her memoir, Jessop described the night the vast ship collided with the iceberg and her realization that the “unsinkable ship” was going down into the ocean’s waters. When she first heard the crash, Jessop immediately went straight to her duties on deck to help passengers with their lifebelts and reassure them that everything was going to be fine. She helped usher passengers to the lifeboats as a “precautionary measure.” It wasn’t until she noticed the incline of the forward part of the ship that she realized the ship was actually sinking.

The Times Dispatch, April 16, 1912 / MyHeritage SuperSearch

Jessop boarded lifeboat 16 along with the other women and children. As the lifeboat was lowered, a deck officer handed her a “forgotten baby.” The stewardess cared for the child throughout the freezing night until they were rescued by the RMS Carpathia. She recalled in her memoir that as soon as she boarded the Carpathia, a woman ran up to her, grabbed the baby, and ran away with it.

Image: Titanic lifeboats on the way to Carpathia / Library of Congress

HMHS Britannic

Four years after the sinking of the Titanic, Jessop would endure yet another disaster at sea. During World War I, Jessop became a stewardess for the British Red Cross and worked aboard the HMHS Britannic, a sister ship to the Titanic, which was converted into a hospital ship. On the morning of November 21, 1916, Jessop was on board when the converted hospital ship was hit by a German mine. According to her memoir, Jessop quickly returned to her cabin to grab her most valued possessions along with one practical addition, her toothbrush. She recalled how after her rescue from the Titanic, she had a difficult time locating a toothbrush aboard the Carpathia. She was jokingly advised later, “Never undertake another disaster without first making sure of your toothbrush.”

When she reached the deck, she noticed that the propellers of the ship were still moving as lifeboats were lowered into the water. In a horrific scene, the boats were sucked into the propellers, killing those on board. As the ship continued to sink, Jessop realized she had no choice but to jump into the water. As she resurfaced, her head hit the ship’s keel. In her struggle to resurface, she was able to grab onto a spare lifebelt and hold on until one of the Britannic‘s boats was able to rescue her. Jessop had managed to survive yet another maritime disaster. The ship had gone down rapidly, sinking into the Aegean Sea in just 55 minutes. The blow to her head left Jessop with a badly fractured skull and she would suffer from headaches for years after.

The Evening Standard, November 22, 1916 / MyHeritage SuperSearch

Despite her experience at sea, Jessop returned to work for White Star Line in 1920 back aboard the Olympic. She later joined a new company, the Red Star Line, where she worked aboard the Belgenland.

Image: Violet Jessop on the RMS Olympic crew manifest arriving in New York, November 24, 1920 / MyHeritage SuperSearch

The rest of her career at sea was much less eventful and she eventually retired to the countryside. Jessop died on May 5, 1971 at the age of 83 in Suffolk, England.

The post The Story of Titanic Survivor Violet Jessop first appeared on About Geni.

The conference was bustling with people eager to learn the latest in genealogy. The Geni booth was often packed with people wanting to hear more about collaboration in the World Family Tree.

Many couldn’t wait to get a hold of our famous Geni notebooks. These handy notebooks are always a popular giveaway item at genealogy conferences.

We met some amazing people who happily shared their Geni stories with us. One person stopped by on the first day to tell us about how she discovered her fourth cousin once removed through Geni. When she first made contact, the family had believed that her branch of the tree had died out. They were located in Chile and had no idea they had living relatives in the U.S. She said that without Geni, she probably would have never found them.

This was just one of the many heartwarming stories we heard about how Geni has helped individuals on their family history journeys. In fact, a few years ago we had the pleasure of sharing Angela Sinickas’s story on the Geni blog. Thanks to the power of Geni’s World Family Tree and MyHeritage, Angela was able to find and connect with the descendants of her grandmother’s siblings. This year we were lucky enough to meet Angela in person in the RootsTech expo hall!

Several attendees took a seat at the booth to do searches in Geni’s database to find their ancestors, start their family trees from scratch, or import their GEDCOMs.

Geni’s General Manager Mike Stangel gave a lecture about Geni’s Source Assistant at the MyHeritage booth.

Visitors were able to stop by to learn all about the ins and outs of Geni’s Source Assistant and how it can help grow your family tree.

One of the best parts of attending conferences is meeting Geni curators in person. In addition to Ben, we had the pleasure of spending time with curators Jarrett Ross, Sandra Levien, and Mona Magno-Veluz.

We had an amazing time and we’re looking forward to seeing everyone again next year!

Don’t forget to mark your calendars. RootsTech 2025 will be held March 6-8 in Salt Lake City, Utah. We hope to see you there!

The post RootsTech 2024 Recap first appeared on About Geni.

Once again RootsTech will be both in-person and virtual, so if you cannot make it to Salt Lake City, you can join the fun virtually from the comfort of home! You can register for free for the RootsTech online conference. Those who sign up for the virtual conference will get access to hundreds of class sessions, virtual expo hall, awesome keynote addresses, and other unique experiences.

Exciting keynote speakers include comedian Henry Cho, photographer Nancy Borowick, and award-winning actress and singer Kristen Chenoweth. Before the conference, be sure to explore Kristen Chenoweth’s family tree on Geni and discover how you’re connected to the star in Geni’s World Family Tree!

Expo Hall

If you are planning to be there in person, the Expo Hall will be free to the public during the entire conference. We hope you stop by the expo hall to visit Geni at booth #1300 and say hello to the team! We always enjoy meeting Geni users and we’ll be happy to help answer any questions. You can also pick up fun giveaways and get a special conference discount on a Geni Pro subscription.

MyHeritage Booth Lectures

MyHeritage will be holding booth lectures every day during the entire conference. You can catch Geni’s General Manager Mike Stangel on Thursday, February 29 at 5pm at the MyHeritage booth to learn all about “Getting the Most out of Geni’s Source Assistant.” Mike will take you through how to use the Source Assistant to improve and expand Geni’s World Family Tree.

Find Relatives on Geni with the Pathfinder

Whether you are participating in person or online, you can also have a little fun with World Family Tree with the Geni Pathfinder to see how you’re related to other RootsTech attendees. Sign up now to be notified of new cousin discoveries during the conference. Visit the Geni Pathfinder page at anytime to view a list of attending relatives and send a message to your new connections.

Are you attending RootsTech in person or virtually? We hope to see you there either in person or online!

The post Join Geni at RootsTech 2024 first appeared on About Geni.

The email notification will contain a list of your 3 most recent Source Assistant items. Each item will include the title of the collection, the name of the profile on which the record was confirmed, what new information the MyHeritage source may contain, and the date the match was confirmed. If sources have already been added to the profile, a warning will appear to let you know that the profile may have some conflicting data. You can click the “Review” button to begin reviewing the Source Assistant items for the match.

A new tab will open taking you to the Source Assistant page so you can review and extract any new or improved information to the Geni profile.

Review our blog post to learn more about resolving Source Assistant items.

If you would like to review all your Source Assistant items at once, click the button “View all Source Assistant items” at the bottom of the email.

Geni will not continuously email you about the same Source Assistant items over and over again. You will see new notifications each week until all pending Source Assistant items have been sent, or new ones appear. As a reminder, you have control over what email notifications you receive from Geni. You may review and update your email notification preferences at any time in your account settings. 

When we introduced the Consistency Checker email notifications, we heard great feedback on how helpful they were to alert you of inconsistencies in the tree that were previously forgotten about or overlooked. We believe the Source Assistant notification will be just as helpful to ensure the accuracy and quality of the World Family Tree. 

Don’t leave your Source Assistant items waiting! You never know when a record will contain that missing piece of information that will unlock the next part of your family’s history.

The post New Source Assistant Email Notifications first appeared on About Geni.

We began the year by returning to RootsTech, which was once again in person after two years of virtual conferences. It was amazing to see so many old friends face-to-face and speak to all the Geni users who came to visit us at the booth. We were joined by curator Benjamin Schoenbrun, who was available to help answer questions and provide assistance to visitors who were having trouble with their trees. We were even able to connect a few people to the World Family Tree right at the booth!

While attending RootsTech, we had a lovely chat with an avid Geni user who made some excellent suggestions on how to improve the family map feature. Shortly after our talk at the conference, the team released some new enhancements to the family map on Geni. In addition to place of birth and current location, you can now see the place of death and burial location on the world map. We made improvements to how relatives are listed when you mouse over a pinned location. Hovering over a pin now gives you an easy-to-read list of relatives at that specific location. We also added a clickable list of names so you can get more information about the individuals at that location.

We were happy to attend the National Genealogical Society Family History Conference in Richmond, Virginia. This conference was a lot of fun. Next year, NGS plans to go back to an all-virtual conference. So if you were unable to attend this year, you may have your chance next year from the comfort of your own home!

In July, the World Family Tree hit 180 million profiles connected! Thanks to the collaboration of millions of Geni users, our World Family Tree continues to grow.

Shortly after hitting the 180 million milestone in the World Family Tree we set off to London, England for the 43rd IAJGS International Conference on Jewish Genealogy. While the number of attendees was smaller than what we see in the states, the Geni booth was still busy as ever with Geni users looking for help with their trees. We also had a blast connecting with several Geni curators who were also in attendance. We’re looking forward to seeing everyone again next year in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.

You may have also noticed a small enhancement we made to the event About section – it now supports wikitext! For some time, users have asked for the ability to format an event’s About section similar to what can be done in a profile’s About section. Now you can customize your event descriptions to make it look the way you want. We also made some more small improvements to editing wikitext that should make things a little bit easier.

A few years ago, we introduced the Consistency Checker to the World Family Tree. The Consistency Checker constantly monitors changes to profiles in the family tree to detect common errors and inconsistencies and bring them to your attention. All of your inconsistencies can be found on the Consistency Checker page, however, you can easily forget to go back and check as you are building your tree. This year we introduced a new Consistency Checker email notification to alert you of the most important issues discovered in the profiles you manage. We’ve heard great feedback from users who say it has been helpful to see inconsistencies in the tree that they have forgotten about.

We are still working on new and things for 2024, including a new Source Assistant email to remind you of pending Source Assistant items that may need your attention. We can wait to share everything with you!

Have a happy New Year!

The post Looking Back at 2023 first appeared on About Geni.

In the email notification, you will see a list of the most important issues discovered on profiles you manage. The Consistency Checker automatically checks 28 different types of inconsistencies and common mistakes. Each inconsistency is classified by severity (error, warning, and informational), so you may prioritize which issue to address first. 

Click on the issue type to review and resolve the inconsistency for the profile mentioned. A new page will open showing the inconsistency from the email at the top and list any other pending consistency issues for that particular profile.

Review our FAQs to learn more about each inconsistency type and how to resolve them.

As a reminder, the Consistency Checker is meant to bring possible problems to your attention. Not all issues are actual errors, which is why it is important to carefully review each item. If the issue is correct, then you may resolve it by clicking “Ignore” and selecting “Mark this correct for all users.” The issue will then be removed for everyone. If you are not sure how to resolve it, then you can click “Hide this only from my view” to remove it from your own list of inconsistencies. The issue will still be available to other profile managers and collaborators to resolve.

If you would like to review all inconsistencies found by the Consistency Checker, click the button “View all consistency issues” at the bottom of the email.

Each person has control over what email notifications they receive from Geni. You can review and update your email notification preferences at any time in your account settings. 

Keep a lookout for the new consistency emails in your inbox! Help improve the quality of the World Family Tree by resolving any issues found.

The post New Consistency Checker Email Notifications first appeared on About Geni.

Our ancestors are more than just names on a pedigree chart or entries in dusty records. They were living, breathing individuals who navigated the triumphs and tribulations of their times. When venturing beyond the realm of birth and death dates, marriages, and locations, you can unveil a multi-dimensional picture of who your ancestors truly were.

Gather Stories and Anecdotes

Beyond the standard birth, marriage, and death records, your ancestors have countless stories waiting to be discovered. Reach out to older relatives and dig into family archives to collect anecdotes, memories, and tales that paint a vivid picture of their lives. Capture them on video and upload them to Geni. These stories can add depth and personality to your family’s profiles. Flesh out a profile’s About section with a short biography to illuminate all the fascinating details about your relatives.

Incorporate Historical Context

Does your ancestor belong to one of the thousands of genealogy projects on Geni? How do they relate to the broader context of the World Family Tree? To truly understand your ancestors’ lives, it’s crucial to explore the historical context in which they lived. Research the era, events, and social conditions that shaped their experiences. By including this context on Geni, you provide a broader understanding of their lives and the challenges they faced.

Add Photographs and Documents

A picture is worth a thousand words, and a photograph of your ancestors can offer a powerful connection to the past. Scan and upload old family photographs, letters, postcards, and other documents to Geni to share with your relatives. Do you have an heirloom that once belonged to your ancestor? Photograph the item and document the story behind it. These visual artifacts not only enhance the profiles in the family tree but also allow future generations to see and appreciate their ancestors’ physical appearances and personal possessions.

Explore Occupations and Hobbies

Discovering your ancestors’ occupations and hobbies can provide fascinating insights into their daily lives and passions. Research the professions they pursued, their skills, and any notable achievements. Additionally, uncovering their hobbies, such as painting, sports, or music, can reveal hidden talents and interests that help paint a more complete picture of who they were. Include what you find in their Geni profiles to share with others.

Record Life Events

In addition to vital events, consider including other significant milestones in your ancestors’ lives. Did they immigrate to a new country? Serve in the military? Win an award? These events can be recorded on Geni in the profile’s Timeline, highlighting important moments that shaped their personal narratives.

Geni Tips: Add Events to Timelines

You may also look at the Family Timeline to see these events in the context of your entire family history.

Document Cultural Traditions

Many families have unique cultural traditions, customs, and rituals that have been passed down through generations. Ensure these valuable aspects of your family heritage are not lost by documenting them on Geni. Whether it’s a special recipe, a traditional holiday celebration, or a particular way of dressing, sharing these cultural traditions keeps them alive for future generations.

Building a family tree on Geni allows you to go beyond mere dates and names, creating a vibrant tapestry of your ancestors’ lives. By incorporating stories, historical context, photographs, documents, occupations, hobbies, life events, and cultural traditions, you can add depth and personality to their profiles. Embrace the opportunity to preserve and share your family history, ensuring that your ancestors’ legacies continue to inspire and resonate with generations to come.

Happy researching and storytelling!

The post Beyond Dates and Names: Adding Context and Life to Your Ancestors’ Profiles on Geni first appeared on About Geni.

Image: Harald Krichel, Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 3.0)

Although the relationship was distant, and went through a few marriages, Mirren appreciated learning about her personal connection to Meir, whom she said was “one of the most extraordinary characters I’ve ever played.” Mirren thanked the MyHeritage researchers, saying, “It goes to show that we are all one family, and when we’re in times of divisiveness and strife, as I know Israel is right now and the whole world is, it would be very good for all of us to remember that.”

The relationship follows a path through her father’s branch of the family tree, whose family was once a part of the Russian nobility. Her paternal grandfather, Pyotr Mironov, was a part of the Russian aristocracy and a diplomat. He was in Britain negotiating an arms deal when he and his family were stranded by the Russian Revolution in 1917. The family eventually settled in England and later, Mirren’s father would change the family name to “Mirren.” Many years later Mirren would go on to play Catherine the Great in an HBO miniseries about the Russian empress. Little did she know that she also had an interesting connection to the Russian leader. Mirren’s first cousin six times removed, Vasiliy Ivanovich Levashov, was one of Catherine the Great’s lovers.

Catherine the Great is not the only royal Mirren has portrayed on screen. She has also taken on the roles of Elizabeth I in the television series Elizabeth I and Elizabeth II in the film The Queen. She holds the distinction of being the only actor to portray both of the regnant Elizabeths on screen. According to Geni’s World Family Tree, Elizabeth I is Mirren’s 11th cousin 8 times removed.

In the Queen’s 2003 Birthday Honours, Mirren was appointed a Dame Commander of the Order of the British Empire for her services to drama. Four years later, Mirren would go home with the Academy Award for Best Actress for her portrayal of Elizabeth II. It turns out the Queen was also Mirren’s 14th cousin twice removed!

How are you related to Helen Mirren? Explore her family tree on Geni and discover how you’re related to the actress. Perhaps you can collaborate with the Geni community to expand the maternal side of her tree to find even more connections in the World Family Tree!

View Helen Mirren’s Geni Profile

The post The Surprising Connection Between Helen Mirren, Golda Meir, and More first appeared on About Geni.

Come see Geni at the National Genealogical Society 2023 Family History Conference in Richmond, Virginia. The conference will take place May 31 – June 3 at the Greater Richmond Convention Center.

Geni is excited to once again be a Silver sponsor of the conference. If you are planning to attend, be sure to stop by the Geni booth (304, 306) in the exhibit hall and learn about what’s new on Geni. We’re excited to see everyone in person and happy to answer any questions. Don’t forget to take advantage of our special conference discount on a Geni Pro subscription. Be sure to stop by early in the conference to pick up a free Geni notebook. They go fast!

Will you be at NGS 2023 in Richmond? Stop by the Geni booth and say hello!

The post Join us at NGS 2023 first appeared on About Geni.

To find the Map, simply click on “Family” at the top of the page and select “Map.”

Show Death and Burial Locations

Previously, you were only able to view the current location and the place of birth for the relatives in your family tree. Now you can also visualize the place of death and the place of burial for your relatives on the world map.

Improved Relatives Lists

We’ve also improved how relatives are listed when you mouse over a pin. This is perfect to get a quick overview of individuals at a specific location. When you hover your mouse on a pin, you will now see the name of the location and the relatives at that location displayed in an easy-to-read list.

We have also added a clickable list of names so you can get more information about the individuals at that location. Simply click on a pin to reveal entire list of names to the right of the map. The selected pin will be highlighted in blue. You can click on the pin again to close the list. This is a useful tool to have with you if you are visiting a local cemetery or a local archive to check records within a specific area.

You can hover your mouse over a name to reveal the hovercard for the profile, which provides you with some quick information about the person. Or you can click on the name to open the profile in a new tab.

Add Location Details

While trying out the new map enhancements, take some time to see if you have any relatives in the family tree that are still missing these locations from their profiles. Below the map, you’ll find a list of relatives who are missing location information – current location, place of birth, place of death, or burial location. Simply click “add” to quickly enter new location details for your relatives.

Have you mapped your relatives on Geni? Try out the new map enhancements now!

The post New Enhancements to the Family Map first appeared on About Geni.

Image: Charles III / Dan Marsh, Flickr (CC BY-SA 2.0)

1. Charles was born on November 14, 1948 in Buckingham Palace and was the eldest child of then Princess Elizabeth, Duchess of Edinbugh (later Queen Elizabeth II) and Philip, Duke of Edinburgh. He was christened Charles Phillip Arthur George in the Music Room of Buckingham Palace.

2. When his grandfather, George VI, died on February 6, 1952, Charles immediately became the heir apparent. He has the distinction of being the longest-serving heir apparent, holding the position for 70 years, 214 days.

3. He was four years old at his mother’s coronation on June 2, 1953. The young prince received his very own hand-painted children’s invitation to the coronation. Charles was the first heir to see his mother crowned as Sovereign.

4. His mother’s coronation was the first British coronation to be televised live to tens of millions in Britain and later, aired around the world. Charles’s coronation will be the first to be live-streamed on social media and can be watched from nearly anywhere around the world.

5. The coronation will take place at Westminster Abbey, which has been the setting of every coronation since William the Conqueror was crowned in 1066. Charles will be the 40th Sovereign to be crowned at Westminster Abbey with the queen consort beside him.

6. His wife, Camilla, will also be crowned queen consort alongside Charles and will be known as Queen Camilla. Unlike the three most recent queen consorts, Camilla did not have a crown made specially for the coronation. Instead, she will wear Queen Mary’s Crown, which was reset with some diamonds from Queen Elizabeth II’s personal collection to honor her late mother-in-law.

7. During the service, Charles will be anointed with holy oil by the Archbishop of Canterbury, receive the traditional symbols of the monarch (including the orb and scepter), and have the St. Edwards Crown placed on his head for the first time.

8. In comparison to past coronations, Charles’s coronation will be slimmed down. His mother’s coronation ran for more than three hours, while Charles’s ceremony is expected to be about 2 hours. The number of guests is expected to be about 2,800, which is far less than the 8,000 guest invited to view his mother crowned. The procession will also be significantly shorter than Queen Elizabeth II’s five-mile journey to Westminster Abbey.

9. The senior members of the royal family will be present, including William, Prince of Wales, and Catherine, Princess of Wales and their children, and Harry, Duke of Sussex. Prince George will serve as Page of Honor for his grandfather, making him the youngest heir to the throne ever to participate in a coronation.

10. The coronation will be attended by hundreds of heads of states from around the world. First Lady Jill Biden will also be in attendance. It turns out the first lady is also a distant cousin! According to Geni’s World Family Tree, Jill Biden is Charles III’s 13th cousin once removed. They are both descended from the noble couple Phillippe III de Croÿ and his wife Johanna.

Explore Charles III’s family tree on Geni and discover how you’re related to the British monarch!

The post What to Know About the Coronation of Charles III first appeared on About Geni.

There are multiple places ways for you to review revisions for the profiles in the tree.

Home page

On your home page, click on the “Revisions” tab to view a list of recent revisions for the profiles you follow.

List Page

On the family list page, you can review a list of all the revisions for profiles out to your fourth cousins and your in-laws out to first cousins.

Profile Revisions Tab

Every profile page also has a Revisions tab where you can find a list of all the changes that were made to that profile.

Reviewing Revisions

Each revision is timestamped so you know when the change was made and by who. Click “view” to see what information was changed in a handy table.

In this table, you will be able to review changes to the profile facts and the profile’s About section. Under the “Facts” tab, you can easily compare the current values on the profile, the information that was changed, and the previous information on the profile before the change. You can click on the arrows in the heading of the “Change” and “Previous” columns to view more changes and previous fact values.

A green cell indicates that the field was changed during the revision and a red cell indicates that a field is not the same as the most current revision. If you have permission to edit the profile, you can easily revert a change if you need to. Simply select the value you want to use (which will highlight the cell in yellow) and click “Use Suggested Values” button.

You can click on “Back to revisions list” to return to the list of revisions for the profile. From here, you can also choose which revisions you wish to compare or restore a previous value.

You can click the “About Me” tab to review a list of revisions and compare the changes for the profile’s About section. The text highlighted in green indicates the text that was changed in the revision, while text highlighted in red indicates text that is not the same as the current revision.

These revisions can also be accessed from the profile’s Overview tab. Simply click “history” at the right of the About section. If the About section has been added in multiple languages, you can see the revisions for each language by selecting a language from the dropdown.

Revisions are a powerful tool to use in a collaborative environment. It is vital to know when a change was made, what was changed, and by whom. And with a revisions history, mistakes can be quickly caught and immediately fixed. It’s all the more reason it is important to understand revisions so everyone can continue to effectively research and collaborate in the World Family Tree.

The post Geni Tips: Understanding Profile Revisions first appeared on About Geni.

With the last two years of conferences being all virtual, it was nice to be able to interact with attendees face-to-face once again. This year RootsTech brought the best of both worlds together with an in-person and virtual conference experience for attendees. The Geni team was joined at the booth by curator Benjamin Schoenbrun, who was available to help answer questions and provide visitors assistance with their family trees.

We also had a blast catching up with curator Jarrett Ross, who stopped by to spend some time at the Geni booth. Jarrett has been creating fantastic genealogy videos as the GeneaVlogger on YouTube. Be sure to check out his channel and catch some of his Geni videos too!

One of the best things about talking with attendees in person is the one-on-one time we get to spend helping users with their family history research. In several cases, we were even able to connect people to the World Family Tree right in the booth! We also loved hearing stories from users who stopped by to share how much they enjoyed using Geni.

Geneablogger Dick Eastman stopped by to say hello. We couldn’t believe it had 3 years since we had last seen each other in person.

The last day of the conference was the Family Discovery Day. Many families had a chance to explore fun activities in the Expo Hall and pick up free goodies from exhibitor booths. The door prize winners for the RootsTech Passport drawing were also announced. Amy Stratton was the lucky winner of the Geni door prize – a free 1-year subscription of Pro. Congratulations to Amy!

We had an amazing time in Salt Lake City and we can’t wait to see everyone again! Be sure to save the date – RootsTech 2024 will take place February 29 – March 2, 2024 in Salt Lake City, Utah.

The post RootsTech 2023 Highlights first appeared on About Geni.

For the last two years, RootsTech went virtual and connected with millions of participants all over the world. Now that we can be together in person once again, RootsTech has brought the best of both worlds together with this one-of-a-kind event.

This year RootsTech has a fantastic lineup of keynote speakers including photographer Me Rah Koh, singer Jordin Sparks, and actor Sean Astin. With many on demand and in-person classes, inspiring speakers, and fun activities, this year’s conference may be the best yet.

If you are planning to be there in-person, come visit the Geni booth #1008 in the Expo Hall to say hi. Bring your questions and your stories and we’ll be happy to have a chat. We’ll be offering an exclusive RootsTech discount on Geni Pro that you wont want to miss!

You can also have some fun with the Geni Pathfinder to see how you’re related to other RootsTech attendees. Sign up now to be notified of new cousin discoveries during the conference. You can go back to the Geni Pathfinder page at any time to view a list of new relatives and send a message to your new connections.

Will you be at RoosTech? We hope to see you there!

The post Join Geni at RootsTech 2023 first appeared on About Geni.

This Valentine’s Day, we take a look at a few of them below:

After 72 years of marriage, Joseph Henry and his wife Frances’s love is still burning strong. They shared that the secret to their marriage is that they have always stayed together. The couple were married in 1900. Even after 72 years of marriage, they still hold hands. Frances tells the reporter, “We’re happy. We’ve been around a good long time, and if the Lord sees fit to call us, we’re ready to go.”

Observer-Reporter, March 7, 1972 / MyHeritage SuperSearch

On April 26, 1956, a Kentucky couple, Mr. and Mrs. Felix Grundy Greenwell, celebrated their 75th wedding anniversary. Greenwell still called his wife “the best woman in the world.” When asked if they had been happily married, Mrs. Greenwell replied, “mostly.” The couple had 17 children, 48 grandchildren, between 75-80 great grandchildren, and a great great grandchild!

Toledo Blade, April 26, 1956 / MyHeritage SuperSearch

In March 1898, Charles and Susan Simmons celebrated their 50th anniversary with a party of about 150 guests. A retired fireman, Charles has been spending him time farming on “one of the pretties farms in the town.” His wife was just 15 years old when they married. Together they had six living children and eight grandchildren.

The Boston Globe, March 3, 1898 / MyHeritage SuperSearch

Mr. and Mrs. Jacob Crosby marked their 70th wedding anniversary with a party at their home. Mr. Crosby was born on February 24, 1838 and Mrs. Crosby was born June 1, 1844. They were married on September 19, 1863 in Lake George, N.S. Mrs. Crosby is said to prefer the phonograph to the radio and still does all the housework. Mr. Crosby “putters” around the garden and credits his outdoor work for his long life. In addition to their four sons and two daughters, the Crosbys have 40 grandchildren and 40 great grandchildren.

The Boston Herald, September 17, 1933 / MyHeritage SuperSearch

In celebration of their golden anniversary, Mr. and Mrs. Clarence J. Yates planned to renew their marriage vows. Although, duplicating their original wedding ceremony would be nearly impossible since the Pittsburgh hotel where they originally married was torn down, and Yates’ wedding dress was passed on to her daughter. However, present at the renewal ceremony would be Mrs. Elsie Hough, who was maid of honor 50 years before. She would be the only person from the original wedding party to take part in the celebration. The vow renewal would take place at the home of their daughter, while the reception will be held at the home of their son.

The Pittsburg Press, September 5, 1946 / MyHeritage SuperSearch

The family of Adrianus Denbroeder and Elizabeth Eude gathered on the evening of March 2, 1903 to celebrate the 50th wedding anniversary of the couple. They married in Holland on March 2, 1853 and had come to America in 1855. Denbroeder established a successful tailoring business and could be found at this store everyday, never missing a day on account of sickness. The couple have 8 living children, with two having passed several years before, and 13 grandchildren.

The Boston Globe, March 3, 1903 / MyHeritage SuperSearch

What are the longest marriages in your family tree? Have you found articles about them in old newspapers? Share their stories below!

The post Celebrating Long Marriages in Old Newspapers first appeared on About Geni.

As the year comes to a close, we’re taking a look back at 2022. We introduced some great, long-awaited features and we finally had the chance to see people in person once again!

This year our team worked hard on some big projects. We were thrilled to announce the return of Family Tree Charts to Geni! The previous version had been unavailable for some time as we worked on moving the charts off of Flash. Now all users can once again create a custom, high-quality version of the tree for downloading and printing.

We spent much of last year improving and enhancing sources on Geni, which has lead the way for the next phase of sources, the exciting release of the Source Assistant. The Source Assistant is a quick and easy way to extract information from your confirmed Record Matches and Smart Matches from MyHeritage to the family tree on Geni.

When we first Introduced MyHeritage’s Record Matches and Smart Matches to Geni, we had hoped to eventually provide you with the tools to help you quickly add and update information from matching records and trees into your tree on Geni in just a few clicks. We were delighted to finally deliver on that promise in 2022. This year nearly 9 million citations were created by Geni users, strengthening the reliability and usefulness of the World Family Tree.

We also released a commonly requested feature for Geni Pro users – Inbox Search. Now you no longer need to waste time scrolling through old messages to find what you are looking for. With inbox search, users can quickly locate messages in their Geni inboxes and maintain their productivity while working in the World Family Tree.

2022 also saw the World Family Tree hit a new milestone with over 170 million profiles connected! This feat could not be achieved without the collaboration of the entire Geni community and our team of Geni curators, who devote much of their spare time helping others from technical Geni questions to untangling branches in the tree.

We also enjoyed interacting with genealogists from around the world, both virtually and in person. Geni was a proud bronze sponsor of RootsTech, which was once again 100% virtual and 100% free. Attendees were able to catch Geni Curator Randy Schoenberg’s on demand presentation about Geni during the conference. Also, for the first time in two years, we were able to participate in person at the National Genealogical Society Family History Conference in Sacramento, California. At the Geni booth, we were joined by Geni Curator Judith Berlowitz and had a blast talking with attendees. The conference was also available virtually. A few months later, Geni had the opportunity to attend the IAJGS virtual conference and enjoyed getting to know attendees via video chat.

In September, we had the chance to participate in Webtember, Legacy Family Tree Webinar’s third annual free, month-long online genealogy conference. Curator Randy Schoenberg gave the well-received presentation, “The Pros and Cons of Collaboration on Geni.com,” which is still available to watch for free!

We also had some fun with the Geni community with a few giveaways. A couple of lucky winners received a free year of Geni Pro for sharing their special memories with their mothers and fathers. Debra Richards sent in a lovely family photo and shared the three best words to describe her mom: love, heart, and glue. While Paula Wertheim shared a lovely story about her husband’s late stepfather.

What a blast 2022 turned out to be! We’re looking forward to the full return of in person conferences next year and we have many more exciting things planned for Geni in 2023.

Have a happy new year!

The post 2022: Year in Review first appeared on About Geni.

Over the years, we have often been asked to add the ability to search your Geni inbox to quickly locate specific messages. Today we’re delighted to deliver this long awaited feature! 

As your tree grows and you begin communicating with other members on Geni, you’ll soon find yourself with a full inbox. Now you no longer need to waste time scrolling through your messages, which can hinder your productivity as you work in the World Family Tree. Inbox Search can help you quickly find the messages you are looking for, whether it’s all the messages from a specific person or messages related to specific keywords. 

Simply enter your query into the search box labeled “Filter Messages” at the top right of your inbox. Hit enter or click/tap on the filter button to begin your search.

Geni will filter your inbox to show you a list of relevant messages and highlight the portion of the message that corresponds to the filter text you entered.

To clear your search, click on the “x” on the right of the filter button.

A Geni Pro subscription is required to unlock the new Inbox Search feature. If you have a free basic membership, you can upgrade to a Geni Pro subscription today to get access to more exclusive features, including Tree Matches, Advanced Search, unlimited media storage, and priority support! 

Sign up for Geni Pro.

Try out Inbox Search now and let us know what you think!

The post Introducing Inbox Search for Pro first appeared on About Geni.

In addition to turkey, this 1890 menu from The Boston Globe suggests including servings of oysters, fish, boiled tongue, and roast duck.

The Boston Globe, November 23, 1890 / MyHeritage SuperSearch

In 1912, Delia C. Torrey provided her dinner menu plans to The Toledo News-Bee. Torrey was planning to host her family’s Thanksgiving dinner in her Massachusetts home. Guests would include her nephew, President William Taft. In addition to a “fat roast turkey,” Torrey includes a beef soup and New England brand of chicken pie.

The Toledo News-Bee, November 27, 1912 / MyHeritage SuperSearch

During World War II, food was scarce and the public was issued ration books. This 1943 Evening Star article shared five Thanksgiving menus that could be created without too much trouble or cost. It also offers alternatives for a main dish in case you couldn’t find turkey.

Evening Star, November 23, 1943 / MyHeritage SuperSearch

As a nice starter, you can give this iced orange soup recipe from 1935 a try. It is “both an appetizer and an aid to digestion.” The dish is a variant of a fruit cocktail.

The Boston Post, November 17, 1935 / MyHeritage SuperSearch

A 1913 issue of the Mexico Weekly Ledger included several favorite Thanksgiving recipes from the paper’s readers. Recipes range from cherry pudding to turkey dressing to mince meat.

Mexico Weekly Ledger, 1913 / MyHeritage SuperSearch

If you’re looking for a festive drink to serve, you can try out a hot spiced cranberry punch recipe from 1952.

The Boston Post, November 23, 1952 / MyHeritage SuperSearch

This 1927 The Midland Journal feature offered a variety of recipes featuring chestnuts including pudding, salad, and soup!

The Midland Journal, November 4, 1927 / MyHeritage SuperSearch

Lastly, if you’re looking for desserts, you can go with a classic pumpkin pie…

The Boston Post, November 20, 1927 / MyHeritage SuperSearch

Or a Thanksgiving fruit cake!

The Boston Post, November 20, 1927 / MyHeritage SuperSearch

What are your favorite Thanksgiving recipes?

The post Thanksgiving Recipes in Old Newspapers first appeared on About Geni.

Before seeing your relatives this holiday season, here are some tips to help prepare for an interview with your relatives.

1. Plan ahead

First, take a look at what information you have and what you may still be missing or unsure about. You’ll want to be prepared and know what information you hope to get from the interview.

2. Set objectives

With that in mind, be sure to set an objective for the interview. Is there specific information you are looking for? A family story? Perhaps clarification about a sudden relative in a census record? The interview will go a lot smoother if you have a clear objective in mind and know what information you hope to gather.

3. Have a call beforehand

Don’t ambush your visiting relatives during the holiday. Call your relative ahead of time to ask if you can interview them. Remember that they are doing you a favor, so you will want to try to set up a time that is convenient for them too. This is also a good opportunity to ask them if they can bring any old family photos, documents or heirlooms to share. Don’t forget to ask if they can provide you with copies of any old photos or records.

4. Get the right equipment

Once you have your interview set up, you’ll want to be sure you have all the necessary equipment ready. Have a recording device on hand and make sure you know how to use it before the interview. You may also want to keep a pen and notebook handy so you can jot down any notes during the interview. If you decide to use your phone, tablet or computer, make sure you will have your charging cables nearby just in case. Don’t forget to let your relative know that they will be recorded during the interview.

If you have a portable scanner, bring it along with you so you can scan photos yourself.

5. Prepare your questions

You should have a list of questions prepared in advance. This will help guide the interview along and ensure that you will meet your interview objectives. Create open-ended questions to encourage your relative to share stories and more details that may not come to mind with ‘yes’ and ‘no’ questions. See our list of family history questions you may not think to ask.

Don’t keep your questioning too rigid either. Often a story about one thing may lead to a revelation about another. Try to throw in some follow-up questions during the conversation too.

6. Bring family history items

If you have questions about an old photograph, document or heirloom, bring it with you to the interview. Your relative may be able to help identify a mystery photo or share a story about an old family heirloom. Props are always a great way to spark some memories. If they brought an item, give them the opportunity to share their story with you.

7. Don’t be pushy

If you find that a question has made your relative uncomfortable, don’t be too pushy to get answers. Find a way to move on to the next topic. Your relative may have their own reasons for not wanting to share something. Also, be mindful not to interrupt answers. Listen attentively and engage in dialog, but let them answer the questions fully. Nothing will cut an interview short faster than frequent interruptions and attempts at correcting a relative.

8. Share the family tree

The interview also presents an opportunity for you to briefly share the progress you have made on the family tree. You can pull up the tree on Geni to share what you have discovered so far and perhaps even invite them to join so they can contribute their knowledge of your family’s history themselves.

9. Transcribe it

After the interview, transcribe your recording so that you can have it as a reference later. While it’s great to have their stories preserved in a recording, a transcription will give you easy access to the information later. This will also help you organize what new information was shared and make note of what areas that will need further research.

10. Say thank you

Be sure to thank your relative for letting you interview them. After you have gathered and reviewed your notes, it would be nice to send a note back to your relative along with a transcript or short summary of the interview. It’s a nice little gift to let them know how they have helped contribute to the preservation of your family history.

The post 10 Tips for Family History Interviews first appeared on About Geni.

Today we are excited to announce the release of the Source Assistant – a quick and easy way to extract information from your confirmed Record Matches and Smart Matches from MyHeritage to the family tree on Geni. 

Now when you confirm a Record Match or a Smart Match, you can quickly add new or updated information from the MyHeritage match to your relatives’ Geni profiles with just a few clicks.

The new Source Assistant

We first introduced MyHeritage’s powerful Record Matching and Smart Matching technologies to Geni several years ago and since then, they have significantly helped our users improve the accuracy and quality of the World Family Tree with over 20 million matches already confirmed to Geni. Thanks to the automatic matching of Geni profiles against MyHeritage’s collection of billions of historical records and family tree profiles, users can easily research, document, and expand the World Family Tree, which today connects over 170 million profiles. Previously, confirmed Record Matches and Smart Matches were automatically included as a source on Geni profiles, but any new information provided had to be entered manually on Geni for each confirmed match. This meant that although finding relevant new records was quick and easy, improving the Geni family tree with the information contained in them was not. Not only did it take extra time and effort to update the profile, it also left open the possibility of entering mistakes when manually copying over the data. Some users confirmed matches but forgot to add the new information to Geni. Now the Source Assistant solves this obstacle by allowing you to effortlessly extract the information you want from these confirmed matches to your Geni profiles.

Source Assistant Notifications

After confirming a Record Match or a Smart Match, a Source Assistant notification will alert you if the match contains any new or updated information for the Geni profile. Only the user who confirmed the match will see the Source Assistant notification. You can find these notifications in several different places: 

A pop-up will appear on the page when you first return to Geni after confirming a match. You can click on the “Review and Extract” icon to review what new information has been detected.

If you have multiple items to review, the notification will display your four most recently confirmed matches. You may click “Review” to view the newly suggested data for a confirmed match or click the button “Review all Items” to view a list of all of your pending Source Assistant notifications.

On a profile page in the confirmed matches banner, a notification will also appear over the confirmed match to notify you of new details that can be added. You can mouseover the thumbnail to view a hovercard with more details about the match and a link to review the Source Assistant’s suggestions. 

Source Assistant notifications will also appear on your homepage below your other Notifications, to the right of your newsfeed. If you have several of them, only the first two will be shown. You may click “Next” to view more notifications in the carousel. Or click “View All Suggestions” to view all Source Assistant notifications on one page. 

You can also find Source Assistant notifications under your notifications count on the main menu bar. At the top right of the page, click on the notifications icon in the header and select “Source Assistant” to view a list of all of your Source Assistant notifications.

Viewing the Full List of Source Assistant Notifications

When you view your list of Source Assistant notifications, you will see a preview of the Geni profile on the left, and on the right, the confirmed Record Match or Smart Match with a list of new information it may contain. Click the “Review” button to view all of the suggested data in more detail.

You can delete the notification at any time by clicking the X at the top right, which will prevent it from showing again. Your list of Source Assistant notifications has been automatically filled with matches you’ve confirmed in the last six months. You can review and process these new Source Assistant notifications now in your Source Assistant page.

Reviewing and Extracting Source Assistant Suggestions

Each Source Assistant notification contains suggested data that may be extracted from a confirmed match to the Geni profile. When you review Source Assistant suggestions, the Geni profile data and the MyHeritage Record Match or Smart Match data are conveniently compared side-by-side. You can click on the arrows to select which values you would like to extract to the Geni profile. Then, once you click the Save Changes button, the Geni profile will be updated with the new or updated data and any new family members will be added.

As shown below, a green check mark will indicate a value that will be copied over from the MyHeritage Record Match or Smart Match. If you make a mistake, you can easily undo the change by clicking again on the green checkmark. In this case, the information on the Geni profile will be preserved with its original values.

If an item on the Geni profile already has sources cited, a red exclamation mark will appear at the left. Hover your mouse over the icon to view a list of sources that have already been cited for that fact. If needed, you can click on the name of the document to open the source in full. This way you can better evaluate and compare each source to determine whether you should copy over the new data to the Geni profile. 

New relatives referenced in the match can also be easily added right from the Source Assistant interface, in the section labeled “New Family.” Click on the green arrow to begin adding a new relative. You will first be asked if there is already a match for the person in the tree. If the profile already exists, you can select it. If the profile does not exist, then you can use the Source Assistant interface to create a new profile in the tree.

When you create a new profile, you can further edit the new relative’s name, select their living status, and their gender. Once the fields are completed, click “Create New Profile From Source.”

To quickly copy all the suggested updates and new family members, click the “Extract all Information” at the bottom right. Please exercise caution before doing so as this will not let you be selective about the information that will be copied to Geni. Or, if the match’s data does not add anything new or worthwhile, click “Ignore All.” 

You can also quickly undo all changes you made by clicking “Undo Changes” at the bottom right of the page.

If you are not ready to resolve a Source Assistant suggestion, check the box “Skip this for now, I’ll look at it later” and return to it at a later time. 

Once you have extracted all the information you’d like to add to the profile, click “Save Changes to Your Tree” at the bottom of the page. The Geni family tree will be automatically updated with the new and improved information from the MyHeritage record.

MyHeritage Subscription

A MyHeritage Data or Complete subscription is required to view Record Matches and Smart Matches in full and to confirm them to your Geni profiles (except for those collections provided for free, such as the 1950 U.S. Federal census, or BillionGraves). With a MyHeritage Data subscription you will have access to over 18 billion historical records from all around the world, with billions more added each year. If you don’t already have one, sign up for a MyHeritage subscription today.

Summary

When we first Introduced MyHeritage’s Record Matches and Smart Matches to Geni, we had hoped to eventually provide you with the tools to help you quickly add and update information from matching records and trees into your tree on Geni in just a few clicks. Today we are excited to finally deliver on that promise! By providing a quick and easy way to extract new and updated information from any Record Match or Smart Match, you can save valuable time in your research and ensure that Geni’s World Family Tree is the most accurate family tree of the entire world.

Try out the Source Assistant now by confirming your Record Matches and Smart Matches and see what new discoveries await!

The post Introducing the Source Assistant first appeared on About Geni.