Screen and music legend Judy Garland (1922–1969) was born Frances Ethel Gumm on this day in Grand Rapids, Minnesota. The daughter of vaudeville parents, she made her stage debut at age three and starred in her first film, Pigskin Parade, by age 14.

“I hope to spend the rest of my life in pictures,” she said early in her career. And that she did.

With a voice that trembled with truth, Garland quickly became a beloved star. Her breakout came in Broadway Melody (1937), singing "You Made Me Love You" to a photo of Clark Gable. In 1939, she captured hearts forever as Dorothy in The Wizard of Oz, singing the eternal anthem of longing and wonder, "Somewhere Over the Rainbow".

“There wasn’t a thing that gal couldn’t do,” said Bing Crosby, “except look at herself.”

Though her personal life was filled with challenges and breakdowns, she lived with a powerhouse intensity. In a 1950 Modern Screen interview, she declared, “The world is good, golden, and glorious. My best years and my best work lie ahead of me, and I'm going to give them everything I've got.”

She delivered on that promise. Comeback concerts at London’s Palladium and New York’s Carnegie Hall became triumphs. Her stage presence was great, her voice emotional, her vibrato energetic and raw. She became an icon of courage, passion, and unforgettable charisma.