On April 7, 1949, the Rodgers and Hammerstein musical South
Pacific opened at the Majestic Theatre on Broadway in New
York City. The romantic musical about World War II, which
touches on controversial racial themes, goes on to run for
almost five years, becoming one of the most popular musicals
of the 1950s.

 
CARLATA BRADLEY

Diana Ross was the lead singer of the vocal group The Supremes,
who became Motown‘s most successful act during the 1960s and
one of the world’s best-selling girl groups of all time.

They remain the best-charting female group in history, with a total
of twelve number-one hit singles on the Billboard Hot 100..

Following her departure from the Supremes in 1970, Ross began
a successful solo music career. Diana is 80 years young today.

My Fair Lady is a musical with a book and lyrics by Alan Jay Lerner
and music by Frederick Loewe. The story, based on the 1938 film adaptation of George Bernard Shaw‘s 1913 play Pygmalion.

The musical’s 1956 Broadway production was a notable critical and popular success, winning six Tony Awards, including Best Musical.

It set a record for the longest run of any musical on Broadway up to
that time and was followed by a hit London production. Rex Harrison
and Julie Andrews starred in both productions.

SANDY KOZEL

Sir Roderick David Stewart is a British rock and pop singer
and songwriter. Born and raised in London, he is of Scottish
and English ancestry. With his distinctive raspy singing voice,
Stewart is among the best-selling music artists of all time,
having sold more than 120 million records worldwide. 

Stewart has had 10 number-one albums and 31 top-ten singles
in the UK, six of which reached number one. He has had 16 top-
ten singles in the US, with four reaching number one on the
Billboard Hot 100. He was knighted in the 2016 Birthday
Honors for services to music and charity. Rod is 79 today.

CAMILLE BOHANNON

Film maker Martin Charles Scorsese emerged as one of the major
figures of the New Hollywood era. Scorsese has received many accolades, including an Academy Award, four BAFTA Awards,
three Emmy Awards, a Grammy Award, three Golden Globe
Awards, and two Directors Guild of America Awards.

He has been honored with the AFI Life Achievement Award in
1997, the Film Society of Lincoln Center tribute in 1998, the
Kennedy Center Honor in 2007, the Cecil B. DeMille Award in
2010, and the BAFTA Fellowship in 2012. Five of his films have
been inducted into the National Film Registry by the Library of
Congress.