“Marion Anderson Serenades at Lincoln Memorial” and “Sophia Loren wins Oscar,” - This Day in History – Apr 9th

Soprano, Marian Anderson serenades fans at Lincoln Memorial

Back in 1939, Washington, D.C.’s Lincoln Memorial was the gathering place on Easter holiday for Soprano, Marion Anderson to give her free open-air concert to a crowd of 75,000 attendees.

According to hisory.com, “Anderson had been scheduled to sing at Washington's Constitution Hall, but the Daughters of the American Revolution, a political organization that helped manage the concert hall, denied her the right to perform because of her race. The first lady, Eleanor Roosevelt, resigned her membership from the organization in protest, and Anderson's alternate performance at the Lincoln Memorial served greatly to raise awareness of the problem of racial discrimination in America.”

“Even after her dramatic appearance at the Lincoln Memorial in 1939, it was not until 1955 that she became the first African-American to be invited to perform at New York's Metropolitan Opera House.”

Ms. Anderson was awarded two honorary awards from two U.S. Presidents after this historic event.  In 1942 she received the delegate to the United Nations from Dwight D. Eisenhower and in 1963 she accepted the Medal of Freedom from John F. Kennedy.

Ms. Anderson who was born in Philadelphia in 1897, she died Portland, OR in 1993 at the age of 93.

Sophia Loren wins Academy Award for “Two Women”

Back in 1962, Hollywood Actress, Sophia Loren received her Oscar for her role of Cesira, a devoted mother trying to protect her 13-year-old daughter Rosetta during WWII in the movie, “Two Women.”

According to history.com, “Loren earned numerous accolades, including the top acting honors at the Cannes, Berlin and Venice film festivals. Her Oscar win made her the first performer ever to win that award for a foreign-language film (her countryman, Roberto Benigni, would later win the Best Actor Oscar for 1998’s Life is Beautiful).”

All History facts provided from the link below:

http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/honda-wins-world-green-car-award?catId=17