“President Buchanan is Born” and “Judy Garland is Grand at Carnegie Hall,” - This Day in History – Apr 23rd

Future President James Buchanan is Born 

Back in 1791, the Cover Gap region near Mercersburg, PA welcomed the future 15^th President of the U.S. – James Buchanan.  Mr. Buchanan was remembered negatively due to his failure to find a solution over the crisis of slavery.  Furthermore, his administration displayed corruption not only during his term but also scandal due to his love life.  The salacious gossip and scandals contributed to Buchanan remaining a bachelor during his presidency and throughout his life. 

However, according to History.com, “Buchanan's ignorance of slavery's divisive role in American domestic politics became apparent soon after he entered the White House. He actively pressured the Supreme Court to rule in the 1857 Dred Scott case that Congress had no right to outlaw slavery, mistakenly believing that Americans would take the court's decision as the final word and the debate would end. In addition, Buchanan's expansionist foreign policy, his mishandling of the 1857 economic depression and his failure to curb rampant corruption within his administration revealed him to be inept and out of touch. His passivity toward southern states who threatened to leave the union alienated half of his own Democratic Party and allowed a united Republican Party under Abraham Lincoln to win the presidential election of 1860.” 

“After serving one disastrous term, Buchanan retired to his home in Lancaster, Pennsylvania, in 1861. In 1866, he published his memoirs, in which he blamed abolitionists for causing the civil war. He died in 1868.”

Entertainer, Judy Garlands takes the stage at Carnegie Hall

Back in 1961, during the high-point of her career, Singer, Actress and Entertainer, Judy Garland played to a packed crowd at NYC’s grand, Carnegie Hall.  Ms. Garland who was seen, as a child prodigy due to her magnificent voice was well known for her role of Dorothy in the 1939 movie musical, “The Wizard of Oz.” 

History.com stated that, “She was also a prolific recording star, selling millions of records and winning five Grammy awards in a single year nearly three decades after starting out as one of the youngest performers ever signed to a major record label. These accomplishments alone would be enough to impress anyone who was somehow unfamiliar with her work, but "to experience Judy Garland's full power," as the PBS series American Masters put it, "one had to be in the auditorium when she brought her God-given gifts to bear on a suddenly unified collection of strangers." Never did Judy Garland so unify a collection of strangers than on this day in 1961 during the famous Carnegie Hall performance often called "the greatest night in showbiz history.”

Ms. Garland sang to a welcomed crowd during an evening with this superstar, in fact she sung 27 numbers during this historic event.  This event was made into a live recording, which would go for 13 weeks at #1 and 95 weeks on the U.S. albums charts would help Ms. Garland win multiple Grammy Awards as well. 

According to History.com, “The raucous standing ovation that greeted Judy Garland when she took the stage that night at Carnegie Hall set the tone for the evening that followed. "They were on their feet even before the goddess grabbed the microphone," wrote Lewis Funke for the New York Times. "And then she sang," wrote Judith Christ for the New York Herald, "And she sang, let it be reported, as she hasn't in years." 

After this event, the fans wanted more and she scheduled another concert there in May of 1961.   Critics hailed in history.com, “But the experience of seeing it live was clearly something else entirely. "She'll be back in May," wrote Frank Aston for the New York World-Telegram. "Try to get tickets. Just try. This kid is still a killer."

All History facts provided from the link below:

http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/judy-garland-plays-carnegie-hall?catId=13