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Judy Garland’s life and career timeline

1922

June 10, Judy Garland is born Frances Ethel Gumm in Grand Rapids, Minnesota, the third and youngest child of Frank and Ethel Gumm.

1922
1924

December 22, "Baby" makes her stage debut at age 2, singing "Jingle Bells" on her father's stage at the New Grand movie theater in Grand Rapids.

1924
1929

June 11, Makes her film debut performing "That's The Good Old Sunny South" with her sisters in the short film The Big Revue. She is seven.

1929
1935

September 16, Signs seven-year MGM contract, starting at $100 a week. November 17, Garland's father dies.

1935
1937

February 1, Performs "(Dear Mr. Gable) You Made Me Love You" at Clark Gable's birthday party. Response to her performance is so enthusiastic MGM puts the song in Broadway Melody of 1938.

1937
1939

October, Judy casts her hand and footprints outside of Grauman's Chinese Theatre.

1939
1940

February 29, Receives special Oscar for The Wizard of Oz. She is 17.

1940
1941

July 28, Marries bandleader David Rose.

1941
1942

October, Premiere of For Me and My Gal; first grown-up role in films.

1942
1943

July, Concert debut at Robin Hood Dell, Philadelphia: 15,000 in attendance, 15,000 more turned away.

1943
1944

June 7, Files for divorce from David Rose. November, Premiere of Meet Me in St. Louis, MGM's greatest financial hit after Gone With the Wind.

1944
1945

June 15, Marries director Vincente Minnelli. Studio boss Louis B. Mayer gives the bride away.

1945
1946

March 12, Gives birth to Liza Minnelli. December 1, Returns to MGM after birth of Liza with a new contract for $300,000 per year.

1946
1947

Spring, Has major breakdown during production of The Pirate. July 16, First suicide attempt. Sent to Las Campanas sanitarium, then to Austin Riggs Center in Stockbridge, Massachusetts. Leaves after two weeks. Returns to MGM shortly after.

1947
1948

July, Premiere of Easter Parade, her top-grossing film to date.

1948
1949

May 30, Enters Peter Brent Bringham Hospital in Boston for rest, stays 11 weeks.

1949
1950

June 19, Attempts suicide. Press releases it to the nation. September 29, Released from her MGM contract.

1950
1951

April 9, Opens new show at the London Palladium, performing twice nightly. October 16, Legendary Palace Theater opening. Show runs 19 weeks and breaks all box office records. March, Divorces Vincente Minnelli.

1951
1952

June 8, Marries producer Sid Luft. November 21, Gives birth to daughter Lorna Luft.

1952
1953

January 5, Garland's mother dies.

1953
1954

September 29, A Star Is Born premieres. Garland later receives Academy Award Nomination for Best Actress. Wins Golden Globe Award for Best Actress.

1954
1955

March 29, Gives birth to son Joey. August, Begins 10 year association with Capitol Records. September 24, Makes her television debut on CBS in a version of her Palace act - largest TV audience to that date to view a special program. The program wins an Emmy Award.

1955
1956

July, Las Vegas debut as highest paid entertainer at that time in the desert town. September, Second Palace engagement, New York City - 17 weeks.

1956
1957

October, Returns to London for five-week Dominion Theatre engagement. November, Royal Command Performance, Palladium.

1957
1958

July, Two-week engagement to Cocoanut Grove; her first live album recording.

1958
1959

May, Becomes first popular singer to play the Metropolitan Opera House. November 18, Enters hospital in New York for treatment of hepatitis. Told she'll never work again as she will become a "semi-invalid."

1959
1961

April 23, Legendary Carnegie Hall performance. Academy Award nomination for Best Supporting Actress for Judgment at Nuremberg.

1961
1962

February 25, "The Judy Garland Show" - CBS TV special; highest-rated entertainment program in network history. May, wins Grammy Award for Album of the Year and Best Solo Vocal Performance, Female. May, Begins filming what will be her final picture, I Could Go on Singing.

1962
1963

September 29, "The Judy Garland Show" debuts on CBS.

1963
1964

November 8, In concert with daughter Liza at the London Palladium. May 4, Judy's sister Mary Jane dies.

1964
1965

May 14, Divorce from Sid Luft becomes final. November 14, Marries actor Mark Herron. They divorce six months later.

1965
1966

October, Garland and Sid Luft file multimillion-dollar suit against Creative Management Association, her agents Fields

1966
1967

February, 20th Century-Fox offers Garland role in Valley of the Dolls. Although she records "I'll Plant My Own Tree" and poses for costume tests, she's fired in April. August, Largest live audience: 108,000 people on the Boston Common.

1967
1968

June, Enters the Peter Bent Bringham Hospital in Boston for several weeks in their withdrawal program. July, Final U.S. concert: J.F.K. Stadium, Philadelphia - 20,000 in attendance.

1968
1969

March 15, Marries disco manager Mickey Deans in London. March 25, Final concert at Falkoner Center in Copenhagen, Denmark. June 22, Dies in London of an accidental overdose of sleeping pills. June 27, Over a 24 hour period, 22,000 people file past her open coffin.

1969
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