1. Marian Anderson was an American contralto singer who performed primarily in the United States and Europe and who achieved fame despite discrimination and segregation in the United States.
2. She was born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, on February 27, 1902, to John Berkley Anderson and Annie Delilah Rucker.
3. Marian Anderson began singing at an early age and took voice lessons from renowned teacher Giuseppe Boghetti in Philadelphia.
4. She made her professional debut in 1925 with the Philadelphia Orchestra, conducted by Leopold Stokowski.
5. In 1939, she was scheduled to perform at Constitution Hall in Washington, D.C., but the Daughters of the American Revolution (DAR) refused to allow her to perform because of her race.
6. In response to the DAR's decision, First Lady Eleanor Roosevelt resigned from the organization and arranged for Anderson to perform on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial on Easter Sunday, April 9, 1939.
7. The concert at the Lincoln Memorial was attended by an estimated 75,000 people and was broadcast live on radio to millions of listeners.
8. Marian Anderson's performance at the Lincoln Memorial was a turning point in the fight for civil rights in the United States and helped to raise awareness of racial discrimination.
9. She continued to perform throughout the world and appeared in opera, concerts, and recitals.
10. Marian Anderson retired from performing in 1965 and passed away in Portland, Oregon, on April 8, 1993, at the age of 91.