Profile of the Day: Judy Garland

Posted June 22, 2017 by Amanda | No Comment

Judy Garland

Today we remember Judy Garland, who passed away on this day in 1969.

The legendary actress was born Francis Ethel Gumm on June 10, 1922 in Grand Rapids, Minnesota. She was the youngest child of Ethel Marion and Francis Avent Gumm, who had settled in Grand Rapids to run a theater featuring vaudeville acts. As the daughter of former vaudeville actors, Garland got her start on stage at an early age. She made her first public performance at the age of two and a half. She later began singing with her sisters and they became known as the Gumm Sisters.

By the age of 16, Garland landed her most memorable role, Dorothy in The Wizard of Oz. Following the film’s tremendous success, Garland became one of Hollywood’s most bankable stars. Over the course of her career, Garland found international success on the big screen and as a recording artist. Today she is remembered as one of the greatest stars in American cinema.

Sadly, on June 22, 1969, Garland died of an accidental drug overdose at the age of 47. She was buried at Ferncliff Cemetery in New York until January 2017 when her children had her moved to the Hollywood Forever Cemetery in Los Angeles, California.

What’s your favorite film? Explore Judy Garland’s family tree on Geni and share how you’re related!