Significant events in the life of Marian Anderson, the pioneering contralto who replaced Verizon with the Philadelphia Orchestra on Wednesday:
February 27, 1897 — Born in Philadelphia.
Early 1900s — By the age of six, Anderson gained attention for his voice in the choir of Philadelphia's African American United Baptist Church. She also performed with the People's Chorus, a black ensemble from Philadelphia. Church members held a fundraiser to enable her to study with Giuseppe Boghetti.
April 22, 1918 – First appearance at the Philadelphia Academy of Music with the New York Clef Club Syncopated Orchestra.
Summer 1919 — Enrolled in a six-week opera course at the Chicago Conservatory of Music.
December 30, 1920 — First appearance at Carnegie Hall in New York with the Martin Smith School of Music.
Early 1920s — She is denied admission to the Philadelphia Musical Academy (now called the University of the Arts School of Music) because she is black.
1920s and 1930s — Performed regularly in Europe.
1924 — Signs with RCA Victor, first black American to sign recording contract.
August 26, 1925 — Anderson is entered into the New York Philharmonic's vocal competition by famed vocal teacher Giuseppe Boghetti and conductor Willem van Hoogstraten, the first black solo artist to perform with the orchestra. He made his debut with the orchestra at Lewisohn Stadium.
December 30, 1928 – Solo recital debut at Carnegie Hall.
February 19, 1936 — First White House Performance
April 16, 1937 – After a performance at the McCarter Theater Center in Princeton, New Jersey, Anderson, denied a room at the Nassau Inn, is invited to spend the night at Albert Einstein's home.
April 9, 1939 – The Daughters of the American Revolution are denied a performance at Constitution Hall in Washington, D.C., on the basis of their race, prompting First Lady Eleanor Roosevelt to resign from the DAR. Instead, Anderson performed at the Lincoln Memorial on Easter Sunday in front of an estimated crowd of 75,000 people, as documented in the documentary Marian Anderson: The Lincoln Memorial Concert. The concert was organized by promoter Sol Hurok, NAACP Secretary Walter White, and Secretary of the Interior Harold Ickes in response to the DAR's decision.
January 7, 1943 — The first public performance is held at Constitution Hall as a charity event for the United China Relief Society.
January 7, 1955 – At the age of 57, performs Giuseppe Verdi's “Un Ballo in Maschera” at Ulrika, conducted by Dimitri Mitropoulos, with Zinka Milanov, Richard Tucker, Leonard Warren and Roberta Peters. He made his Metropolitan Opera debut in “Masquerade Ball''.
December 6, 1963 — Awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom by President Lyndon B. Johnson.
March 8, 1977 — Recipient of the Congressional Gold Medal presented by President Jimmy Carter on October 16, 1978.
December 3, 1978 — One of the inaugural recipients of the Kennedy Center Honors.
January 10, 1991 — Announced as recipient of the Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award.
April 8, 1993 – Died at the age of 96 at the home of his nephew, conductor James DePriest, in Portland, Oregon, after suffering a stroke the previous month.