Happy Birthday to You

According to the Guinness Book of Records, "Happy Birthday to You!" is one of the world's most frequently sung songs. Words and music are by two sisters from Louisville, Kentucky: Patty Hill, a pioneer kindergarten teacher and Mildred Hill, a musician. They combined their talents to produce this song, suitable for children's voices as well as all others. Patty drew 3,000 teachers to a workshop she gave at the 1893 Chicago Worlds Fair. Shortly afterwards she was invited to establish the Department of Nursery School, Kindergarten, and First-Grade Education at Columbia University. She was the first woman to receive and honorary doctorate from Columbia.