June 27, 1859: Perhaps the most often sung song, "Happy Birthday To You," was composed by Mildred J. Hill, a schoolteacher born in Louisville, KY, on this day. Her younger sister, Patty Smith Hill, was the author of the lyrics, which were first published in 1893 as "Good Morning to All," a classroom greeting published in the book Song Stories for the Sunday School. The lyrics were amended in 1924 to include a stanza beginning "Happy Birthday to You."
Now it is sung somewhere in the world every minute of the day. Although the authors are believed to have earned very little from the song, reportedly it later generated about $1 million a year for its copyright owner. The song is expected to enter public domain upon expiration of the copyright in 2010. Mildred Hill died in Chicago, IL, on June 5, 1916, without knowing that her melody would become the world's most popular song.