JANUARY 16: TODAY'S INSPIRING WOMEN

ETHEL MERMAN

Ethel Merman, a popular actress, singer, and Broadway performer, was born today in 1906. She performed “I Got Rhythm” in “Girl Crazy” in 1930, “Annie Get Your Gun” in 1946, and “Gypsy” and “Hello Dolly “ in the 1970s.

aaliyah

Aaliyah was an American singer, actress, and model born in 1979. She died in a plane crash in the Bahamas after filming the music video for the single "Rock the Boat." Posthumously, she has sold an estimated 24 to 32 million albums worldwide.

DEEPER DIVE

Watch Ethel Merman perform on the Ed Sullivan Show in 1968: