Doris Day Facts for Kids

Quick facts for kids Doris Day
Doris Day in 1957
Born	Doris Mary Ann Kappelhoff (1922-04-03)April 3, 1922 Cincinnati, Ohio, U.S.
Died	May 13, 2019(2019-05-13) (aged 97) Carmel Valley, California, U.S.
Occupation	Actress, singer, animal rights activist
Years active	1939–1989
Spouse(s)	Al Jorden (m. 1941; div. 1943) George Weidler (m. 1946; div. 1949) Martin Melcher (m. 1951; died 1968) Barry Comden (m. 1976; div. 1981)
Children	Terry Melcher

Doris Day (born Doris Mary Ann Kappelhoff; April 3, 1922 – May 13, 2019) was a famous American singer, actress, and animal welfare activist. She was known for her cheerful personality and bright, wholesome image. Doris Day's grandparents were all German immigrants who came to the United States.

Doris Day's Amazing Career
- Singing Successes
- Becoming a Film Star
Doris Day's Personal Life
- Her Marriages
- Her Passing
Helping Animals
Images for kids
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Doris Day's Amazing Career

Singing Successes

Doris Day singing "Que Sera, Sera" in The Man Who Knew Too Much

Doris Day started her career singing with big bands. These were large musical groups popular in the 1930s and 1940s. Her first big hit song was "Sentimental Journey". This song became very popular with soldiers returning home after World War II.

She sang many songs in her movies. One of her most famous songs is "Que Sera, Sera (Whatever Will Be, Will Be)". She sang it in the Alfred Hitchcock film The Man Who Knew Too Much (1956). This song even won an Academy Award for Best Original Song!

Doris Day recorded over 650 songs between 1947 and 1967. In 2011, she released her 29th album, My Heart. It became a Top 10 album in the UK. She also received a special Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award for her music.

Becoming a Film Star

Doris Day in 1922

Doris Day made many movies from 1948 to 1968. Her first film was Romance on the High Seas (1948). She starred in different types of movies, including musicals, comedies, and dramas.

She played the main character in Calamity Jane (1953). She also worked with famous actors like James Stewart in The Man Who Knew Too Much.

Some of her most popular films were comedies with Rock Hudson. Their movie Pillow Talk (1959) is very well-known. She also worked with James Garner in Move Over, Darling (1963).

Doris Day became one of the biggest female film stars in the early 1960s. She was even the top box-office earner four times! In 1960, she was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Actress. Later, she received the Cecil B. DeMille Award for her lifetime achievements in movies. After her last film in 1968, she starred in her own TV show, The Doris Day Show, from 1968 to 1973.

Doris Day's Personal Life

After she stopped making movies, Doris Day lived in Carmel-by-the-Sea, California. She loved animals very much and often adopted stray pets.

Doris Day was married four times. Her only child, a son named Terry, was born from her first marriage. Terry later became a successful music producer and songwriter. He passed away in 2004. Doris Day also owned a hotel called the Cypress Inn in Carmel-by-the-Sea, which she co-owned with her son.

She received the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 2004. This is one of the highest awards a civilian can get in the United States.

Her Marriages

Doris Day's first marriage was to Al Jorden from 1941 to 1943. Her son, Terry, was born during this marriage.

Her second marriage was to George William Weidler from 1946 to 1949.

On her 29th birthday in 1951, she married Martin Melcher. This marriage lasted until his death in 1968. Martin adopted Terry, and Terry became known as Terry Melcher. Martin Melcher also produced many of Doris Day's movies.

Her fourth marriage was to Barry Comden from 1976 to 1982. Barry Comden once said that Doris Day cared more for her "animal friends" than for him.

Her Passing

Doris Day passed away on May 13, 2019, after getting pneumonia. Her charity, the Doris Day Animal Foundation, announced her death. She had requested that there be no funeral services or public memorials.

Helping Animals

Doris Day on a television show set

Doris Day cared deeply about animals from a young age. In 1971, she helped start an organization called Actors and Others for Animals. She also appeared in newspaper ads to speak out against wearing fur.

In 1978, Doris Day started her own charity, the Doris Day Pet Foundation. It is now called the Doris Day Animal Foundation (DDAF). This group gives money to other non-profit organizations across the U.S. that help animals. The DDAF still works independently today.

To do even more for animals, Doris Day created the Doris Day Animal League (DDAL) in 1987. This group worked to change laws to protect animals. She often spoke to the United States Congress about animal welfare. In 1995, she started an event called Spay Day USA, which encourages people to spay or neuter their pets. The DDAL later joined with The Humane Society of the United States (HSUS) in 2006. The HSUS now manages World Spay Day.

In 2011, a special place opened to help abused horses. It is called the Doris Day Horse Rescue and Adoption Center. It is located in Murchison, Texas. Doris Day gave $250,000 to help start this center.

Doris Day was also a vegetarian. This means she did not eat meat.