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Iconic American singer, actress, and animal welfare activist.Doris Day rose from a big band singer to become one of Hollywood's biggest box-office stars of the 1950s and 1960s, known for her wholesome image, powerful voice, and roles in romantic comedies and musicals. She recorded numerous hit songs and starred in nearly 40 films.

• A car accident at age 15 ended her dreams of being a dancer, leading her to focus on singing while recovering.
• Her third husband, Martin Melcher, managed her career but died in 1968, leaving her deeply in debt and unknowingly committed to a TV series (The Doris Day Show) she didn't want to do. She successfully sued their business manager for fraud.
• She married four times; her first husband was physically abusive.
• After retiring from acting in the early 1970s, she became a prominent and dedicated animal rights activist, founding the Doris Day Animal Foundation and the Doris Day Animal League.
• She lived a very private life in Carmel, California, for decades, focused on her animal welfare work.
• She received the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 2004 and a Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award in 2008.
• She died at age 97 from complications of pneumonia.