From Surrey, England to the world, Julie Andrews (1935–) was born on this day with the freedom to soar. Her roles as Mary Poppins in Mary Poppins (1964) and Maria in The Sound of Music (1965) revealed an angelic voice and a spirit as radiant as the melodies she carries.

Gifted with a rare four-octave range, she was dazzling audiences by age 12, performing before the future Queen Elizabeth at the London Palladium. Even as London endured the war, young Julie’s voice rose above the dark with hope and excellence.

Her path was not without challenges. In 1997, a routine throat surgery damaged her singing voice. She later called those years “very difficult,” yet chose optimism. “Everything happens for a reason,” she admitted. “We are meant to find good out of bad.” This resilience became as inspiring as her music.

Knighted as Dame Julie Andrews in 1999, she brought warmth to new generations through The Princess Diaries (2001, 2004) and voice work in Shrek 2. With her daughter Emma Walton Hamilton, she co-wrote award-winning children’s books, filling shelves with life and imagination.

Julie Andrews is a celebration of discipline and optimism: the one and only Mary Poppins, the timeless Maria. She has faced loss, endured silence, and still found her wings. Her strength is her song, soaring forever.