in 1896 in the collection, Song Stories for the Kindergarten, which the Hill sisters dedicated to the Louisville Free Kindergarten Association. These songs, including Good Morning to All, were published by Clayton F.
Patty and Mildred wrote and adapted numerous songs for young children that ranged from greeting each other to songs about flowers, butterflies, holidays, and other things that make up a part of a child’s world. The third line substituted the words “dear children” where the birthday text inserts the name of the person. The Happy Birthday song was written in 1893 with the original title of Good Morning to All. That also included songs that centered on how children would see the world. The use of toys and playtime as a form of learning and childhood development was gaining popularity during the late 19th and early 20th centuries. “Happy Birthday to You,” the most widely-recognized song in the English language, was created by two Louisville sisters, Patty Smith Hill and Mildred Jane Hill. She was a leading authority on early-childhood education that emphasized the concepts of the German educator who created kindergarten, Friedrich Froebel (1782-1852). Patty was a kindergarten teacher and principal of the Louisville Experimental Kindergarten School. Mildred was a composer, music teacher, and musicologist who had specialized in the study of Negro spirituals. They and their four other siblings had parents who instilled in them the value of education and music. Mildred and Patty were born in Kentucky in the Louisville area. This song, though simple in structure, has a complex history. It is that simple ditty of four lines wishing someone a “Happy Birthday” with one of those lines containing the birthday person’s name. The song, Happy Birthday to You, is sung thousands of times every day and millions of times each year.