Woodstock, 15th August 1969...

Today, 15th August 2012, marks 43 years since the Woodstock Music and Art Fair took place , in Bethel, New York.

Bethel is a town in Sullivan County, New York, USA, whose name derives from Bethlehem. The population has been estimated at 4,255 in 2010.^[1]

The town received worldwide fame after it became the host of the 1969 Woodstock Festival, which was originally planned for Wallkill, New York, but was relocated to Bethel after Wallkill withdrew.

(Taken from Wikipedia.)

The outdoor rock concert attracted many top performers, including Jimi Hedrix, Janis Joplin, and The Who. An estimated 300,000 people were expected to attend, however approximately 500, 000 turned up.

CLICK ON ABOVE TO SEE A 3 MINUTE FILM ABOUT THE ORGANISING OF WOODSTOCK.

Woodstock is known as one of the greatest happenings of all time and, perhaps, the most pivotal moment in music history.

Joni Mitchell said,

 "Woodstock was a spark of beauty" where half-a-million kids saw that they were part of a greater organism." 

According to Michael Lang, one of four young men who formed Woodstock Ventures to produce the festival, 

"That's what means the most to me – the connection to one another felt by all of us who worked on the festival, all those who came to it, and the millions who couldn't be there but were touched by it."

(Taken from www.woodstock.com)

• The festival created massive traffic jams and extreme shortages of food, water, and medical and sanitary facilities.

• No incidents of violence occurred at the Woodstock festival.

• Most of the 80 arrests at Woodstock were made on drug charges involving LSD, amphetamines and heroin.

• Marijuana smokers, estimated to be the majority of the audience, were not arrested at Woodstock.

• Three accidental deaths were reported at Woodstock.

• The Festival had been scheduled to be held in Walkill, New York.

• After Walkill townspeople objected, it was moved to the 600-acre farm of dairyman Max B. Yasgur.

• The organizers of the festival, John Roberts, Michael Lang and Joel Rosenman, had originally estimated expenses, to be covered by admissions fees, at $750,000.

• The crush of spectators, however, caused ticket-taking to be abandoned.

• Ultimately, Woodstock Ventures, Inc. spent $2.5 million while collecting only $1.5 million.

• The $1 million debt was to be offset by a film of the festival and recordings of the music.

• Acts at Woodstock included Jimi Hendrix, Janis Joplin, the Grateful Dead, Jefferson Airplane, Joan Baez, Santana, The Who and a nascent Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young.

• Festival featured 33 musical acts

• Janis Joplin was paid was paid $7,500 at Woodstock.

(Facts taken from www.foxnews.com)

Read more: http://www.foxnews.com/entertainment/2009/07/19/fast-facts-woodstock/#ixzz23bl5EMAs

CLICK ON LINK ABOVE FOR FOOTAGE OF SOME OF THE CROWD MEMBERS