When more than 300,000 young people gathered on a dairy farm in upstate New York in August 1969, no one could have imagined the event would become one of the most iconic music festivals in history. The Woodstock Music & Art Fair, held Aug. 15-18 on Max Yasgur’s farm near Bethel, New York, featured 32 musical acts and came to define a generation.

Originally expected to attract about 50,000 people, the festival drew hundreds of thousands, overwhelming organizers and turning the event into a free concert after fences and ticket booths became impossible to maintain. Despite heavy rain, muddy conditions, food shortages and traffic jams stretching for miles, the festival remained remarkably peaceful.

Woodstock featured legendary performances by artists including Jimi Hendrix, Janis Joplin, The Who, Santana, Creedence Clearwater Revival, Jefferson Airplane, Joe Cocker and Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young. Hendrix’s electrifying rendition of “The Star-Spangled Banner” became one of the defining musical moments of the era.

More than just a concert, Woodstock became a symbol of the 1960s counterculture movement, representing peace, love, music and opposition to the Vietnam War. Although only three people died during the festival and hundreds required medical attention, the event was widely remembered for the spirit of cooperation among the massive crowd.

More than 55 years later, Woodstock remains one of the most influential music festivals ever held, inspiring countless outdoor concerts and continuing to symbolize a unique moment in American culture when music brought together hundreds of thousands of people in the name of peace and unity.