NEW YORK – Former President Donald Trump is ready to hold a rally at Madison Square Garden this weekend, just nine days before Election daydrawing comparisons to some of the venue’s most infamous events.

Since the 1800s, the Garden has been the site of the Democratic and Republican National Conventions. Notably, in 1939 it was the site of back-to-back rallies for pro-Nazi and Communist Party supporters as tensions rose ahead of World War II. In 1962, Marilyn Monroe famously performed “Happy Birthday” for President John F. Kennedy, further contributing to the legendary status of what the New York Knicks announcer calls “the most famous arena in the world!”.

Hillary Clinton called the rally an attempt at “recreation”. of the Nazi rally, which Trump’s campaign pushed back against, calling her remarks “disgusting.”

It’s unclear what Trump’s rally will look like or what the theme will be, but here are some key moments in Madison Square Garden’s political history.

JUMP TO: Pro-Nazi rally | Nixon rally | DNC conventions | George Wallace | John F. Kennedy

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On February 20, 1939, a “Pro American Rally” was held at Madison Square Garden to celebrate George Washington’s birthday.

People could be seen wearing Nazi armbands, waving American flags and displaying signs with slogans such as “Stop Jewish Domination of Christian America,” as seen in photos and detailed in a NPR report “When the Nazis Took Manhattan.”

The event was one of many organized by American Nazi groups from 1934 to 1936 at the Garden. However, this was the largest yet, gathering almost 20,000 participants in the months after Kristallnacht, according to a report from The Atlantic.

At the time, New York City Mayor Fiorello LaGuardia and Governor Herbert Lehman faced criticism for allowing the rally during the Great Depression.

JUMP TO: Pro-Nazi rally | Nixon rally | DNC conventions | George Wallace | John F. Kennedy

(Original credits) New York, New York: Stunned like everyone else by the freak accident, Mayor Fiorello La Guardia is shown talking to a reporter at the scene where an Army B-25 bomber crashed into the 76th floor of the Empire State Building. State building i

LaGuardia defended the principle of free speech, stating that all groups, including Nazis, have the right to express their opinions. He often condemned the Nazi agenda, earning him the title “the worst enemy of the Nazis”.

The anti-Nazi sentiments of 15,000 New Yorkers were revealed in a torchlight parade down 8th Avenue, supplemented by several hours of oratory at Madison Square Garden. The parade was a protest against American participation in the Berlin Olympics.

The rally was presented antisemitic speeches and included the Pledge of Allegiance, which was received with enthusiastic applause.

The rally was later featured in the Oscar-nominated short film “A Night at the Garden.”

George Wallace (C) speaks on stage during the second day of the Democratic National Convention at Madison Square Garden in New York Cirty on July 13, 1976. (Photo by Pierre Schermann/WWD/Penske Media via Getty Images)

The current Garden, opened in 1968 about a mile south of the original, is home to the NBA’s Knicks, the NHL’s Rangers and various events. During his 1968 presidential campaign, George Wallace, representing the American Independent Party, gave a “Stand Up for America” ​​speech that echoed the populist nationalism seen in Trump’s “Make America Great Again” movement (AP).

JUMP TO: Pro-Nazi rally | Nixon rally | DNC conventions | George Wallace | John F. Kennedy

Tom Bradley (L) and Hubert Humphrey (R) appear on stage during the second day of the Democratic National Convention at Madison Square Garden in New York Cirty on July 13, 1976. (Photo by Pierre Schermann/WWD/Penske Media via Getty Images)

This garden hosted the Democratic National Conventions in 1976, 1980, and 1992 and the Republican National Convention in 2004.

In accepting his nomination, Jimmy Carter referenced the Vietnam War and Watergate, saying, “Our country has lived through a time of torment. . . . Now is a time for healing.”

The 2004 Republican convention was the only one held at Madison Square Garden, taking place while New York was still reeling from the World Trade Center attacks. (AP).

On May 19, 1962, the Democratic Party held a fundraiser and birthday party for John F. Kennedy at the Garden, where Marilyn Monroe sang “Happy Birthday.” “Heat waves were still rising in the Garden when, after a sultry rendition of Marilyn Monroe’s ‘Happy Birthday,’ the president remarked, ‘Now I can retire from politics,'” the AP reported.

Kennedy joked that he might retire from politics just months before he and Monroe died tragically (AP).

What will Trump be like at MSG?

The NYPD did not detail a specific security plan for Trump’s rally, nor did the city announce road closures for the distinguished guests.

But New Yorkers should expect tight security and plenty of noise in the area, with protests likely, as seen at previous rallies.

JUMP TO: Pro-Nazi rally | Nixon rally | DNC conventions | George Wallace | John F. Kennedy

During the 1939 Nazi rally at Madison Square Garden, the NYPD deployed 1,700 officers—enough, according to NYC Department of Records and Information Services“to stop a revolution”.

Downtown streets were lined with protesters, accompanied by a nearby Broadway orchestra playing “The Star-Spangled Banner.” A crusader also broadcast anti-Nazi messages from a rooming house, urging people to “Be American, Stay Home.”

Similarly, Richard Nixon’s 1968 rally took place amid heightened security and intense social unrest. In that turbulent election year, Robert Kennedy and Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. were assassinated, protests broke out at both the Democratic and Republican conventions, and the Vietnam War continued.

JUMP TO: Pro-Nazi rally | Nixon rally | DNC conventions | George Wallace | John F. Kennedy

American politician and current (and eventual) US presidential candidate Richard Nixon (1913 – 1994) addresses supporters during a campaign rally at Madison Square Garden, New York, New York, October 31, 1968. (Photo by David Fenton

NYPD Bureau of Special Services and Investigations conducted undercover surveillancewith plainclothes officers mingling with the crowd as Nixon took the stage.

President Richard Nixon held a campaign rally at Madison Square Garden on October 31, 1968, just one week before winning the presidential election.

Like most rallies today, the event featured acts to entertain the crowd before politicians took the stage to support it.

His main talking points included “law and order” and “peace at home, peace abroad”. Outside the venue, lines of protesters opposed Nixon, accusing him of being pro-war.

JUMP TO: Pro-Nazi rally | Nixon rally | DNC conventions | George Wallace | John F. Kennedy

When is Trump at Madison Square Garden?

Doors for the event on Sunday, October 27 open at 12:00 p.m

The rally will start at 17:00. The city has not announced specific road closures, but New Yorkers should expect tight security and lots of noise in the area.