- At his peak, Stern would perform more than 200 concerts a year. Made his debut at Carnegie Hall on January 8, 1943.
- Boycotted Germany for most of his life until 1999, due to that country's role in the Holocaust.
- He made his debut with the San Francisco Symphony. (1936)
- In the late 1950s, after hearing proposals for razing Carnegie Hall he mobilized his fellow artists and benefactors, eventually securing legislation that enabled the city to acquire the building in 1960 for $5 million.
- Awarded the Polar Music Prize, the Royal Swedish Academy of Music Award, in 2000.
- His parents moved to San Francisco when he was 10 months old and he started playing the violin at the age of eight.
- He was awarded the American National Medal of the Arts in 1991 by the National Endowment of the Arts in Washington D.C.
- Children (from second marriage): daughter Shira (a rabbi); sons Michael and David (both conductors).
- During the 1991 Gulf War, a concert in Jerusalem was interrupted by a siren warning of an Iraqi Scud missile attack. After the audience put on gas masks, Stern returned to the stage and played the Sarabande from Bach's D minor Partita for solo violin. Stern didn't wear one, saying he doubted Saddam Hussein would fire missiles at Jerusalem with its many Muslim holy sites and large Palestinian population.
- Violinist.
- He was awarded a Star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame for Recording at 6540 Hollywood Boulevard in Hollywood, California.
- Graduated from San Francisco Conservatory of Music.
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