About
Lucille Ball, born August 6, 1911 in Jamestown, New York, and died April 26, 1989 in Los Angeles, was an American actress and producer. She appeared in over 80 films during the 1930s and 1940s, primarily at RKO and MGM, earning the nickname 'Queen of the B's'. She co-founded Desilu Productions in 1951 with her husband Desi Arnaz, and after their divorce in 1960, she bought out his share, becoming the first woman to head a major television studio. She starred as Lucy Ricardo in I Love Lucy (1951–1957), one of the most-watched and most syndicated television series in history. As sole head of Desilu, she personally greenlit Star Trek and Mission: Impossible against board opposition.
* 1911-08-06 — † 1989-04-26
Major works
- I Love Lucy (1951)TV series
- Star Trek (1966)TV series
- Mission: Impossible (1966)TV series
Key milestones
- 1951Co-founded Desilu Productions with Desi Arnaz.
- 1960Becomes the first woman to head a major television studio after buying out Desi Arnaz's share.
- 1989Posthumously awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom.
Themes
ComedyTelevisionProductionPioneering womenPopular culture
Sources: si.edu · presidency.ucsb.edu · edit.emmys.com