Milton Berle

He twice married Joyce Mathews and divorced her before typing the nuptial knot with Ruth Cosgrove, a onetime publicist in December 1953. She died in 1989.

He remarried Lorna Adams in 1992, a fashion designer who was 30 years younger to him. The couple was blessed with two children, Victoria and William. He had two stepdaughters as well.

It was reported in April 2001 that he was suffering from cancerous tumor in his colon. Not willing to undergo an operation, he breathed his last the following year, on March 27, 2002, due to colon cancer.

Milton Berle was born in a Jewish family as Milton Berlinger to Moses Berlinger and Sarah Glantz Berlinger in the Harlem neighbourhood of Manhattan in 1908. His father was a paint and varnish salesman.

A prodigious child, he entered the world of showbiz at the tender age of five, mimicking the legendary comic personality of Charlie Chaplin in a talent contest and eventually winning the same.

No sooner his in-born talent and acting skills were recognized by the who’s who of the industry, who started offering young Berlinger acting roles. Some of the early silent films in which he was cast includes ‘The Perils of Pauline’, ‘The Mark of Zorro’ and ‘Tillie’s Punctured Romance’.

He was even part of other silent films of the decade including, ‘Bunny's Little Brother’, ‘Tess of the Storm Country’, ‘Birthright’, ‘Love's Penalty’, ‘Divorce Coupons’ and ‘Ruth of the Range’.

In 1916, he enrolled in the Professional Children’s School to further polish his acting skills.

He made his official stage debut in 1920 in the revival of the musical comedy Florodora in Atlantic City, New Jersey. Four years later, he was roped in to serve as the MC or Master of Ceremonies in vaudeville. Same time, he officially changed his name to Milton Berle.

Beginning of the 1930s decade, he became a successful stand-up comedian. It was this rising popularity and newly received star status that earned him a role in Jack White’s topical musical theatrical ‘Poppin' the Cork’. In addition to acting, he even co-wrote the score for the film.

He continued his tryst with songwriting as well, penning the lyrics of the title song for the RKO Radio Pictures release ‘Li'l Abner’. Furthermore, he even wrote Spike Jones B-side, ‘Leave the Dishes in the Sink, Ma’.

He made his debut radio appearance in 1934 for the show, ‘The Rudy Vallee Hour’ which lasted until 1936. Furthermore, he became popular with ‘The Gillette Original Community Sing’ which was a comedy variety program on CBS. In 1939, he served as host for the show, ‘Stop Me If You've Heard This One’.

Though he gained a lot of popularity for his radio programs, it was his live acts that people waited for. As such, by 1940s, he became the highest paid night club performer. However, to make a flourishing career on the radio, he concentrated on the same.

He was bestowed with an Emmy award for the first season of his show, Texaco Star Theatre’. Later on, he received an Emmy award nomination on the ‘Doyle Against The House’ for playing the lead character.

He was listed in the Guinness Book of World Records for the greatest number of charity performances made by a show-business performer.

He was conferred with an award for entertaining at stateside military bases in World War I as a child performer, in addition to traveling to foreign bases in World War II and Vietnam.

In 1984, he was one of the first seven people to be inducted into the Television Academy Hall of Fame.

In 1991, he became the first entertainer to be inducted into the International Comedy Hall of Fame.