George Burns

George Burns
Burns in 1961
Born
Nathan Birnbaum

(1896-01-20)January 20, 1896
New York City, U.S.
DiedMarch 9, 1996(1996-03-09) (aged 100)
Resting placeForest Lawn Memorial Park
Occupations
  • Actor
  • comedian
  • writer
  • singer
  • television host
Years active1902–1996
Spouse
(m. 1926; died 1964)
Children2, including Ronnie
Parent(s)Louis "Lipa" Birnbaum and Hadassah "Dora" Birnbaum (née Bluth)
AwardsHollywood Walk of Fame
Television Hall of Fame
Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor

George Burns (born Nathan Birnbaum; January 20, 1896 – March 9, 1996) was an American comedian, actor, writer, and singer, and one of the few entertainers whose career successfully spanned vaudeville, radio, film and television. His arched eyebrow and cigar-smoke punctuation became familiar trademarks for over three-quarters of a century. He and his wife Gracie Allen appeared on radio, television and film as the comedy duo Burns and Allen.

At age 79, Burns experienced a sudden career revival as an amiable, beloved, and unusually active comedy elder statesman in the 1975 film The Sunshine Boys, for which he won the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor.