Jack Benny

Jack Benny was born Benjamin Kubelsky in Chicago on February 14, 1894, and was raised in nearby Waukegan.

With self-deprecating humor, Jack Benny portrayed himself as a miser who obliviously played his violin badly and perpetually claimed to be 39 years of age.

The Jack Benny Program was Jack Benny's most successful show; it started in 1932 as a radio program, ended in 1965 as a television show and is often regarded as a high-water mark in 20th-century American comedy.

Jack Benny began as a modestly successful violinist on the vaudeville circuit and became one of the leading entertainers of the twentieth century in radio, television and film.

Jack Benny played leading roles in films including Charley's Aunt, George Washington Slept Here and To Be or Not to Be.

Jack Benny's programs were a major influence on the sitcom genre, and he was known for his comic timing and his signature exasperated summation.

Jack Benny, the American radio, television and film entertainer, died on December 26, 1974.