Lucille Desiree Ball, the undisputed first lady of television comedy, was born on August 6, 1911 in Jamestown, New York. She began studying drama at the age of 15. As a young adult, she supported herself in Manhattan as a model and a poster girl while trying to get work on Broadway chorus lines. Her modeling job as the Chesterfield Cigarette Girl in 1933 led to her first Hollywood role as one of the Goldwyn Girls in the Eddie Cantor film "Roman Scandals." Numerous bit parts followed throughout the 1930s but by the following decade Ball was considered to be a preeminent comic actress in feature films, with such credits as "Stage Door," "Room Service," "The Big Street," "DuBarry Was a Lady," and "Sorrowful Jones."

Lucille Ball met her husband and future show-business partner, Desi Arnaz, on the set of an RKO picture in 1940. She continued pursuing film stardom for the next several years, trading in on her sex appeal as well as her sharp wit. Not achieving the kind of success she desired, Ball decided to try her hand at radio. Beginning in 1948, she played the daffy wife on the three-year series "My Favorite Husband." It was here that she developed a broader style of humor, something she would use to great advantage on her next project, the television series "I Love Lucy." After her 25 years in the business, this vehicle made Ball a household name.

"I Love Lucy" was one of the most successful shows in all of television history. It made Ball and husband Desi Arnaz wealthy enough to purchase RKO Studios, which they renamed Desilu. (During Ball's tenure on this series, she made two feature films with Desi, "The Long Long Trailer" in 1954 and "Forever Darling" in 1956.) Although “I Love Lucy" was still at the top of the ratings, Lucy and Desi decided to end the TV series in 1957 and devote their time to a series of one-hour specials featuring the same characters. "The Lucy-Desi Comedy Hour" ran until 1960, when Ball and Arnaz divorced.

In 1961, Ball married nightclub comedian Gary Morton, who later served as a producer for her projects. From 1962 until 1974, she worked steadily on television and starred in two consecutive series: "The Lucy Show" and "Here's Lucy." It is interesting to note that all three of Ball's TV shows ran on CBS on Monday evenings at either 8:30 or 9:00, making her a 23-year owner of that time slot.

Toward the end of her career, Ball starred in two final feature films: "Yours, Mine and Ours" in 1968 and the musical "Mame" in 1974. In 1985 she experimented with non-comedic material, playing a homeless woman in the dramatic TV movie "Stone Pillow." But the following year she was back performing pratfalls with her steady co-star of the 1960s, Gale Gordon, in the short-lived sitcom "Life With Lucy."

Lucille Ball's last television appearance was with Bob Hope, who was in many respects her male counterpart in show business. Together they presented a production number featuring rising young talent on the 1989 telecast of the Academy Awards. Ball died only weeks later.