An actor and motion picture pioneer who made millions laugh, Sir Charles Spencer Chaplin (1889–1977) was born in London. “Life is a tragedy when seen in close-up, but a comedy in long-shot,” he said.

Raised in poverty, Chaplin turned to vaudeville to escape the harsh realities of the slums. “All I need to make a comedy is a park, a policeman and a pretty girl,” he once quipped.

In 1913, Chaplin joined Mack Sennett's Keystone Film Company. Two years later, he found worldwide fame as The Little Tramp (1915)—a mustachioed dreamer with cane, derby hat, and tattered dignity. With poignant timing and originality, he made people laugh... and think.

“A tramp, a gentleman, a poet, a dreamer, a lonely fellow, always hopeful of romance and adventure,” Chaplin said of his signature character.

By 1916, he was the highest-paid actor in the world, earning $10,000 a week. His hits included The Vagabond, The Pawnshop, City Lights (1931), and Modern Times (1936).

“I remain just one thing, and one thing only—and that is a clown,” he said. “It places me on a far higher plane than any politician.”

Chaplin co-founded United Artists in 1919, giving him creative control. Over a 50-year career, he became a perfectionist and genius of pantomime--writing, directing, scoring, and choreographing his work.

“You have to believe in yourself, that’s the secret,” he said. “Even when I was in the orphanage or roaming the streets for food, I thought of myself as the greatest actor in the world.”