The affectionate communicator of laughter, Larry Fine (1902–1975) of the Three Stooges, was born Louis Feinberg on this day in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. An accomplished musician, he played the violin as a child and dreamed of becoming a famous entertainer.

He followed his dream in 1920, honing his craft as a vaudeville performer. Soon, Fine made history by joining brothers Moe Howard and Shmuel Howard (Shemp) to form the Three Stooges. Over time, Shemp was interchanged with Jerome Howard (Curly), Joe Besser (Joe), and Joe DeRita (Curly Joe).

Moe and Larry… and the gags… remained the same.

As the middle Stooge with the wild hair, the easygoing Fine played the straight man for 40 years in over 200 theatrical shorts in the ’30s, ’40s, and ’50s—among the funniest films ever made. Larry Fine was the glue that held the trio together.

“They were one of the first comedy teams to satirize Adolf Hitler,” recalled Curly Joe’s grandson Earl Benjamin in TV Guide. “He put the Stooges on his hit list. He said when he took over America, he was going to get the Stooges!”

In 1958, the trio’s short features were released to television and a new generation of fans was born.

“At the height of laughter, the universe is flung into a kaleidoscope of new possibilities,” observed writer Jean Houston.

Today, those three “knuckleheads” remain beloved worldwide. Their slapstick comedy—head knocking, nyuk-nyuks, eye-poking, shin-kicking, pie fights, and more—still lives in our cultural consciousness, inspiring generations to celebrate laughter and life.

New fans discovering them through YouTube clips, DVDs, and streaming. Through pratfalls and violin flourishes, Larry Fine showed that laughter is more than comedy...It is affectionate insight wrapped in joy.