Born Leslie Townes Hope (1903–2003) in Eltham, England, beloved comedian Bob Hope was a master at making people feel good.

“I have seen what a laugh can do,” he said. “It can transform almost unbearable tears into something bearable, even hopeful.”

His lifelong dream was to entertain—in Vaudeville, radio, television, and Hollywood. Whether on the road with Bing Crosby, hosting the Academy Awards, or telling jokes on his NBC show, timing, punch lines, and laughter were his legacy.

“You know you’re getting older when the candles cost more than the cake,” he joked.

The comic’s charity shone passionately in his heart. For nearly six decades—from World War II through the Gulf War—“G.I. Bob” traveled the globe, performing for troops and softening the hardships of war with humor and hope.

Writer John Steinbeck said of Hope, “This man drives himself and is driven. It is impossible to see how he can do so much, cover so much ground, work so hard and be so effective. There’s a man. There is really a man!”

“They say I do so much for the GIs,” Hope once told reporters, “but they don’t know what it does for me.”

On his 100th birthday in 2003, the famous intersection of Hollywood Boulevard and Vine Street was named Bob Hope Square in tribute to his lasting legacy of memories.

Bob Hope’s heart lives on through the Bob Hope Classic Golf Tournament, a cherished charity event that has raised millions to support veterans and communities. Through laughter, kindness, and generosity, his legacy continues to inspire and uplift countless lives.