Beloved comedienne Lucille Désirée Ball (1911–1989) was born on this day in Jamestown, New York. She began her Hollywood career as a stunning Ziegfeld Girl, appearing in movies before starring alongside husband Desi Arnaz in I Love Lucy (1951–1957).

“I'm not funny,” she once explained. “What I am is brave.”

And everyone loved Lucy. Within six months of its debut, the show became a national sensation, watched on 10 of the 15 million working televisions in America. When Lucy gave birth to Little Ricky on-screen in 1953, 44 million viewers tuned in — 92% of the TV audience.

“I don't know anything about luck. I've never banked on it, and I'm afraid of people who do. Luck to me is something else: hard work and realizing what is opportunity and what isn't.”

Lucy was not only a comic genius but a trailblazer. She was fearless. Under her determined leadership, her show pioneered three-camera filming, the use of a live studio audience, and television syndication — forever transforming how we experience entertainment.

“One of the things I learned the hard way was that it doesn't pay to get discouraged. Keeping busy and making optimism a way of life can restore your faith in yourself.”

Lucy was funny without trying to be, business-savvy in a man’s world, and fiercely original when television itself was still finding its footing. Her message was clear: resilience, courage, and laughter are lifelong companions.