The name and face of Charlie Chaplin is known worldwide.
Sir Charles Spencer Chaplin Jr was born on April 16, 1889 in London and died on Christmas Day, December 25, 1977 in Switzerland in his sleep at age 88.
Considered on of the finest mimes, he was also a noted director. He acted in, directed, scripted, produced and even scored his own movies.
His best known character, The Tramp, was a vagrant with refined manners. His signature toothbrush moustache was his trademark.
Chaplin's earliest films (1914) were produced for Keystone Studios where he developed his Tramp character. The Tramp was first presented publically in Chalpin's second film "Kid Auto Race at Venice," released on February 7, 1914.
Watch several Chaplin films, including his most famous "The Tramp." Click on a movie link in the index - top right column.
Chaplin was knighted as a Knight Commander of the British Empire (KBE) by Queen Elizabeth II on March 4, 1975.
On March 1, 1978, three months after his death, his body was stolen by a small group of Polish and Bulgarian mechanics in an attempt to extort money from his family. The plot failed, the robbers were captured, and the body was recovered 11 weeks later near Lake Geneva (and reburied under six feet of concrete to prevent another attempt).
More on Charlie Chaplin's life and work from Wikipedia:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Charlie_Chaplin
