Two Great Actresses

October 14, 2008

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Profile America — Tuesday, October 14th. Two of the leading figures of the American theater have birthdays noted this month. Lillian Gish was born on this date in 1893 and had a career that spanned 85 years — in 100 silent and sound movies, and numerous stage productions. And Helen Hayes, often called “First Lady of the American Theater,” was born this month in 1900 in Washington, D.C. Besides her distinguished stage career, Hayes also won two Oscars for her movie roles. Each year, nearly 40 new productions hit Broadway in New York, where theaters sell 11.5 million tickets annually. Another 18 million see road tours of Broadway shows each year. You can find these and more facts about America from the U.S. Census Bureau online at <www.census.gov>.

Sources: Chase's Calendar of Events 2008, p. 506, 513
Statistical Abstract of the United States 2008, t. 1207
http://www.census.gov/compendia/statab/2008edition.html