May 29
Afraid of flying in planes, Hope swallowed his anxieties to perform abroad for US troops stationed around the world as a representative of the USO, the United Service Organization.
Photo by Stringer/Hulton Archive/Getty Images
1903:
You Gotta Have Hope
Bob Hope is born in Eltham, England
The man with the famous ski-jump nose knew how to make them laugh. British-born Leslie Townes Hope—whose stage name was Bob—was one of the first stand-up comedians, mastering the art of writing and delivering jokes with impeccable timing. Nobody had more one-liners at the ready; nobody was better at poking fun at himself to get a laugh.
Over the course of his career, Hope, a 1985 Kennedy Center Honoree, would find fame on the vaudeville circuit, the radio waves, the stage, the silver screen, and on TV. He made more than 50 films, many with close friend Bing Crosby. Bob Hope died at the ripe old age of 100.
