Remembered as a dizzy sitcom redhead with show business aspirations, Lucille Ball was, in fact, a show business powerhouse and television pioneer. Throughout her teen years, Ball tried unsuccessfully to launch her show business career, finally landing a spot as a "Ziegfeld Girl". She launched her Hollywood career as one of the "Goldwyn Girls", but she moved out from the crowd of starlets to starring roles. With "I Love Lucy" (1951), she and husband Desi Arnaz pioneered the 3-camera technique now the standard in filming TV sitcoms, and the concept of syndicating television programs. She was also the first woman to own her own film studio as the head of Desilu.

Received the Women's International Center (WIC) Living Legacy Award posthumously in 1990.

Originally interred at Forest Lawn (Hollywood Hills), Los Angeles, California, USA, Columbarium of Radiant Dawn, Court of Remembrance. In 2003, she was re-interred in the Ball family plot in Lake View Cemetery, Jamestown, New York.

A comment from a member of the preview audience of Follow the Fleet (1936) about bit-player Ball: "You might give the tall gum chewing blonde more parts and see if she can't make the grade - a good gamble."

Ball and Barbara Pepper met early in their careers when they were both "Goldwyn Girls" and remained lifelong friends.

Mother of Lucie Arnaz and Desi Arnaz Jr..

During a Barbara Walter's interview, Jane Fonda claims that her father, Henry Fonda, was deeply in love with Lucille Ball and that the two were "very close" during the filming of Yours, Mine and Ours (1968).

Was the first woman to own her own film studio.

Born a brunette.

She signed her first promotional agreement with Max Factor in 1935 and again in 1942. Of all the stars, she had the longest association with the Max Factor company.

Once registered as a voter for the Communist party as a favor to her grandfather.

Lucy and her son, Desi Arnaz Jr., appeared together on the very first cover of "TV Guide" magazine in 1953.

Died the morning of April 26, 1989, the fifty-sixth birthday of her friend Carol Burnett. That afternoon Burnett received the flowers that Ball had ordered for her birthday.

During the 1933 filming of Roman Scandals (1933), young Lucille Ball, portraying a slave girl, needed to have her eyebrows entirely shaved off. They never grew back.

Before her movie career, Lucille was a model at Hattie Carnegie's in New York. She mainly modeled heavy fur coats, because she was startlingly thin as a young lady.

Lucy and Desi Arnaz began "I Love Lucy" (1951) in the hopes of saving their crumbling marriage.

She was fired from working at an ice cream store because she kept forgetting to put bananas in banana splits.

She put her Chesterfield cigarettes in a Phillip Morris package to please her sponsor (of the "I Love Lucy" (1951) show).

TV Guide picked her as the greatest TV star of all time.

Was one of the 20 original "Goldwyn Girls", along with Virginia Bruce; Ann Dvorak; Paulette Goddard and Betty Grable.

Born at 5:00 pm.

Second cousin of actress Suzan Ball.

For many years during their marriage, Lucy and Desi Arnaz hid the fact that she was six years older then him by splitting the difference in their ages. She (born in 1911) said she was born in 1914 and he (born in 1917) also said he was born in 1914.

Was known for a while as Dianne Belmont back when she was a model.

Pictured on a 34¢ USA commemorative postage stamp in the Legends of Hollywood series, issued 6 August 2001.

Inducted into the National Women's Hall of Fame in 2002.

Her favorite movie she made was The Big Street (1942). Up to her dying day, she resented AMPAS for not recognizing her performance in the movie by including her for an Academy Award nomination.

One of her last television appearances was in 1989 on the 62nd Accademy Awards, with Bob Hope, announcing the nominations and winner of Best Picture.

Stricken by rheumatoid arthritis early in her modeling career and spent 2 years re-learning how to walk.

Filed for a divorce from husband Desi Arnaz, the day following the last day of filming "The Lucy-Desi Comedy Hour" (1957). [3 March 1960]

Measurements: 33-22 1/2 -34 (Source: Celebrity Sleuth magazine).

Biography in: "Who's Who in Comedy" by Ronald L. Smith. pg. 35-37. New York: Facts on File, 1992. ISBN 0816023387.

Felt that she did not deserve the title of "Queen of Comedy" and felt that it belonged to her idol, Carole Lombard.

While still contemplating whether to do the "I Love Lucy" (1951) shows, she claimed that in her dream, Carole Lombard came to her and told her to "Give it a whirl".

Was Frank Sinatra's first choice for the role of Laurence Harvey's mother in The Manchurian Candidate (1962). He was only dissuaded when John Frankenheimer took him to see Angela Lansbury in a play.

Disliked any false form of a bird, she preferred to see them in person so she banned all pictures of birds from her house and any hotel room she was staying in.

Had a superstition about the letters A and R, which is why her character was named Lucy RicARdo in "I Love Lucy" (1951); Lucy CARmichael in "The Lucy Show" (1962); Lucy CARter in "Here's Lucy" (1968) and Lucy BARker in "Life with Lucy" (1986) (she was also married to 'Desi ARnaz' ). She believed she didn't have luck in her career until she changed her name to Arnaz.

First cousin of Cleo Morgan, though they were raised as sisters.

Related by marriage to Sid Gould.

Related by marriage to Vanda Barra.

Was of Irish, Scottish, French, and English descent.

Named the Greatest TV Star of All Time by TV Guide.

Suffered a miscarriage with her and Desi Arnaz's first child in 1942.

Suffered a second miscarriage with her and Desi Arnaz's second child in 1949.

Suffered third miscarriage in 1950 with husband Desi Arnaz.

Is portrayed by Gypsi DeYoung in The Scarlett O'Hara War (1980) (TV) and by Rachel York in Lucy (2003) (TV).

Comedian John Belushi was a fan of her and knew every detail of her life and career.

She was proud of her family and heritage. Her genealogy can be traced back to the earliest settlers in the colonies. One direct ancestor, William Sprague (1609-1675), left England on the ship "Lyon's Whelp" for Plymouth/Salem, Massachusetts. They were from Upwey, Dorsetshire, England. William, along with his 2 brothers, helped to found the city of Charlestown, Massachusetts. Other Sprague relatives became soldiers in the Revolutionary War and 2 of them became governors of the state of Rhode Island.

Lucy and Desi Arnaz were married a second time in 1946 in a church because his mother believed that the reason they didn't have children yet was because they were never married in the Catholic Church.

Lucy and Desi Arnaz were married at the Byram River Beagle Club in Connecticut in 1940.

Lucy filed for divorce from Desi Arnaz in the 1940s, but didn't go through with it because they reconciled.

Not long after the Arnazes bought their house on Roxbury Drive in Beverly Hills, it was featured in an episode of "I Love Lucy" (1951) (the one where Richard Widmark guest stars and she climbs over the fence to pick a grapefruit).

She named herself Diane Belmont after the Belmont racetrack in New York.

The day she first met Desi Arnaz, she had a black eye and a torn dress from filming a fight scene from the movie Dance, Girl, Dance (1940) and he didn't find her at all attractive until they met again later in the day when she had changed into her own clothes and makeup.

The original Desilu was Lucy and Desi's ranch in Chatsworth, CA. They named it after Douglas Fairbanks and Mary Pickford's estate "Pickfair".

Was once known as the "Chesterfield Girl" because she was the spokesmodel for Chesterfield cigarettes.

Was tutored in comedy by Buster Keaton.

When they were first married in 1940, Desi Arnaz had to give Lucy a ring from a drugstore because all jewelry stores were closed. She wore it for the rest of their marriage.

Her biological father died when she was three years old.

Older sister of Fred Ball.

Is portrayed by Frances Fisher in Lucy & Desi: Before the Laughter (1991) (TV).

Biography in: "The Scribner Encyclopedia of American Lives". Volume Two, 1986-1990, pages 63-66. New York: Charles Scribner's Sons, 1999.

Lucille's younger brother, Fred Ball (1915-2007), moved from their hometown of Jamestown, New York, to join Lucy in Hollywood in the 1930s. Fred often accompanied Desi's band on tour during the 40s and 50s, and also worked at Lucy and Desi's Desilu Productions sitting on the Board of Directors. In later years, Fred and his wife Zo operated a motel in Cottonwood, Arizona, where he died. Fred also shared the same birthday as his niece Lucie Arnaz.

In Italy, her films were often dubbed by Lidia Simoneschi or Wanda Tettoni, notably in the hilarious The Long, Long Trailer (1954). She was occasionally dubbed by Rosetta Calavetta, Dhia Cristiani, Rina Morelli and Renata Marini (in Stage Door (1937)).

Was in frail health following a heart attack in May 1988.

In 1966, it was reported in an annual stockholder's meeting that Lucille Ball's salary as President of Desilu Productions (1962-1967)was $100,000. Her acting fees for 1966 were $130,172.