Celebrity in five headlines

1941

Bob Hope performed his first United Service Organizations (USO) tour in 1941, entertaining American military personnel at Camp Pendleton, California. It was the beginning of a tradition that Hope would continue for the next five decades, performing for troops in virtually every theatre of war. He was eventually awarded an honorary veteran status by Congress in 1997.

1956

Roger Vadim's film Et Dieu... créa la femme, starring Brigitte Bardot, was released in 1956 and transformed the actress into an international icon of French femininity and sexuality. The film was a surprise box-office hit in the United States, rescuing the French film industry and making St Tropez a globally fashionable destination. Bardot became one of the most photographed women of the twentieth century.

1973

The Godfather won Best Picture and Best Actor at the 45th Academy Awards in March 1973. Marlon Brando, who won Best Actor for his portrayal of Vito Corleone, sent Native American activist Sacheen Littlefeather to refuse the award in protest at Hollywood's treatment of Native Americans. Francis Ford Coppola's film had become the highest-grossing film in history upon its 1972 release.

1986

The Oprah Winfrey Show was nationally syndicated from 8 September 1986, transforming Oprah Winfrey from a local Chicago talk show host into a national television phenomenon. The show would run for 25 seasons and make Winfrey the first Black female billionaire in American history. Her personal, confessional style revolutionised the daytime television format.

2012

British singer Adele won six Grammy Awards at the 54th annual ceremony in February 2012, equalling the record for the most Grammys won by a female artist in a single night. Her album 21, which had been inspired by a painful break-up, had become one of the best-selling albums of all time, topping charts in thirty countries. The sweep cemented Adele's position as one of the defining artists of her generation.