Doris Day

Doris Day was an American actress and singer born as Doris Mary Anne Kappelhoff on April 3, 1922. She started her career as a big band singer in 1939 and found commercial success in 1945 with two No. 1 recordings, 'Sentimental Journey' and 'My Dreams Are Getting Better All the Time' with Les Brown. Venturing out as a solo artist, she recorded over 650 songs from 1947 to 1967. She was a prominent figure in Hollywood during the 1950s and 1960s, starring in a variety of film genres including musicals, comedies, dramas, and thrillers. She won accolades for her work, including a Golden Globe and the Cecil B. DeMille Award for Lifetime Achievement in Motion Pictures. She also ventured into television with her sitcom 'The Doris Day Show' which ran from 1968 to 1973. In her later years, she became an ardent animal rights activist, co-founding Actors and Others for Animals and founding the Doris Day Animal Foundation. Day passed away on May 13, 2019, in Carmel Valley, California.

Day's other significant contributions include her multiple recordings that continued to win awards posthumously. She played leading roles alongside several prominent Hollywood stars like Clark Gable, Cary Grant, and Frank Sinatra. In 1989, she won the Presidential Medal of Freedom. She released her 29th studio album, 'My Heart', in 2011, making her one of the eight top box-office earners in the United States. Although she largely retired from acting, she periodically graced television with her presence later in her career and even hosted her own talk show. She was also recognized for her philanthropic work, especially towards animal welfare.