Carol Burnett
A trailblazing comedienne who turned a variety show into a weekly national living room visit, defined by her ear-tug and unbridled joy.
Born 1933 (age 93)·American comedian and actress·Birthday: April 26·The Silent Generation
Biography
Carol Burnett emerged from a difficult childhood in Texas and California with an irrepressible need to perform. After studying theater at UCLA, she paid her dues in New York nightclubs and on Broadway, landing a breakout role on television in the late 1950s. But her true legacy was forged in 1967 with 'The Carol Burnett Show,' a variety program that ran for 11 years and became a cultural touchstone. It was a chaotic, inventive, and deeply collaborative hour where her gifts for character comedy, singing, and connecting directly with the studio audience shone. That direct connection—symbolized by her trademark ear tug to her grandmother—made viewers feel like co-conspirators in the fun. Her career never slowed, spanning film, dramatic television, and returns to the stage, always carrying that same spirit of generous, inclusive comedy.
The Silent Generation
1928–1945
Born between the Depression and the end of WWII. Too young to fight, old enough to remember. They became the conformist middle managers of the 1950s — and the civil rights leaders who quietly dismantled Jim Crow.
Carol was born in 1933, placing them squarely in The Silent Generation. The events that shaped this generation — world wars, depression, and rapid industrialization — shaped the world they entered and the choices available to them.
#1 When Carol Was Born
The biggest hits of 1933
#1 Movie
King Kong
Best Picture
Cavalcade
Carol's Life & Times
The world at every milestone
1933Born
FDR's New Deal launches; Prohibition ends
Gas: $0.18/galPresident: Franklin D. Roosevelt"Stormy Weather" — Ethel WatersBest Picture: Cavalcade
1938Started school
Kristallnacht and the escalation toward WWII
Gas: $0.20/galHome: $2,850Min wage: $0.25/hrPresident: Franklin D. Roosevelt"Begin the Beguine" — Artie ShawBest Picture: You Can't Take It with You
1946Became a teenager
United Nations holds its first General Assembly
Gas: $0.21/galHome: $5,150Min wage: $0.40/hrPresident: Harry S. Truman"Prisoner of Love" — Perry ComoBest Picture: The Best Years of Our Lives
1949Could drive
NATO founded; Mao proclaims the People's Republic of China
Gas: $0.27/galHome: $7,450Min wage: $0.40/hrPresident: Harry S. Truman"Riders in the Sky" — Vaughn MonroeBest Picture: All the King's Men
1951Could vote
First color TV broadcast in the US
Gas: $0.27/galHome: $7,925Min wage: $0.75/hrPresident: Harry S. Truman"Too Young" — Nat King ColeBest Picture: An American in Paris
1954Turned 21
Brown v. Board of Education desegregates US schools
Gas: $0.29/galHome: $8,925Min wage: $0.75/hrPresident: Dwight D. Eisenhower"Little Things Mean a Lot" — Kitty KallenBest Picture: On the Waterfront
1963Turned 30
JFK assassinated in Dallas; Martin Luther King's 'I Have a Dream' speech
Gas: $0.31/galHome: $13,100Min wage: $1.25/hrPresident: Lyndon B. Johnson"Sugar Shack" — Jimmy Gilmer & The FireballsBest Picture: Tom Jones
1973Turned 40
US withdraws from Vietnam; Roe v. Wade decided
Gas: $0.39/galHome: $22,100Min wage: $1.60/hrPresident: Richard Nixon"Tie a Yellow Ribbon Round the Ole Oak Tree" — Tony Orlando & DawnBest Picture: The Sting
1983Turned 50
Internet adopts TCP/IP, creating the modern internet
Gas: $1.16/galHome: $57,700Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"Every Breath You Take" — The PoliceBest Picture: Terms of Endearment
1993Turned 60
European Union officially established
Gas: $1.11/galHome: $86,600Min wage: $4.25/hrPresident: Bill Clinton"I Will Always Love You" — Whitney HoustonBest Picture: Schindler's List
2003Turned 70
US invades Iraq; Human Genome Project completed
Gas: $1.59/galHome: $146,000Min wage: $5.15/hrPresident: George W. Bush"In Da Club" — 50 CentBest Picture: The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King
2013Turned 80
Edward Snowden reveals NSA surveillance programs
Gas: $3.53/galHome: $152,800Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Barack Obama"Thrift Shop" — Macklemore & Ryan LewisBest Picture: 12 Years a Slave
2026Age 93 today
Gas: $3.91/galPresident: Donald Trump
Key Achievements
- Created and hosted the groundbreaking 'The Carol Burnett Show,' one of the last successful major network variety series.
- Received the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 2005 for her contributions to American culture.
- Won multiple Emmy Awards for both her variety show and later dramatic television work.
- Authored several bestselling memoirs, including 'One More Time,' which detailed her childhood.
Did You Know?
The famous ear tug at the end of her show was a secret message to her grandmother, meaning 'Hello, I love you.'
She initially wanted to be a journalist and studied playwriting in college, not performance.
She turned down the role of Miss Hannigan in the film 'Annie' but later played the role on Broadway.
She and Julie Andrews have been close friends since the 1960s and have performed together numerous times.
“Comedy is tragedy plus time.”
