On This Day

American comedian and actor Lou Costello (27) weds American burlesque dancer Anne Battler (21)

Louis Francis Cristillo (March 6, 1906 – March 3, 1959), better known as Lou Costello, was an American comedian, actor and producer.

Louis Francis Cristillo (March 6, 1906 – March 3, 1959), better known as Lou Costello, was an American comedian, actor and producer. He was best known for his double act with Bud Abbott and their routine "Who's on First?".

Abbott and Costello, who teamed in burlesque in 1936, were among the most popular and highest-paid entertainers in the world during World War II. During a national tour in 1942, they sold $85 million in war bonds in 35 days. By 1955, their popularity waned from overexposure, and their film and television contracts lapsed. Their partnership ended in 1957, after which Costello made numerous solo appearances on TV and starred in one film.

Historical Significance

Louis Francis Cristillo (March 6, 1906 – March 3, 1959), better known as Lou Costello, was an American comedian, actor and producer.

Key People

Lou Costello

comedian and actor

American comedian and actor

Events Before

  1. "Cavalcade" based on the play by Noël Coward, directed by Frank Lloyd and starring Diana Wynyard and Clive Brook premier

    "Cavalcade" based on the play by Noël Coward, directed by Frank Lloyd and starring Diana Wynyard and Clive Brook premieres in New York (Best Production/Picture 1934)

  2. Cricket's Bodyline Tour: Australian batsman Bert Oldfield suffers a fractured skull after being struck by a ball bowled

    Cricket's Bodyline Tour: Australian batsman Bert Oldfield suffers a fractured skull after being struck by a ball bowled by England's Harold Larwood during the Third Test in Adelaide

  3. The name "Pakistan" is coined by Choudhry Rahmat Ali and gradually accepted by Muslims in the Indian subcontinent, who u

    The name "Pakistan" is coined by Choudhry Rahmat Ali and gradually accepted by Muslims in the Indian subcontinent, who use it to push for a separate Muslim homeland in South Asia

  4. President Paul von Hindenburg appoints Adolf Hitler as Reich Chancellor of Germany who forms a government with Franz von

    President Paul von Hindenburg appoints Adolf Hitler as Reich Chancellor of Germany who forms a government with Franz von Papen

  5. Nazi Germany's parliament building, the Reichstag, is destroyed by fire, possibly set by the Nazis, who blame and execut

    Nazi Germany's parliament building, the Reichstag, is destroyed by fire, possibly set by the Nazis, who blame and execute Dutch communist Marinus van der Lubbe

Events After

  1. David McKee is born

    David McKee, British writer and illustrator, known for british writer and illustrator, was born on 1935-01-02.

  2. 1st Orange Bowl: Bucknell beats Miami (FL), 26-0

    1st Orange Bowl: Bucknell beats Miami (FL), 26-0

  3. RADAR (Radio Detection and Ranging) is first demonstrated by Robert Watson-Watt and Arnold Wilkins in Daventry, England

    RADAR (Radio Detection and Ranging) is first demonstrated by Robert Watson-Watt and Arnold Wilkins in Daventry, England

  4. Adolf Hitler orders German rearmament in violation of the Treaty of Versailles

    German rearmament was a policy and practice of rearmament carried out by Germany from 1918 to 1939 in violation of the Treaty of Versailles, which required German disarmament after World War I to…

  5. Nazi politician Hermann Goering (42) weds Emmy Sonnemann (42) in Berlin

    Nazi politician Hermann Goering (42) weds Emmy Sonnemann (42) in Berlin

More from the 1930s

Frequently Asked Questions

What happened on January 30, 1934?
Louis Francis Cristillo (March 6, 1906 – March 3, 1959), better known as Lou Costello, was an American comedian, actor and producer. He was best known for his double act with Bud Abbott and their routine "Who's on First?". Abbott and Costello, who teamed in burlesque in 1936, were among the most popular and highest-paid entertainers in the world during World War II.
Why is American comedian and actor Lou Costello (27) weds American burlesque dancer ... significant?
Louis Francis Cristillo (March 6, 1906 – March 3, 1959), better known as Lou Costello, was an American comedian, actor and producer.
Who was involved in American comedian and actor Lou Costello (27) weds American burlesque dancer ...?
Key figures include Lou Costello (comedian and actor).

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