Lucille Desiree Ball was born near Jamestown, New York, on this day in 1911. She was a beloved comic actress, of course, but what sort of pharmacy newsletter would this be if we didn’t include that, according to the New York Times, Ball spent some time as a soda jerk in a drugstore? Anyway, her TV show “I Love Lucy” centered around the lives of Lucy Ricardo (played by Ball) and her bandleader husband, Ricky Ricardo (played by Desi Arnaz, Ball’s real-life husband). It became one of the most popular sitcoms in history, airing from 1951-1957 and leading to several spinoffs. Ball and Arnaz created Desilu Productions, which produced “I Love Lucy” and also created other hit shows like “The Dick Van Dyke Show” and “Star Trek.” Ball died in 1989, however her influence lives on; many comedians and actresses still list her as a mentor and influence. “I don’t know anything about luck,” the internet says Ball said. “I’ve never banked on it, and I’m afraid of people who do. Luck to me is something else: hard work and realizing what is opportunity and what isn’t.”
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