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Deaths on August 17

Pearl Bailey
1990Aug, 17

Pearl Bailey

Pearl Bailey, American actress and singer (b. 1918)
Pearl Mae Bailey (March 29, 1918 – August 17, 1990) was an American actress and singer. After appearing in vaudeville, she made her Broadway debut in St. Louis Woman in 1946. She received a Special Tony Award for the title role in the all-black production of Hello, Dolly! in 1968. In 1986, she won a Daytime Emmy award for her performance as a fairy godmother in the ABC Afterschool Special Cindy Eller: A Modern Fairy Tale. Her rendition of "Takes Two to Tango" hit the top ten in 1952.

In 1976, she became the first African-American to receive the Screen Actors Guild Life Achievement Award. She received the Presidential Medal of Freedom on October 17, 1988.

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Events on 1990

  • 2Aug

    Gulf War

    Iraq invades Kuwait, eventually leading to the Gulf War.
  • 8Aug

    Gulf War

    Iraq occupies Kuwait and the state is annexed to Iraq. This would lead to the Gulf War shortly afterward.
  • 23Aug

    Gulf War

    Saddam Hussein appears on Iraqi state television with a number of Western "guests" (actually hostages) to try to prevent the Gulf War.
  • 28Aug

    Kuwait

    Iraq declares Kuwait to be its newest province.
  • 28Nov

    Margaret Thatcher

    British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher resigns as leader of the Conservative Party and the prime ministry, and is succeeded as both by John Major.