Clare Boothe Luce, American playwright, journalist, and diplomat, United States Ambassador to Italy (d. 1987)
Clare Boothe Luce (née Ann Clare Boothe; March 10, 1903 – October 9, 1987) was an American author, politician, U.S. ambassador, and public conservative figure. A versatile author, she is best known for her 1936 hit play The Women, which had an all-female cast. Her writings extended from drama and screen scenarios to fiction, journalism, and war reportage. She was married to Henry Luce, publisher of Time, Life, Fortune, and Sports Illustrated.
Politically, Luce was a leading conservative in later life and was well known for her anti-communism. In her youth, she briefly aligned herself with the liberalism of President Franklin Roosevelt as a protégé of Bernard Baruch, but later became an outspoken critic of Roosevelt. Although she was a strong supporter of the Anglo-American alliance in World War II, she remained outspokenly critical of British colonialism in India.Known as a charismatic and forceful public speaker, especially after her conversion to Roman Catholicism in 1946, she campaigned for every Republican presidential candidate from Wendell Willkie to Ronald Reagan.
1903Mar, 10
Clare Boothe Luce
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Events on 1903
- 11Feb
Symphony No. 9 (Bruckner)
Anton Bruckner's 9th Symphony receives its first performance in Vienna, Austria. - 23Feb
Guantanamo Bay Naval Base
Cuba leases Guantánamo Bay to the United States "in perpetuity". - 1Oct
Boston Americans
Baseball: The Boston Americans play the Pittsburgh Pirates in the first game of the modern World Series. - 13Oct
Pittsburgh Pirates
The Boston Red Sox win the first modern World Series, defeating the Pittsburgh Pirates in the eighth game. - 17Dec
Wright Flyer
The Wright brothers make the first controlled powered, heavier-than-air flight in the Wright Flyer at Kitty Hawk, North Carolina.