Peter Baumgras (1827 - 1903)

Artist. Born in Bad Homburg vor der Höhe,  Germany,  he studied painting at the Academy of Arts, Dusseldorf and in Munich with August von Kaulbach and Karl Schorn. He worked first as a lithographer and miniaturist. In 1849 he joined the Munich art association. In 1853, he emmigrated to the United States. First settling in […]

Peter Baylis (1922 - 2002)

Motion Picture Producer. Produced films including “The Peaceful Years” (1948), starring Emlyn Williams) and “The Finest Hours” (1964), starring Patrick Wymark and Orson Welles. (bio by: David Conway)

Peter Birrel (1935 - 2004)

Actor. He appeared in  film and television credits that included “Sharpe’s Company,” “Around the World in 80 Days” “War and Remembrance,” “London’s Burning,” “If Tomorrow Comes,” “Arch of Triumph,” “Freud,” “The Great Riviera Bank Robbery,” “Lillie,” “Marie Curie,” “Alexander the Greatest,” “Freelance,” “Lord Mountdrago,” “I Was a Doctor Who Monster,” “Just for You,” and “Doctor […]

Peter Blythe (1934 - 2004)

British Actor. Born in Yorkshire, England he was a veteran performer of stage, film and television from the 1960’s to 2004. His films included The Luzhin Defense, Carrington, ID, The Bridge, Passion and Paradise, Anno Domini, Arthur the King, Alfred the Great and Kaleidoscope. Amongst his many TV credits were The Alan Clark Diaries, The […]

Peter Boenisch (1927 - 2005)

German journalist and newspaper editor. Considered one of Germany’s most important post-war journalists, he was born in  Berlin, Germany, where he began his journalism career in 1945 as a reporter for the “Allgeminein Zeitung” in Berlin. Also wrote for “Newsweek” and the “New York Times.” In 1956 he co-founded a youth magazine “Bravo” and in […]

Peter Bradford Benchley (1940 - 2006)

By 1971, Peter Bradford Benchley was doing various freelance jobs in his struggle to support his wife and children. During this period, when Benchley would later declare he was “making one final attempt to stay alive as a writer”, his literary agent arranged meetings with publishers. Benchley would frequently pitch two ideas, a non-fiction book […]

Peter Breck (1929 - 2012)

Actor. Born Joseph Peter Breck, he was best remembered for his role as Nick Barkley on the popular ABC-TV Western series, “The Big Valley” (1965-69). After serving in the US Navy, he studied English and drama at the University of Houston, Texas. In addition to performing in college plays, he started acting at Houston’s Alley […]

Peter Britt (1818 - 1905)

Peter Britt was a Swiss immigrant who came to America, and then to Oregon in 1852 with his photography equipment in a wagon.  For 50 years he recorded the life and changes of Southern Oregon.  His photographs and story were published in 1977 in a book titled “Photographer of a Frontier, the Photography of Peter […]

Peter Brown (1935 - 2016)

As a contract player for Warner Brothers, Peter Brown appeared in the films Red Nightmare and Darby’s Rangers. Though his role in Onionhead was cut from the completed film, the producer Julius Schermer hired him for Deputy Johnny McKay in Lawman, an important part that lasted from 1958 to 1962. Brown was the last surviving […]

Peter Bruni (1931 - 1992)

Actor. Born Mario Vincent Bruni in Massachusetts, he was most noted for being a regular performer in the role of Mr. Gridley on the “Walt Disney’s Wonderful World of Color” TV series in the 1970s. His other television credits include “Mod Squad”, “The Wild, Wild West”, “That Girl” and “The Incredible Hulk”. He also appeared […]

Peter Butterworth (1919 - 1979)

Actor. He was a cast member of the “Carry On” series of movies, appearing first in “Carry on Cowboy” and in 16 altogether. He played the ‘Meddling Monk’ in the “Doctor Who” science fiction television series.  Family links:  Spouse:  Janet Brown (1923 – 2011)* *Calculated relationshipCause of death: apparent heart attack

Peter C. Borsari (1938 - 2006)

Photojournalist. He was one of Hollywood’s best known and respected celebrity photographers. His career spanned nearly three decades and his photographs appeared in many well known publications including “Time” and “People” magazine. His high profile celebrity subjects included Elvis Presley, Frank Sinatra, Johnny Carson, Elizabeth Taylor, Richard Burton, Jack Nicholson and several American presidents. He […]

Peter Cheyney (1896 - 1951)

Peter Cheyney wrote his first novel, the Lemmy Caution thriller This Man Is Dangerous in 1936 and followed it with the first Slim Callaghan novel, The Urgent Hangman in 1938. The immediate success of these two novels assured a flourishing new career, and Cheyney abandoned his work as a freelance investigator. Sales were brisk; in […]

Peter Coll (1970 - 1931)

Gangster. He was a foot soldier in his brother, Vincent ‘Mad Dog’ Coll’s army.

Peter Collinson (1936 - 1980)

Peter Collinson was born in Cleethorpes, Lincolnshire in 1936. His parents, an actress and a musician, separated when he was two years old; he was raised by his grandparents. From ages eight to 14 he attended the Actor’s Orphanage in Chertsey, Surrey where he had the chance to write and act in many plays. Noël […]

Peter Cooper (1791 - 1883)

Having been convinced that the proposed Baltimore and Ohio Railroad would drive up prices for land in Maryland, Peter Cooper used his profits to buy 3,000 acres (12 km2) of land there in 1828 and began to develop them, draining swampland and flattening hills, during which he discovered iron ore on his property. Seeing the […]

Peter Copley (1915 - 2008)

Actor. He was a performer of the British stage, films and television since the 1930s. He was born in Bushey, Hertfordshire, England and educated at the Old Vic School before beginning his career on stage in 1932. After his first memorable film role in the 1950 picture “Golden Salamander”, Copley had credits in “The Card” […]

Peter Cushing (1913 - 1994)

Cushing was born in Kenley, London, the second son of George Edward Cushing and Nellie Maria (née King) Cushing. Shortly after his birth, the family moved to Dulwich, South London. After the end of the First World War, they returned close to Kenley; this time to neighbouring Purley, Surrey, where in 1926 his quantity surveyor […]

Peter Dudley (1935 - 1983)

Actor. He appeared in the movie The Ragman’s Daughter, and on TV, in Siege of Golden Hill, Have Bird, Will Travel, Against The Crowd, Here I Stand, The Shabby Tiger, Strangers and Crown Court. After playing some small roles in “Coronation Street”, Peter was cast to play “Bert Tilsley” Husband of Ivy and father of […]

Peter Duel (1940 - 1971)

Actor. He is best remembered for his role of Hannibal Hayes in the television series “Alias Smith and Jones”.  Born in Rochester, New York, he took acting lessons at the American Academy of Dramatic Arts in New York City from 1957 to 1961.  He moved on to his dream of acting in Hollywood in 1963 […]

Peter Dyneley (1921 - 1977)

Peter Dyneley (13 April 1921 – 19 August 1977) was an Anglo-Canadian actor. Although he appeared in many smaller roles in both film and television, he is best remembered for supplying the voice of Jeff Tracy for the 1960s “Supermarionation” TV series Thunderbirds and its two film sequels, Thunderbirds Are Go (1966) and Thunderbird 6 […]

Peter Falconio (1972 - 2001)

Peter Falconio (20 September 1972 – 14 July 2001) was a British tourist from Hepworth, West Yorkshire, who disappeared in the Australian outback in July 2001, while travelling with girlfriend Joanne Lees. Falconio’s body has never been found and he is presumed dead. Peter Falconio and Lees were travelling at night along the Stuart Highway near […]

Peter Falk (1927 - 2011)

Peter Falk is fondly remembered for his role of Lieutenant Columbo in the popular TV series “Columbo” (1971 to 1978). Raised in Ossining, New York, at age three he was diagnosed with a malignant tumor in his right eye which required its removal; he would use a glass eye for the remainder of his life. […]

Peter Faneuil (1700 - 1743)

Colonial Merchant. He was the son and nephew of wealthy French Huguenots who fled France in the late 1600s and settled in Massachusetts. Little is known of his childhood and his well-to-do father died when he was 18 years old. He first came into prominence when he helped his brother-in-law escape to France after killing […]

Peter Genna (1970 - 1948)

Gangster. Fled to Sicily with Jim and Sam after their brothers’ murders. They returned to Chicago, and divorced themselves from the rackets to run an olive oil importing firm.

Peter Gennaro (1919 - 2000)

Peter Gennaro was born in Metairie, Louisiana. He made his Broadway debut in the ensemble of Make Mine Manhattan in 1948. He followed this with Kiss Me, Kate (1948) and Guys and Dolls (1950). He first drew notice from theatergoers as a member of the trio that danced the Bob Fosse number “Steam Heat” in […]

Peter Gent (1942 - 2011)

Peter Gent was a center/forward with the Michigan State University basketball team from 1962 to 1964. He became the first player in school history to lead the basketball team in scoring three consecutive seasons. In his senior year, he averaged 21 points per game. He left school ranked as MSU’s second career scorer, with a […]

Peter Godfrey (1899 - 1970)

Peter Godfrey began his career as a conjuror, clown, actor and director in repertory theatres around the United Kingdom. However, he became increasingly dissatisfied with the standard repertory plays, being himself attracted to the experimental works of American and Continental directors, and the avant-garde playwrights of the 1920s. To stage such plays, he and his […]

Peter Graves (1926 - 2010)

Peter Graves was born Peter Duesler Aurness on March 18, 1926, in Minneapolis, Minnesota, the son of parents Rolf Cirkler Aurness (1894–1982), a businessman, and his wife Ruth (née Duesler, died 1986), a journalist. Graves’ ancestry was Norwegian, German, and English. The family name originally was “Aursnes,” but when Rolf’s Norwegian father, Peter Aursnes, immigrated […]

Peter Gusenburg (1888 - 1929)

Gangster. Victim of Saint Valentine’s Day Massacre, Chicago, Illinois.