Italia Almirante (1890 - 1941)

Actress. Considered one of the great divas of the Italian silent cinema, she was born into a family of actors. Beginning her career at a young age she started performing with various theatrical companies. She made her film debut starring in the film “Maria di Magdala” (1910) directed by Mario Caserini, which was followed by […]

Italia Coppola (1912 - 2004)

Actress, Author. A native of Brooklyn, New York, she was the daughter of a popular Italian song composer. She married Oscar winner Carmine Coppola and became the matriarch of the famous Coppola family, which included her children actress Talia Shire and “Godfather” director Francis Ford Coppola, and Grandmother of actors Gian-Carlo Coppola, Roman Coppola, Sofia […]

Italo Calvino (1923 - 1985)

Author. Born in Cuba and raised in Italy, his career as a writer spanned nearly four decades. Two of his first fictional works were inspired by his participation in the Italian Resistance: “The Path to the Nest of Spiders,” and the collection of stories entitled “Adam, One Afternoon, and Other Stories.” Calvino’s whimsical and imaginative […]

Iva Shepard (1886 - 1973)

Actress. Best remembered as ‘Zoe Trevor’ in “The Haunted Manor” (1916) and as ‘Nettie Lea’ in “The Isle of Love.” (1916) Also, she appeared in Lucille Ball’s “I Love Lucy” (1951) playing “Nurse” in episode “Nursery School.” (bio by: MC)

Iva Withers (1917 - 2014)

Actress, Singer. A pretty blonde who had a long career on Broadway, she shall be remembered as perhaps The Great White Way’s supreme understudy. Born Pearl Iva Withers, she was raised in Winnipeg, learned to sing in church, began appearing in local Vaudeville revues at around 10, and in 1940 moved to New York where […]

Ivan Bunin (1870 - 1953)

In May 1887 Ivan Bunin published his first poem “Village Paupers” (Деревенские нищие) in the Saint Petersburg literary magazine Rodina (Motherland). In 1891 his first short story “Country Sketch (Деревенский эскиз) appeared in Nikolay Mikhaylovsky-edited journal Russkoye Bogatstvo. In Spring 1889, Bunin followed his brother to Kharkov, where he became a government clerk, then an […]

Ivan Cankar (1876 - 1918)

Writer, Poet. Among his works are “Na Klancu,” “Hlapec Jernej in Jjegova Pravica,” “Kralj na Betajnovi,” and “Pohujšanje v Dolini Šentflorijanski.” Cause of death: Pneumonia

Ivan Cleveland Rand (1884 - 1969)

Canadian Supreme Court Justice, Educator. Rand was educated at Mount Allison University and Harvard Law School. He joined the Canadian National Railways as counsel in 1920. Four years later he was named Attorney General of New Brunswick and was a member of the Legislative Assembly of New Brunswick. April 22, 1943, he was appointed to […]

Ivan Dixon (1931 - 2008)

Ivan Nathaniel Dixon III, was born in Harlem, the son of a grocery store owner. When he was young, Dixon lived in the brownstone at 518 West 150th Street in Harlem, on the same block with Josh White, Ralph Ellison, and the Hines brothers, (Gregory and Maurice). He graduated from the Lincoln Academy in Gaston […]

Iván Grondona (1970 - 2006)

Actor. He appeared in 20 movies, and was also a pioneer of the Argentine television, participating in the first transmission on October 17, 1951. (bio by: 380W)

Ivan Ivanovich Belsky (1719 - 1799)

Educator. Born in Saint-Petersburg, Russia, he was painter, teacher whom founded and was President of the Russian Academy of Arts in the 18th Century. (bio by: John “J-Cat” Griffith)

Ivan Ivanovich Shuvalov (1727 - 1797)

Educator. Founder of Moscow University.

Ivan Koloff (1942 - 2017)

Ivan Koloff Ivan Koloff — the “Russian Bear” whom pro wrestling fans loved to hate as the Cold War stand-in for the Soviet Union — has died at 74, his daughter and World Wrestling Entertainment confirmed. Koloff, who lived in Winterville, North Carolina, died Saturday after a long struggle against liver cancer, NBC station WITN […]

Ivan Nathaniel Dixon, III (1931 - 2008)

Actor, Director. Born in New York City, he is best known for his role of Sgt. James ‘Kinch’ Kinchloe in the comedy series “Hogan’s Heroes”. Dixon began his career during the late 1950s,  originating the role of Joseph Asagai in the 1959 Broadway production of “A Raisin in the Sun” and reprising it in in […]

Ivan Pavlov (1849 - 1936)

After completing his doctorate, Pavlov went to Germany where he studied in Leipzig with Carl Ludwig and Eimear Kelly in the Heidenhain laboratories in Breslau. He remained there from 1884 to 1886. Heidenhain was studying digestion in dogs, using an exteriorized section of the stomach. However, Pavlov perfected the technique by overcoming the problem of […]

Ivan Sechenov (1829 - 1905)

Ivan Mikhaylovich Sechenov (Russian: Ива́н Миха́йлович Се́ченов; August 13 [O.S. August 1] 1829, Tyoply Stan (now Sechenovo) near Simbirsk, Russia – November 15 [O.S. November 2] 1905, Moscow), was a Russian physiologist, named by Ivan Pavlov as “The Father of Russian physiology”. Ivan Sechenov authored the classic Reflexes of the Brain introducing electrophysiology and neurophysiology […]

Ivan Tors (1916 - 1983)

Ivan Tors wrote several plays in his natal country Hungary before moving to the United States just prior to World War II. He enlisted in the United States Army Air Corps then transferred to the Office of Strategic Services. Following the war he was contracted to Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer as a screenwriter. In 1952 he made Storm over […]

Ivana Mazuranic Brlic (1874 - 1938)

Author. Known as the “Croatian Hans Christian Andersen,” she was born into privilage at Ogulin, Croatia to the famous Mazuranic family whose noted members were historians, politicians, writers and poets. Her grandfather was Ivan Mazuranic, “Viceroy” in the Austro-Hungarian empire and the author of many Croatian epic poems. At the age of eighteen, she married […]

Ivor Francis (1918 - 1986)

Actor. Born in Toronto, Ontario, Canada, he began his career as a radio voice actor before relocating to New York to perform on Broadway. Turning to films and television, he moved to California, made his screen debut in “Splendor in the Grass” (1961) and opened the Ivor Francis Actors Workshop in West Hollywood. His other […]

Ivor Slaney (1921 - 1998)

Ivor Ernst Slaney (born 27 May 1921 in West Bromwich, United Kingdom, d. 20 March 1998, Southampton, United Kingdom) was a prolific musical composer and conductor, notable for his work in film, television and radio. Ivor Slaney was educated at the Royal College of Music, and married Mary D Ludlow pianist Dolores Ventura in 1948. His […]

Ivy Anderson (1904 - 1949)

Singer, Actress. Born in Gilroy, California, she was jazz singer best-known for her performances with the Duke Ellington’s orchestra, 1931 to 1942. With Duke Ellington, she recorded numerous hits to include “Delta Bound”, “Ebony Rhapsody”, “My Honey’s Lovin’ Arms”, “Watermelon Man”, “Stormy Weather”, “Five O’Clock Whistle” and “Hayfoot, Strawfoot”. For feature films, she made her […]

Ivy Andrews (1907 - 1970)

Major league baseball player 1931-1938. Pitcher for the New York Yankees, Boston Red Sox, St. Louis Browns and the Cleveland Indians.  (bio by: Patricia Wilbert)  Family links:  Parents:  John William Andrews (1869 – 1931)  Rebeacca Pairlee Wilson Andrews (1872 – 1953)  Spouse:  Josephine Gwin Andrews (1912 – 1994)  Siblings:  Ray Andrews (1891 – 1954)*  Leola […]

Ivy Compton-Burnett (1884 - 1969)

Author. Her novels describe human weaknesses in ordinary domestic situations. Some of her best known books include “Pastors and Masters” (1925), “Two Worlds and Their Ways” (1949), and “Darkness and Day” (1951). She had a unique writing style that required the readers to pay close attention to the dialogue in order to follow the plot. […]

Ivy Crosthwaite (1897 - 1962)

Actress. She was one of Mack Sennett’s bathing beauties, a group of young starlets (which also included Gloria Swanson and Mabel Normand) who appeared bare-legged in Sennett’s early comedies. A native of San Diego, California, her other film credits include, “A Game Of Old Knight” (1915), “Fickle Fatty’s Fall” (1915), A Janitor’s Wife Temptation” (1915), […]

Iwan D. Herstatt (1913 - 1995)

Banker. The Herstatt bank went bankrupt in 1974 which caused quite a scandal in Germany.

Iya Savvina (1936 - 2011)

Actress. A veteran of more than 30 films, she shall be remembered as a star of both the Russian screen and stage. Raised in Voronezh, she earned a 1958 journalism degree from Moscow State University while participating in some school drama productions. Despite a complete lack of formal theatrical training Iya was cast in the […]