<Tr> <Th_colspan="2"> Signature </Th> </Tr> <P> Lucille Désirée Ball Morton (August 6, 1911--April 26, 1989) was an American actress, comedian, model, film - studio executive, and producer . She was best known as the star of the self - produced sitcoms I Love Lucy, The Lucy--Desi Comedy Hour, The Lucy Show, and Here's Lucy . </P> <P> Ball's career began in 1929 when she landed work as a model . Shortly thereafter, she began her performing career on Broadway using the stage names Diane Belmont and Dianne Belmont . She later appeared in several minor film roles in the 1930s and 1940s as a contract player for RKO Radio Pictures, being cast as a chorus girl or in similar roles . During this time, she met Cuban bandleader Desi Arnaz, and the two eloped in November 1940 . In the 1950s, Ball ventured into television . In 1951, she and Arnaz created the sitcom I Love Lucy, a series that became one of the most beloved programs in television history . The same year, Ball gave birth to their first child, Lucie Arnaz, followed by Desi Arnaz, Jr. in 1953 . Ball and Arnaz divorced in May 1960, and she married comedian Gary Morton in 1961 . </P> <P> In 1962, Ball became the first woman to run a major television studio, Desilu Productions, which produced many popular television series, including Mission: Impossible and Star Trek . Ball did not back away from acting completely, appearing in film and television roles for the rest of her career until her death in April 1989 from an abdominal aortic dissection at the age of 77 . </P>

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