Spike Milligan

Comedian

Birthday April 16, 1918

Birth Sign Aries

Birthplace Ahmednagar, India

DEATH DATE Feb 27, 2002 (83)

#98,167 Most Popular

About

Comedian, writer, and poet who, along with Peter Sellers, Harry Secombe, and Michael Bentine, popularized The Goon Show, an innovative comedy radio show. He was also a prolific writer who wrote many books including a seven-volume autobiographical account of his time serving during the Second World War.

Before Fame

He was a jazz vocalist and trumpeter prior to fighting in Nazi Germany during World War II.

Trivia

He provided a voice for ITV's children's animated series, Wolves, Witches and Giants, from 1995 until 1998.

Family Life

He was deemed stateless by the British government, after which he claimed Irish citizenship because his father, Captain Leo Alphonso Milligan, MSM, RA, was Irish. He married three times and had six children.

Associated With

His surreal sketch show, Q5, served as an inspiration for Monty Python's Flying Circus, of which John Cleese was one of the stars.