The guru of stylish living, Martha Stewart (1941–) was born Martha Kostyra on this day in Jersey City, New Jersey.

"My dream... was to be an eclectic knowledge-gathering person," she said.

A straight-A student, hard worker, and high achiever, Stewart was a successful model and stockbroker before operating a $1 million-a-year catering business from the basement of her home. Her first book, Entertaining (1982), celebrated beautifully-prepared food and elegant decor. It was an instant best-seller.

"Having something to dream about is very important to most people," Stewart once said. "My books are 'dream' books to look at, but they're also practical... What I'm really giving is... a reality that looks like a fantasy."

As chief executive officer of Martha Stewart Living Omnimedia, she created a multimedia empire. With her award-winning magazine Martha Stewart Living and Emmy Award-winning TV show, Stewart became a creative trend-setter.

"Martha Stewart... [is] one of the most successful female entrepreneurs in our country's history," praised celebrity Rosie O'Donnell.

"I'm only trying to make people's lives a little more pleasing to them," Stewart explained. "I have the ideal career because I am constantly writing about or photographing things that I like."

To honor her "active and engaged mother," Stewart donated $5 million to Mount Sinai, where the Martha Stewart Center for Living opened in 2007—the same year her mother, Martha Kostyra, passed away at 93. Stewart remains devoted to enhancing eldercare, championing animal welfare, and engaging directly in animal rescues.