Tenacious, cigar-chomping comedian Milton Berle (1908–2002) was born Mendel Berlinger on this day in New York City. “Mr. Television” and “Uncle Miltie” made history as the host of The Texaco Star Theater (1948–1956), becoming television’s first and biggest star.

“Marriage is one of the few institutions that allow a man to do as his wife pleases,” joked Berle, known for wild gags and outrageous costumes.

At the height of his fame in 1951, NBC signed him to a 30-year "lifetime" contract — $100,000 a year whether he worked or not. Not bad for a child from Harlem whose ambitious stage mother steered him into vaudeville. At age five, Berle won a talent contest with his imitation of Charlie Chaplin.

“A worm has some things going for it. For instance — it can’t fall down!” quipped Berle, who made his Broadway debut in 1920.

He was eventually toppled from television ratings by the sermons of Fulton Sheen. Of it, Berle cracked, “The Bishop had better writers.”

Throughout his long career, Berle appeared in over 70 films and left a deep imprint on comedy. “Too many people simply give up too easily,” he once said. “You have to keep the desire to forge ahead, and you have to be able to take the bruises of unsuccess. Success is just one long street fight.”

Comic Alan King praised him as “a grand clown in the tradition of Bobby Clarke, Willie Howard, and Bert Lahr. He was part vaudeville, part burlesque, part circus clown — and all show business.”

Comedian Sid Caesar called Berle “the first — the one who proved to the networks that the same man could do a different show every week.”