A comic genius with sparks of madness, Robin McLaurin Williams (1952–2014) was born on this day in Chicago, Illinois. An only child, he was voted “most humorous” and “least likely to succeed.”

“No matter what anybody tells you, words and ideas can change the world,” he once said.

Trained at Juilliard with roommate Christopher Reeve, Williams followed his childhood idol Jonathan Winters into improvisational brilliance. His explosive energy and stream-of-consciousness delivery dazzled audiences for decades.

He soared to fame as Mork from Ork on Mork and Mindy (1978–1982), and went on to earn four Oscar nominations, winning Best Supporting Actor for Good Will Hunting (1997).

He said, “I just want to keep playing different characters to change the perception of me being manic.”

Williams voiced the Genie in Disney’s Aladdin (1992) and starred in iconic films like Dead Poets Society, The Fisher King, and Good Morning, Vietnam. He co-founded Comic Relief to help the homeless and used humor as healing.

In 1990’s Awakenings, he portrayed neurologist Oliver Sacks, blending science and soul in one of his most tender roles. Their connection—one real, one cinematic—remains a beacon of empathy and human depth.

“I didn’t think I’d see the next day,” he once admitted. “Then hitting 50 was really lovely. It was a celebration of a lot of things… and of the great people I know.”