Colbert, Claudette (orig. Claudette Chauchouin; Lily)

1903 – She was born Lily Claudette Chauchoin in Paris and raised in New York City.

1920 - She had signed five-year contract with producer Al Woods. Colbert appeared in the theater productions.

1923 - She appeared on the Broadway stage in a small role in The Wild Westcotts.

1927 - Claudette accepted an offer by First National to make her first film.

1928 - Claudette signed film contract with Paramount, which enabled her to continue stage career.

1929 - Her screen career started in earnest early this year.

1930 - She co-starred with Fredric March in Manslaughter and received positive reviews for her performance as a rich girl, jailed for manslaughter.

1932 - She had appeared in some seventeen films, playing diverse roles in approximately four films per year.

1933 - Claudette renegotiated contract with Paramount; allowed to appear in films at other studios. And this year she was the subject of a magazine advertisement for Coca Cola.

1934 – She did her first comedy film.

1938 - She was reported to be the highest paid performer in Hollywood with a salary of $426,924.

1945 - She left Paramount Pictures after having spent most of her starring career there; her last film under contract was Practically Yours.

1940 - Several of her late films did well enough at the box-office to sustain her career, Colbert's film career gradually declined in quality, activity and scope.

1947 - Colbert remained a top money-making star until her last big hit, The Egg and I after which she lost some footing, partly because of producers' unwillingness to meet her demands that (under doctor's orders) she could only film a short time each day (her doctor was her husband).

1950 - Her career had begun to wind down.

1952 - She went to work in England and France in fewer films and theater. She wanted new challenges and was interested in seeing how foreign artists and technicians made films.

1951 - She made TV debut on The Jack Benny Program.

1954 – She made pact with CBS to star in five teleplays after successful appearance in The Royal Family.

1955 - Her last starring film was the western Texas Lady.

1959 – Her last major acting role on TV for 25 years was in The Bells of St. Mary's.

1958 - She came back to the stage in earnest this year. In addition, she had stopped making motion pictures by the middle of that decade.

1961 - Her last major appearance was as Troy Donahue's mother in soap opera, Parrish. The Last movie was unsuccessful.

1969 - She expressed her intention to write a book entitled "How to Run a House" for her friend Bennett Cerf's Random House Press.

1996 - She died at her oceanfront home in Barbados at the age of 92 on the 30th day of July this year.