audrey hepburn, born 1929
actress and unicef goodwill ambassador
Audrey Hepburn (born Audrey Kathleen Ruston; 1929 – 1993) was a British actress and humanitarian. Recognised as both a film and fashion icon, she was ranked by the American Film Institute as the third-greatest female screen legend from the Classical Hollywood cinema. Born in Brussels, Hepburn spent parts of her childhood in Belgium, England, and the Netherlands. She began performing as a chorus girl in West End musical theatre and had minor appearances in several films. She starred in the 1951 Broadway play Gigi after being spotted by the French novelist Colette, on whose work the play was based. She is best known for her roles in well-known films such as; Roman Holiday, Sabrina, Breakfast at Tiffany’s and My Fair Lady. Later in life, Hepburn devoted much of her time to UNICEF, to which she had contributed since 1954. She worked in some of the poorest communities of Africa, South America, and Asia between 1988 and 1992. In December 1992, she received the Presidential Medal of Freedom in recognition of her work as a UNICEF Goodwill Ambassador. A month later, she died of appendiceal cancer at her home in Switzerland at the age of 63.