Welcome to the History Tricks, where any resemblance to a boring old history lesson is purely

coincidental.

And here's your 30-second summary.

She was a rebel as a brunette, broken to Hollywood as a platinum blonde, but it was with

a head of tango red hair and decades of hard work that she became one of the most powerful

women in show business, and a piece of America's heart.

The End.

Let's talk about Lucille Ball.

But first let's drop her into history.

In 1951, the UN headquarters in New York opened.

It was the third year of the Emmy Awards.

Jay Edgar Hoover declined the position of baseball commissioner, the first color TV show

and the first transcontinental TV broadcast were made, Catcher in the Ride by J.G.

Salinger was published and Disney's Alice in Wonderland was released.

Joseph Stalin, Harry Truman and Winston Churchill were all in power.

Chrissy Hine, Sally Ride and Angelica Houston were born and on October 15, 1951, I love

Lucille starring Lucille Ball premiered.

Lucille Desiree Ball was born on August 6, 1911 in her grandparents apartment in Jamestown,

New York.

She was the first child of Henry and Desiree Ball.

They called her Dee Dee.

I thought that was cute.

...