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

And here's your 30-second summary.

Mother, I want to be an actress.

You must pay the rent.

I can't pay the rent.

So, kid, how'd you like to be in pictures?

The first million dollar contract in the motion picture industry.

I'll hail the king and queen of Hollywood.

I'd like to thank the Academy for this award.

Who's Mary Pickford?

The End.

Let's talk about Mary Pickford.

But first, let's drop her into history.

In 1909, the first Lincoln pennies were minted.

Joan of Arc was beatified.

A 22-year-old Alice Ramsay from New Jersey drove herself in three girlfriends

on an epic road trip to become the first woman to drive across the United States.

Both the NAACP and the first University of Nursing in the US were both established

and New York City's Queensborough Bridge opened.

Leo Bakeland, patented bake light and the plastic industry was born.

Jessica Tandy, Arrell Flynn, Harriet Nelson, Burle Eyes, Vivian Vance, and Quanny Nakrumah were all born.

And in 1909, the future Mary Pickford stepped in front of a moving picture camera

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