Origins & Early Life

Pearl "Polly" Adler (April 16, 1900 – June 9, 1962) was an American madam and author, best known for her work A House Is Not a Home, which was adapted into a film of the same name. In 2021, Pulitzer Prize–winning historian Debby Applegate published a comprehensive account of Adler's life and times entitled Madam: The Biography of Polly Adler, Icon of the Jazz Age with Doubleday. Adler also inspired the novel A Pair of Aces (2026) by Marie Benedict and Victoria Christopher. Of Russian-Jewish origin, Pearl Adler was the eldest of nine children of Gertrude Koval and Morris Adler, a tailor who travelled throughout Europe on business.

Pivotal Works & Achievements

Her early education was from the village rabbi. The family lived at Yanow, a city of Imperial Russia, (later in western Belarus) near the Polish border. When Adler was thirteen, her parents sent her with a cousin to the United States to avoid the gathering wave of pogroms. Halfway through the journey, her cousin decided to turn back home, leaving Adler on her own. World War I prevented the rest of her family from immigrating to the U.S.

Enduring Legacy & Impact

until after the end of the war. The war also prevented her from receiving the monthly allowance sent by her...

Contemporary Figures & Related Historical Timelines

• Aaron Copland — Contemporary (Born in 1900) (1900): Pioneering American composer, conductor, and critic, known as the "Dean of American Music".
• Adolf Dassler — Contemporary (Born in 1900) (1900): Pioneering German cobbler and inventor who founded the sportswear giant Adidas.
• Amadou Hampâté Bâ — Contemporary (Born in 1900) (1900): Malian writer, historian, and ethnologist championing Africa's oral traditions.
• Andrey Lavrov — Contemporary (Born in 1962) (1962): Three-time Olympic gold medalist and decorated Russian handball legend.
• Arthur Compton — Contemporary (Died in 1962) (1962): Pioneering physicist known for the Compton effect and contributions to nuclear science.
• Auguste Piccard — Contemporary (Died in 1962) (1962): Swiss physicist, inventor, and pioneer of stratospheric and abyssal exploration.
• Akon — Shared historical date (04-16 · Born) (1973): Senegalese-American singer, songwriter, and influential figure in world music.
• Alexis de Tocqueville — Shared historical date (04-16 · Died) (1859): French philosopher known for analyzing Western democracy and social trends.
• Anna Akhmatova — Shared historical date (06-11 · Born) (1889): A seminal Russian poet whose work chronicled the trauma of the Soviet era.
• Ben Jonson — Shared historical date (06-11 · Born) (1572): Master dramatist of the English Renaissance, known for satire and comedy of humours.
• 1900 Historical Timeline & Archive — Explore world events and figures from 1900
• April 16 (04-16) On This Day — Historical birthdays and events on April 16
• 1962 Historical Timeline & Archive — Explore world events and figures from 1962
• June 11 (06-11) On This Day — Historical events and memorials on June 11