Origins & Early Life

Sir Reginald Carey Harrison (5 March 1908 – 2 June 1990) was an English actor. Harrison began his career on the stage at the Liverpool Playhouse in 1924. He made his West End debut in 1936 appearing in the Terence Rattigan play French Without Tears, in what was his breakthrough role. He won his first Tony Award for Best Actor in a Play for his performance as Henry VIII in the Broadway play Anne of the Thousand Days in 1949.

Pivotal Works & Achievements

He returned to Broadway portraying Professor Henry Higgins in My Fair Lady (1956) where he won the Tony Award for Best Actor in a Musical. In addition to his stage career, Harrison also appeared in numerous films. His first starring role opposite Vivien Leigh was in the romantic comedy Storm in a Teacup (1937). Receiving critical acclaim for his performance in Major Barbara (1941), which was shot in London during the Blitz, his roles since then included Blithe Spirit (1945), Anna and the King of Siam (1946), The Ghost and Mrs. Muir (1947), Cleopatra (1963), My Fair Lady (1964), reprising his stage role as Henry Higgins which won him an Academy Award for Best Actor, and the titular character in Doctor Dolittle (1967).

Enduring Legacy & Impact

In 1975, Harrison released his first autobiography...

Contemporary Figures & Related Historical Timelines

• Abraham Maslow — Contemporary (Born in 1908) (1908): Pioneering American psychologist known for the Hierarchy of Needs and self-actualization theory.
• Bette Davis — Contemporary (Born in 1908) (1908): Iconic Hollywood actress known for intense, unsympathetic, and sardonic performances.
• Claude Lévi-Strauss — Contemporary (Born in 1908) (1908): Pioneering structuralist anthropologist whose work redefined human culture and myth.
• A. J. P. Taylor — Contemporary (Died in 1990) (1990): Influential English historian specializing in 19th and 20th-century European diplomacy.
• Aaron Copland — Contemporary (Died in 1990) (1990): Pioneering American composer, conductor, and critic, known as the "Dean of American Music".
• Aishwarya Lekshmi — Contemporary (Born in 1990) (1990): Acclaimed Indian actress working primarily in Malayalam and Tamil cinema.
• Alessandro Volta — Shared historical date (03-05 · Died) (1827): Pioneering Italian physicist, credited with the electric battery and electrochemistry.
• Anna Akhmatova — Shared historical date (03-05 · Died) (1966): A seminal Russian poet whose work chronicled the trauma of the Soviet era.
• Abby Wambach — Shared historical date (06-02 · Born) (1980): Iconic American soccer forward, celebrated for her goal-scoring prowess and longevity.
• Bo Diddley — Shared historical date (06-02 · Died) (2008): Pioneering blues guitarist whose signature rhythm influenced rock, pop, and hip-hop.
• 1908 Historical Timeline & Archive — Explore world events and figures from 1908
• March 5 (03-05) On This Day — Historical birthdays and events on March 5
• 1990 Historical Timeline & Archive — Explore world events and figures from 1990
• June 2 (06-02) On This Day — Historical events and memorials on June 2