Film actor Charles Chaplin was born on April 16, 1889, in London, England. His parents were music hall singers who divorced when he was two years old. He began his acting career after replacing his mother when she lost her voice. To get away from his mother, who had become mentally unstable, Charles was sent to an orphanage. He joined a musical theater company at age eight and began his acting career full-time at age 17. After a successful career as the company's star actor, he caught the eye of film producer Mack Sennett in 1913 and moved to Hollywood. He made his film debut in 1914 in "The Success of the Successful" and became popular, appearing in over 30 films in one year. It was around this time that he first adopted his trademark look of baggy trousers, a bowler hat, a small mustache, and a cane. In 1919, he founded United Artists and began producing films. His films "The Kid" in 1921 and "The Gold Rush" in 1925 were huge hits. His silent film "City Lights," produced despite the rise of talkies, also enjoyed success.

He continued to produce masterpieces such as "Modern Times," depicting the escalating capitalist society, and "The Great Dictator," a scathing satire of Hitler. However, his filmmaking style was criticized as pro-communist, and he was ordered deported. In the 1970s, he finally began to make a comeback, with the release of his masterpiece "Limelight." In 1972, he was invited to New York and Hollywood to receive the Academy Award for Best Original Score and a special award, marking his reconciliation with the United States.

Chaplin was known for his flamboyant history with women. He was married four times and had 11 children. One of his daughters, Geraldine Chaplin, played Gabrielle Chanel in the short film "The Return," produced by Karl Lagerfeld last year.