Daily BirthdaysDavid Niven
He was born in London and was trained at Sandhurst, which gave him the 'officer and gentleman' bearing that was to be his trademark.
Arriving in Hollywood during the 1930s, he first worked as an extra in westerns, then had a walk-on part in the 1935 version of Mutiny on the Bounty and progressed to leading man in MGM comedies such as Bachelor Mother (1939).
During World War II, he served in the British army, rising to the rank of Colonel in the British Commandos and landing at Normandy.
He resumed his career afterwards with roles such as Phileas Fogg in Around the World in Eighty Days and James Bond in Casino Royale.
He won an Academy Award for his performance in Separate Tables (1958).
Late in life, he gained critical acclaim for his memoirs of his acting career, The Moon's A Balloon (1971) and Bring On the Empty Horses (1975).
He died in 1983 of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, also known as ALS or Lou Gehrig's disease.
It really is amazing. Can you imagine being wonderfully overpaid for dressing up and playing games? It's like being Peter Pan -- David Niven
David Niven Facts
| Birth Name | James David Graham Niven |
| Occupation | Actor |
| Birthday | March 1, 1910 |
| Sign | Pisces |
| Birthplace | London, England, United Kingdom |
| Date of death | July 29, 1983 (age 73) |
| Height | 6' (1m83) |
| Awards | 1959 Academy Awards: Best Actor (for Separate Tables) |
| 1959 Golden Globe Awards: Best Actor in a Motion Picture - Drama (for Separate Tables) | |
| 1954 Golden Globe Awards: Best Actor in a Motion Picture - Comedy or Musical (for The Moon is Blue) |