Ira Aldridge biography

Ira Aldridge biography

• NAME: Ira Frederick Aldridge
• OCCUPATION: Theater Actor
• BIRTH DATE: c. July 24, 1807
• DEATH DATE: August 07, 1867
• PLACE OF BIRTH: New York, New York

• PLACE OF DEATH: Lodz, Poland
• AKA: Ira Aldridge

Profile

Born in New York City in 1807, Ira Aldridge went on to become an accomplished and internationally known stage actor. Today, he is widely credited as the first African-American star of theater. Aldridge began performing in his teens at the African Grove Theatre, the only theater in the United States managed by African Americans at the time, and made his London stage debut in 1833. He was honored in Prussia and Russia by heads of state, and received a bronze plaque at the Shakespeare Memorial Theatre at Statford-upon-Avon. He died in Poland in 1867.