6. Julius Henry Marx, born October 2, 1890, under the sign of Libra
Librans are said to be quick-witted, clever, with strong imaginations. They are sociable in nature and love to engage in conversations where they can display their biting sense of humor. They also possess innate diplomatic skills, according to some interpretations of the sign. The above traits are clearly descriptive of Julius Henry Marx, who achieved fame under the performing name Groucho. Groucho grew up with his siblings on the upper East Side of Manhattan. Poverty forced him to quit school and seek work at the age of 12. In 1905 he began his career as a vaudevillian. Four years later saw the debut of the Marx Brothers, though they performed under the name of the Four Nightingales.
Groucho made 26 films in his career, half of them with brothers Chico and Harpo; the latter famously didn’t speak in them. Throughout, the brothers went off script, bantering among themselves and other actors, often to the exasperation of directors and writers. Groucho took his wit and imagination to the quiz show You Bet Your Life on radio in 1947, and to television three years later. The program, which was performed before a live audience, had no script and was entirely ad-libbed by Groucho and the audience members who joined him onstage. The broadcast was prerecorded because the producers and sponsors were aware Marx would say virtually anything which came to his nimble mind. Editing out risqué comments was necessary to assuage the concerns of the censors.