Danny Thomas (born Amos Muzyad Yaqoob Kairouz; January 6, 1912 â€"
February 6, 1991) was an American nightclub comedian, singer, actor,
producer, and philanthropist whose career spanned five decades. He
created and starred in one of the most successful and long-running
situation comedies in the history of American network television, the
eponymous Danny Thomas Show. In addition to guest roles on many of the
comedy, talk, and musical variety programs of his time, his legacy
includes a lifelong dedication to fundraising for charity. Most
notably, he was the founder of St. Jude Children's Research Hospital
in Memphis, Tennessee, a leading center on pediatric medicine with a
focus on pediatric cancer. St. Jude's now has affiliate hospitals in
eight other American cities as of early 2020.Thomas's career began in
films in 1947, playing opposite child actress Margaret O'Brien in The
Unfinished Dance (1947) and Big City (1948). He then starred in the
long-running television sitcom Make Room for Daddy (The Danny Thomas
Show for the fourth season onwards) from 1953 to 1964, in which he
played the lead role of Danny Williams. He was the father of Marlo
Thomas, Terre Thomas, and Tony Thomas.One of 10 children, Danny Thomas
was born as Amos Muzyad Yaqoob Kairouz on January 6, 1912, in
Deerfield, Michigan, to Charles Yaqoob Kairouz and his wife Margaret
Taouk.[failed verification] His parents were Maronite Christian
immigrants from Lebanon. Kairouz and Taouk are two prominent families
from Deir-el-Ahmar and Bcherri. Thomas was raised in Toledo, Ohio,
attending St. Francis de Sales Church (Roman Catholic), Woodward High
School, and finally the University of Toledo, where he was a member of
Tau Kappa Epsilon fraternity. Thomas was confirmed in the Catholic
Church by the bishop of Toledo, Samuel Stritch. Stritch, a native of
Tennessee, was a lifelong spiritual advisor for Thomas, and would
later advise him to locate the St. Jude Hospital in Memphis. He
married Rose Marie Cassaniti in 1936, a week after his 24th
birthday.In 1932, Thomas began performing on radio in Detroit at WMBC
on The Happy Hour Club. Thomas first performed under his anglicized
birth name, "Amos Jacobs Kairouz". After he moved to Chicago in 1940,
Thomas did not want his friends and family to know he went back into
working clubs where the salary was better, so he came up with the
pseudonym "Danny Thomas" (after two of his brothers).
February 6, 1991) was an American nightclub comedian, singer, actor,
producer, and philanthropist whose career spanned five decades. He
created and starred in one of the most successful and long-running
situation comedies in the history of American network television, the
eponymous Danny Thomas Show. In addition to guest roles on many of the
comedy, talk, and musical variety programs of his time, his legacy
includes a lifelong dedication to fundraising for charity. Most
notably, he was the founder of St. Jude Children's Research Hospital
in Memphis, Tennessee, a leading center on pediatric medicine with a
focus on pediatric cancer. St. Jude's now has affiliate hospitals in
eight other American cities as of early 2020.Thomas's career began in
films in 1947, playing opposite child actress Margaret O'Brien in The
Unfinished Dance (1947) and Big City (1948). He then starred in the
long-running television sitcom Make Room for Daddy (The Danny Thomas
Show for the fourth season onwards) from 1953 to 1964, in which he
played the lead role of Danny Williams. He was the father of Marlo
Thomas, Terre Thomas, and Tony Thomas.One of 10 children, Danny Thomas
was born as Amos Muzyad Yaqoob Kairouz on January 6, 1912, in
Deerfield, Michigan, to Charles Yaqoob Kairouz and his wife Margaret
Taouk.[failed verification] His parents were Maronite Christian
immigrants from Lebanon. Kairouz and Taouk are two prominent families
from Deir-el-Ahmar and Bcherri. Thomas was raised in Toledo, Ohio,
attending St. Francis de Sales Church (Roman Catholic), Woodward High
School, and finally the University of Toledo, where he was a member of
Tau Kappa Epsilon fraternity. Thomas was confirmed in the Catholic
Church by the bishop of Toledo, Samuel Stritch. Stritch, a native of
Tennessee, was a lifelong spiritual advisor for Thomas, and would
later advise him to locate the St. Jude Hospital in Memphis. He
married Rose Marie Cassaniti in 1936, a week after his 24th
birthday.In 1932, Thomas began performing on radio in Detroit at WMBC
on The Happy Hour Club. Thomas first performed under his anglicized
birth name, "Amos Jacobs Kairouz". After he moved to Chicago in 1940,
Thomas did not want his friends and family to know he went back into
working clubs where the salary was better, so he came up with the
pseudonym "Danny Thomas" (after two of his brothers).
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