Carmen Miranda Original name: Maria do Carmo Miranda da Cunha
Birth:  Feb. 9, 1909 Marco de Canavezes Porto, Portugal Death:  Aug. 5, 1955 Beverly Hills California, USA Renowned Actress, Dancer, and Singer. Born in Marco de Canavezes, Portugal, her family moved to Brazil when she was still a toddler.  She was singing at her hatmaking job as a teenager when she was discovered by a local promoter.  She began singing on local radio and secured a recording contract with RCA, soon becoming a major Brazillian star. Miranda made her United States debut in 1939, singing and dancing in several well-received Broadway revues and nightclub performances.  Her first film, "Down Argentine Way," was released in 1940 to good notices, and would be followed with such films as "Weekend in Havana," "Springtime in the Rockies," "Something for the Boys," "Four Jills in a Jeep," "Copacabana," and "Scared Stiff."  She would also make regular television appearances and live appearances, almost always in her often-copied fruit hat and distinctive dress.  She died of a heart attack after performing a dance number on a Jimmy Durante TV show. Cause of death: Heart attack   Burial: Cemitério São João Batista Botafogo Rio de Janeiro, Brazil	Added by: A.J. Marik   Added by: Marcio