Sir Arthur John Gielgud OM CH, one of England's famed actors, died in his sleep at age 96 on the morning of May 21st, 2000. Gielgud is considered one of the greatest actors of the 20th century. He originally made his name with the staging of Shakespeare’s plays. He first performed in 1916, making him one of the longest acting careers in the history of the stage. He made his first stage appearance appearing in The Happy Hypocrite in London in 1916. He was also the first British artist to win an Academy Award, winning the Best Supporting Actor in 1981 for Arthur. He also won two Tony Awards for his work in Much Ado About Nothing and The Chalk Garden. Aside from theater and film, Gielgud made considerable contributions to the art of radio broadcasting. His performances were noted for lending a unique quality to the art and won him the British Academy of Film and Television Arts award in 1988. Gielgud was awarded the Order of Merit and he was knighted for his contribution to the British stage in 1953 crowned as Sir John Gielgud. As a leading man in the theater stage he received various honors for contribution to the arts from the Queen and former Prime Ministers. He is survived by his sister, Kate Gielgud.