a family of American actors.
Junius Brutus Booth. Born May 1, 1796, in London; died Nov. 30, 1852, on the Ohio River. His creative work began in England in 1813. He performed at the London theaters Covent Garden and Drury Lane. In 1821 he went to the USA, where he enjoyed great success; he was one of the first and greatest romantic actors in the USA. His best roles were in Shakespeare’s plays (Richard III, Othello, Iago, and Shylock).
Edwin Thomas Booth. Born Nov. 13, 1833, in Bel Air, Maryland; died June 7, 1893, in New York. Son of Junius Brutus Booth. He made his debut in 1849. His roles included Richard III, Shylock, Macbeth, Othello, and King Lear. He was outstanding in the role of Hamlet. He also successfully performed in melodramatic roles, such as Richelieu in the play of the same name by Bulwer-Lytton. He was the greatest actor in the USA during the second half of the 19th century. Booth toured in Australia, England, and Germany. From 1863 to 1869 he managed the Winter Garden Theater, and from 1869 to 1874 he managed the Booth Theater.
John Wilkes Booth. Born 1838, in Bel Air, Maryland; died Apr. 26, 1865, near Port Royal, Virginia. Son of Junius Brutus Booth. In 1865, because he was a supporter of slaveholders in the USA, he assassinated President A. Lincoln, who was a leader of the struggle to abolish slavery.