Ruth Elizabeth "Bette" Davis was born this day in 1908 in Massachusetts.  Often regarded as "The First Lady of the American Screen", Bette Davis created a new kind of screen heroine by having the ability to play difficult and powerful roles which set a new standard for women of the big screen.

By 1942, she was the highest paid woman in America.  She starred in more than 100 films and was the first woman to be honoured with the American Film Institute's Lifetime Achievement in 1977.  She passed away on the 6th October 1989 in Neuilly-sur-Seine, France.