Joan Rivers

Joan Alexandra Molinsky was born June 8, 1933 in Brooklyn, New York.  She was known professionally as Joan Rivers. 

Rivers' parents were Jewish immigrants from Russia.  She graduated from Barnard College in 1954.

Rivers was an American comedienne, actress, producer, writer, and television host. She was noted for her blunt, often controversial comedic persona that was heavily self-deprecating and acerbic, especially towards celebrities and politicians, delivered in her signature New York accent. 

Rivers is considered a pioneer of women in comedy.  There was a time when it was considered unfeminine for a woman to be funny.

In the early 1960s, Rivers performed at various comedy clubs in Greenwich Village, New York City. It was during this period that she befriended fellow comedians Woody Allen and George Carlin.

After seven auditions over three years, Rivers finally made her first appearance on The Tonight Show with its host, Johnny Carson, on February 17, 1965.  She considered this episode to be her breakthrough, as Carson famously told her, "you're gonna be a star."  She became a frequent guest on the show and developed a close friendship with Carson.

Rivers became the first woman to host a late night network television talk show. She subsequently hosted The Joan Rivers Show (1989–1993), winning a Daytime Emmy for Outstanding Talk Show Host.

According to Rivers, one night, after watching her bomb at a comedy club, the legendary stand-up comic Lenny Bruce left her a note saying “You’re right, they’re wrong.” She was honored that he thought she had talent, and she kept that note all her life.

Rivers was the inspiration of the recent hit TV series, The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel. 

On August 28, 2014, Rivers experienced serious complications and stopped breathing while undergoing what was scheduled to be a "minor" throat procedure at an outpatient clinic in Yorkville, Manhattan.  She died on September 4 at Mount Sinai Hospital, Manhattan never having awakened from a medically induced coma as a result of the above procedure.

There is no such thing as minor surgery.  There is only surgery.