Born Frederick Austerlitz in Omaha, 1899. Fred and his sister Adele started dancing on stage together at the age of seven, and were stars of vaudeville the world over in the 20s. The partnership was broken in 1931 when Adele married - Fred then pursued a stellar Hollywood career. A magical dancer, Astaire insisted on being filmed full-figure, rather than using the camera tricks employed by his rivals - however he did reputedly have to curl his fingers to disguise his scarily big hands. Astaire's dance routines were always imaginative and innovative - he dances on the ceiling of a hotel room in 1951's Royal Wedding, predating Lionel Richie by a full 35 years.