Trivia

Kitt's age was a mystery until 1998, when a group of students from her hometown in South Carolina discovered her birth certificate. The document revealed that her true birthday is January 17, 1927.

Was virtually exiled from the United States after making anti-war statements during a White House luncheon with Lady Bird Johnson in 1968. However, she was welcomed back to the White House in 1978 by Jimmy Carter, after a successful return to Broadway in the original production of the musical Timbuktu!.

Well-known for her recordings of "Santa Baby" in the 1950s and 1960s. She died on Christmas Day 2008 at her home in Weston, Connecticut.

Among her liaisons with wealthy men included Charles Revson, the Revlon cosmetics founder, and actor Orson Welles, who spotted her in a Paris nightclub and cast her in his Paris stage production of "Faust".

Became fluent in French during her long years performing in Europe.

She was awarded a Star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame for Recording at 6656 Hollywood Boulevard in Hollywood, California on February 8, 1960.

In 1968, she suffered a substantial professional setback after she made anti-war statements during a White House luncheon. It was reported that she made Lady Bird Johnson, the First Lady at the time, cry when she bluntly told her, "You send the best of this country off to be shot and maimed. They rebel in the street. They don't want to go to school because they're going to be snatched off from their mothers to be shot in Vietnam." However, the public reaction to Kitt's statements was even more extreme both for and against her statements. Professionally exiled from the United States, she devoted her energies to overseas performances for nearly a decade.

Was nominated in 1996 for a Grammy Award in traditional pop vocal performance for her album "Back in Business".

Was inspired to go into show business after witnessing the wild applause that the audience gave José Ferrer after one of his stage performances as Cyrano de Bergerac in 1946.

Ranked #89 on VH1's 100 Greatest Women of Rock N Roll

An aunt brought her to New York City where she attended the High School of Performing Arts, before dropping out to take on various menial jobs, including one in a factory.

In 1953, she recorded her two greatest hits in New York with Henri Rene and his Orchestra : "C'est si bon" (written in 1947 by Henri Betti (music) and André Hornez (lyrics)) on March 13 and "Santa Baby" (written in 1953 by Philip Springer (music) and Joan Javits (lyrics)) on October 5.

Her husband, William O. McDonald, was a real estate developer. They were married from 1960 to 1964. They had one daughter: Kitt McDonald.

Replaced Chita Rivera for a time in the Broadway revival of the musical "Nine".

She was awarded the 1996 Joseph Jefferson Award for Actress in a Principal Role in a Musical for "Lady Day at the Emerson's Bar & Grill" at the Broadway Productions and New Athenaeum Theatre in Chicago, Illinois.

Her name can be seen on a marquee in the infamously terrible Edward D. Wood Jr. cult film Plan 9 from Outer Space (1957).

Is the first African American actress to portray Catwoman in live-action, followed by Halle Berry and Zoe Kravitz.

Holds two Daytime Emmy Award records. She is both the only performer to win the Outstanding Performer in an Animated Program award three times, as well as the only winner to win three consecutive awards.

Was nominated twice for Broadway's Tony Award: in 1978, as Best Actress (Musical) for "Timbuktu!"; and in 2000, as Best Actress (Featured Role - Musical) for "The Wild Party".

Was in a relationship with Arthur M. Loew Jr. (1954-1955). Loew wanted to marry Eartha, but his mother disapproved of her son marrying a nonwhite.

She was a year older than Adam West, making her the first actress to play Selina Kyle/Catwoman who is older than the actor opposite her playing Bruce Wayne/Batman. The only other actress to achieve this is Camren Bicondova who was two years older than David Masouz on Gotham (2014-2019).

Started as a dancer with Katherine Dunham Group touring America, Mexico, and Europe. While in Paris in solo performance seen by Orson Welles who cast her as Helen of Troy.

Friends with Freda Payne, and Dick Gregory.

She died on the same date as actress Ann Savage.

On November 4, 1950, she sings "C'est si bon" (written in 1947 by Henri Betti and André Hornez) for the first time in her career at the opening of the cabaret "Le Perroquet Club" in Paris with Rudy Castell and his Orchestra. In Parigi è sempre Parigi (1951) she sings "Babalu" (written in 1939 by Margarita Lecuona) in this cabaret and also with Rudy Castell and his Orchestra.