Spike Milligan

Terence Alan Patrick Seán Milligan, known as Spike, was an Irish-English actor, playwright, poet, musician, and writer, best known for his work on the series of comical autobiographical works and children’s poetry. He was born in India, where he spent most of his childhood, before immigrating to the United Kingdom. Milligan was born to an English mother and an Irish father, and he adopted the nickname of Spike after hearing the Spike Jones and his City Slickers band playing on Radio Luxembourg.

Milligan is most famous for being the lead character in The Goon Show, while also being the chief writer and co-creator. After achieving success with The Goon Show, Milligan went on to write and perform a surreal sketch show known as Q5, which influenced the Monty Python Flying Circus. In addition to his work in television and radio, Milligan also wrote a series of seven comical autobiographical novels about his experiences serving in the British Army in WWII, with the first work in the series being Adolf Hitler: My Part in His Downfall.

Milligan was also known for his children's poetry and his lifelong struggle with bipolar disorder, which led to depression and frequent breakdowns. Despite his struggles, Milligan will be remembered as a comic genius, with his tombstone reading 'I told you I was ill' in Gaelic. He applied for British citizenship in 1960 and 1961, but was rejected after refusing to swear allegiance to the United Kingdom, instead opting to take up Irish citizenship. Milligan spent most of his later life in England, before retiring to Australia.