Mary Pickford, born Gladys Louise Smith on April 8, 1892, in Toronto, Ontario, Canada, was a pioneering Canadian-American film actress, producer, screenwriter, and film studio founder. She began her film career in 1909 and quickly rose to fame, becoming Hollywood's first millionaire by 1916.

Known for her golden curls and innocent on-screen persona, she was affectionately called "America's Sweetheart" and "Queen of the Movies".

Her personal life was marked by three marriages: first to actor Owen Moore in 1911, then to Douglas Fairbanks in 1920, and finally to actor Charles "Buddy" Rogers in 1937. She had two children with Rogers.

Professionally, she was a significant figure in the development of film acting and cinema. She co-founded United Artists in 1919 with Charlie Chaplin, Douglas Fairbanks, and D.W. Griffith, giving her greater control over her films.

She was also one of the 36 founders of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences in 1927. Her first sound film, "Coquette" (1929), earned her the second Academy Award for Best Actress.

Her filmography includes notable works such as "Hearts Adrift" (1914), "Rebecca of Sunnybrook Farm" (1917), "Tess of the Storm Country" (1914), "Pollyanna" (1920), and "Little Lord Fauntleroy" (1921). Her contributions to cinema were recognized with an Academy Honorary Award in 1976 and she was named the 24th-greatest female star of Classical Hollywood Cinema by the American Film Institute in 1999.

Mary Pickford passed away on May 29, 1979, in Santa Monica, California, and was buried at Forest Lawn Memorial Park in Glendale, California, alongside her third husband, Buddy Rogers.