George Michael Cohan biography

Profile

Actor and songwriter George Michael Cohan was born July 3, 1878, in Providence, R.I. He grew up performing in vaudeville shows. In 1901, he opened his first play in New York and continued to produce musical comedies. He wrote hits like “It’s a Grand Old Flag” and “I’m a Yankee Doodle Dandy.” Congress awarded him a medal in 1940 for his World War I song “Over There.”