6th June 2000: Awarded a Knighthood by the Queen, he deliberately tripped as he left the ceromony. The Queen was reported as being very amused by his antics! Norman Wisdom stated: "I couldn't help it, I did a little trip"
At 14, he ran off to work as a cabin boy on a cargo ship.
Born of very humble beginnings to Frederick, a chauffeur, and Maude Wisdom, a dressmaker. His mother left the family (which included a brother) when he was nine.
British Prime Minister, John Major has been referred to as "the Norman Wisdom of Western democracy".
He is the national comedy hero of Albania.
He pledged to retire completely from show business by his 90th birthday on February 4, 2005. His final TV acting appearance was in the 2004 Christmas special of "Last of the Summer Wine" (1973).
He was awarded the OBE (Officer of the Order of the British Empire) in the Queen's Birthday Honours List and Knight Bachelor of the Order of the British Empire in the 2000 Queen's Millennium Honours List for his services to Entertainment.
His 1950s and 60s movies, where his working-class characters typically eventually overcame the oppressive management, were the only Western movies allowed into Albania by the Communist dictatorship of 'Enver Hoxha', who viewed them as a parable for the workers' struggle against capitalism. The Albanian people, however, loved his physical comedy and he became the best-known and loved Western artist in the country. Since the fall of Communism, Wisdom has been involved in much work supporting Albanian children's charities.
Is famous for not being able to complete a joke before bursting into fits of laughter
Left school at 13 and worked a variety of jobs including an errand boy, a coal-miner, a waiter, a pageboy and a cabin-boy before joining the Army.
Lifetime Achievement Award, British Comedy Awards 1992
Norman & Doreen had one son, Michael (born 1945), and Norman & Freda had two children, Nick Wisdom (born 1953) and Jaqui Wisdom (born 1954).
Norman Wisdom Fan Club, PO Box 196, Hoddesdon, Herts, EN10 7WG, United Kingdom.
Pictured on a set of six Grenada $1.50 postage stamps issued 3 November 2002. Shown in the role of Norman Pitkin, which made him famous in a series of comedy movies.
The song "Don't laugh at me ('cause I'm a fool)" was written by Norman Wisdom for the film Trouble in Store (1953) and became his theme song. He still uses it to close his one man show.
Though Norman lives on the Isle of Man he has choosen to continue to pay Tax at the UK rate, not the Isle of Man rates.
Tony Award nominee for Best Actor in a Musical for his Broadway show "Walking Happy", in 1967, the show itself being nominated for Best Musical, losing to "Cabaret".