Spike Milligan

Spike Milligan (1918–2002) was an Irish-born British comedian, writer, poet, and actor. Raised in India, he served in the British Army during the Second World War, an experience that shaped his later work and health. Milligan became a major figure in postwar British comedy as a principal writer and performer on the BBC radio series *The Goon Show*, which he co-created and which influenced generations of comedians. His career ranged across radio, television, stage, and film, marked by surreal wordplay and inventive satire. He also wrote poetry and popular children’s books, including the *Puckoon* novel and the *Adolf Hitler: My Part in His Downfall* memoir.