Anthony John Hancock (May 12, 1924 - June 26, 1968) was a major figure in British television and radio comedy in the 1950s and 1960s.
"Tony" Hancock was born in Birmingham, England. He was educated at a boarding school in Swanage and Bradfield college, Berkshire. He left school aged 15. In 1942 he joined a RAF regiment and following a failed audition for ENSA (Entertainments National Service Association) ended up with The Ralph Reader Gang Show. Following the war he gained regular radio work leading to his own BBC radio show in 1954 - [[Hancock's Half Hour].
Working with scripts from Alan Simpson and Ray Galton the show lasted for five years and over a hundred episodes, featuring Sid James in every episode as well as roles for Moira Lister, Hattie Jacques, Warren Mitchell and Kenneth Williams. Hancock also moved onto television in 1956 with a show also called Hancock's Half Hour for the first six series (the seventh in 1961 was only 25 minutes long and so the name was changed to Hancock). He moved to ATV in 1963 with different writers, and continued the series up to 1967. Hancock went to Australia in March 1968 and he committed suicide in Sydney in June.