Theft of Charlie Chaplin's Coffin

Date: March 2, 1978 • Location: Rome, Italy

The late iconic actor Charlie Chaplin's coffin is stolen from his grave in Switzerland.

Sir Charles Spencer Chaplin Jr. was an English comic actor, filmmaker, singer, film editor and composer who rose to fame in the era of silent film. He became a worldwide icon through his screen persona, the Tramp, and is considered one of the film industry's most important figures. His career spanned more than 75 years, from his childhood in the Victorian era until a year before his death in 1977.