On this day in 1978, entertainer Bud Abbott, half of the famous Abbott and Costello comedy team, died. Born in 1895 to a family of circus performers, Abbott teamed up with Lou Costello in 1936 to form a vaudeville comedy act. They got their big break performing on Kate Smith’s popular radio show in 1938. The pair went on to have their own radio show from 1940 to 1949 and made more than 30 films from 1940 to 1956. Although they made millions from their films, Abbott died penniless after an eight-year battle with the IRS over back taxes.