Born: Louis Armstrong 
D.O.B.: August 8, 1901 
Died: July 6, 1971 
Cause of Death: Heart attack 
Known for: Pioneering the Jazz industry 
Cool Quote: "If you have to ask what jazz is, you'll never know." 
 

Louis Armstrong is the defining figure of the jazz movement in the early to mid 1900s, known by many for his stellar trumpet play and his innovation in the Jazz scene. Born in New Orleans on August 4th, 1901, Armstrong grew up in an environment where the odds were stacked against him from day one, with a high poverty rate among African Americans leaving new generations in the dust. These innate disadvantages were not the nail in the coffin for the young musician, as he lead a successful life and long legacy. 

Many possibilities were laid out for the young musician, as he chose an independent life, neck deep in the world of jazz. During the 1920s, Armstrong moved to Chicago to pursue a life of entertainment in the music industry. Jazz, as we know it today, is a type of art filled with imagination and creativity, filled to the brim with encouragement to experiment. This was not the case before the era of Louis Armstrong. Armstrong brought with him the ingenuity to have long, continued solos that would have him or other musicians as the feature. Once Armstrong pioneered this way of playing jazz, all followed in suit, as it showed the individual talents of musicians while creating an entertaining experience for the listener. 

Many people at the time only knew of Armstrong as a trumpet/cornet player, but he soon became known for his harsh, rocky voice. His most popular song by modern standard is What a Wonderful World, even winning a Grammy. All his life, Armstrong entertained people with his talent and hard work, playing at many concerts throughout the United States all of his life. He died in 1971 because of a heart attack, but his legacy is everlasting, touching the hearts of many. 

Source: http://www.pbs.org/wnet/americanmasters/louis-armstrong-about-louis-armstrong/528/