Short answers, pulled from the story.
John Gielgud was born on the 14th of April 1904 in South Kensington, London. He grew up in a family steeped in theatrical history with a mother who was the daughter of the legendary actress Kate Terry.
John Gielgud was arrested in Chelsea for cottaging on the 20th of October 1953. The incident led to a fine and a nervous breakdown, though his career survived with the support of fellow players like Sybil Thorndike.
John Gielgud won the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor for his role as Hobson in the 1981 film Arthur. He turned the part down twice before accepting it and won the Oscar despite his initial nervousness about the strong language used in the role.
John Gielgud created the one-man show The Ages of Man in 1956 to keep his career alive during a period when few new plays suited him. The show featured Shakespearean speeches and sonnets and won him a Special Tony Award in 1959.
John Gielgud died at home on the 21st of May 2000 at the age of 96. His final feature film appearance was as Pope Pius V in Elizabeth in 1998.