Om Kolthoum Ibrahim as-Sayyid al-Biltagi, born on December 31, 1898, and died February 3, 1975, an internationally famous Egyptian singer, songwriter, and film actress active from the 1920s to the 1970s. She is given the honorific title, Kawkab al-Sharq "Star of the East". Known for her extraordinary vocal ability and style, Om Kolthoum was one of the greatest and most influential Arab singers of the 20th century.