John Wayne

Born John Marion Robert Morrison on May 26, 1907, to a farming couple in Winterset, Iowa, he was an iconic American actor who became famous for working in Westerns. Wayne, who had a career that lasted over five decades, was associated with rugged masculinity and patriotic values, and he earned the nickname “The Duke.” His other notable films include Stagecoach (1939), The Searchers (1956), and True Grit (1969), in which he won an Academy Award. Wayne’s legacy as a cultural icon remains strong, extending far beyond film into American culture and history. He died June 11, 1979, but his legacy lingers.