John Wayne, the legendary actor, was born on May 26, 1907, in Iowa.

On May 26, 1907, John Wayne, the renowned actor who embodies the American West, is born in Winterset, Iowa.

At six years old, Wayne's family relocated to Glendale, California, as named Marion Robert Morrison, according to History.com.

In the mornings, he delivered newspapers as a teen, while after school he played football and made deliveries for local stores.

According to John Wayne's official site, he earned the nickname "Duke" while residing in Glendale.

Duke, an Airedale and the family's constant companion, was known to local firefighters who started referring to the young man as "Duke" after recognizing the dog's name.

The name stuck, says the same source.

Wayne aspired to attend the U.S. Naval Academy after high school, but when he was rejected, he received a full scholarship to play football at the University of Southern California in Los Angeles, according to History.com.

In 1926, during the summer, Wayne's football coach arranged for him to work as an assistant prop man on the set of a John Ford movie, according to the source.

According to History.com, Ford initially used Wayne as an extra and eventually trusted him with larger roles. In 1930, Ford recommended Wayne for Fox's Western, "The Big Trail," which he won. However, the movie did not perform well, and Fox let his contract expire.

In the following eight years, he appeared in over 60 low-cost films, typically portraying cowboys, soldiers, and other adventurous men, according to Britannica.

In 1939, Ford cast Wayne as the "Ringo Kid" in "Stagecoach," which helped him attain "star stature."

Britannica recounts that his place in American cinema was established and grew with each successive year after that film.

"In all these films, The Duke embodied the simple, and perhaps simplistic, cowboy values of decency, honesty and integrity."

The release of "Stagecoach" helped expand Wayne's career.

History.com reports that he starred in many Westerns, including "Tall in the Saddle," "Red River," "Fort Apache," "She Wore a Yellow Ribbon," "Rio Bravo," and "The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance," all of which were directed by Ford.

The Duke, known for his cowboy values of decency, honesty, and integrity, was portrayed in all these films.

In the latter part of the 1960s, Wayne experienced both triumphs and setbacks, according to Biography.com.

Robert Mitchum and he starred together in "El Dorado" (1967), a movie that received positive reviews.

Wayne won his first — and only — Academy Award for Best Actor for "True Grit" (1969).

In 1968, Wayne faced mixed reactions to the pro-Vietnam War film "The Green Berets," which he directed, produced, and starred in.

Biography.com reports that despite being perceived as propaganda by many, the film was a commercial success at the box office.

Wayne's first and only Academy Award for Best Actor for "True Grit" (1969) marked a positive turn in things.

His final film was "The Shootist" (1976).

According to New World Encyclopedia, Wayne was married to Josephine Alicia Saenz, Esperanza Baur, and Pilar Palette three times.

Seven children, the first two of whom were from divorced marriages, he had.

He also had more than 15 grandchildren, the site says.

He won The Cecil B. DeMille Award for lifetime achievement in motion pictures by the Hollywood Foreign Press Association.

The National Football Foundation reports that Wayne has been recognized by the U.S. Marine Corps with the Iron Mike Award, the Veterans of Foreign Wars with the Americanism Award, and the American Legion with another Americanism Award.

The Hollywood Foreign Press Association bestowed upon him the Cecil B. DeMille Award for a lifetime of achievement in motion pictures.

On June 11, 1979, at the age of 72, Wayne died in Los Angeles, California, from stomach cancer, according to Britannica.

Many public locations have been named in memory of John Wayne.

The John Wayne Airport in Orange County, California, has a life-sized statue of John Wayne at its entrance. The John Wayne Elementary School in Brooklyn, New York, features a 38-foot mosaic-mural by Knox Martin titled "John Wayne and the American Frontier." Additionally, there is a 100-plus mile trail named the John Wayne Pioneer Trail in Washington's Iron Horse State Park, according to New World Encyclopedia.

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