Died at 86
male
Carlos Ray "Chuck" Norris (March 10, 1940 – March 19, 2026) was an American martial artist and actor. He was a black belt in Karate, Taekwondo, Tang Soo Do, Brazilian jiu jitsu, and judo. After serving in the United States Air Force, Norris won many martial arts championships and later founded his own discipline, Chun Kuk Do. Shortly after, in Hollywood, Norris trained celebrities in martial arts. Norris went on to appear in a minor role in The Wrecking Crew (1968). Friend and fellow martial artist Bruce Lee invited him to play one of the main villains in The Way of the Dragon (1972). While Norris continued acting, friend and student Steve McQueen suggested he take it seriously. Norris took the starring role in the action film Breaker! Breaker! (1977), which turned a profit. His second lead, Good Guys Wear Black (1978), became a hit, and he soon became a popular action film star. Norris went on to star in a streak of bankable independently made action and martial arts films, with A Force of One (1979), The Octagon (1980), and An Eye for an Eye (1981). This made Norris an international celebrity. He went on to make studio films like Silent Rage (1982) with Columbia, Forced Vengeance (1982) with MGM, and Lone Wolf McQuade (1983) with Orion. This led Cannon Films to sign Norris into a multiple film deal, starting with Missing in Action (1984), which proved to be very successful and launched a trilogy. Norris started to work almost exclusively on high-profile action films with Cannon, becoming its leading star during the 1980s. Films with Cannon include Invasion U.S.A (1985), The Delta Force (1986), and Firewalker (1986), among others. Apart from the Cannon films, Norris made Code of Silence (1985), which was received as one of his best films. In the 1990s, he played the title role in the long-running CBS television series Walker, Texas Ranger from 1993 to 2001. Until 2006, Norris continued taking lead roles in action movies. His last appearance in a major film release was in The Expendables 2 (2012). Throughout his film and TV career, Norris diversified from his regular endeavors. As a writer, he is a New York Times bestselling author of books on martial arts, exercise, philosophy, his conservative politics, Christian western fiction, self-help, and biographies, and he also serves as a columnist for WorldNetDaily. Norris also appeared in several commercials endorsing several products, most notably being one of the main spokespersons for the Total Gym infomercials. In 2005, Norris found new fame on the Internet when Chuck Norris facts became an Internet meme documenting humorous, fictional, and often absurd feats of strength and endurance. Although Norris himself did not produce the "facts", he was hired to endorse many products that incorporated Chuck Norris facts in advertising. The phenomenon resulted in six books, some of them New York Times bestsellers, as well as two video games, and several appearances on talk shows, such as Late Night with Conan O'Brien, in which he read the "facts" or participated in sketches. Description above from the Wikipedia article Chuck Norris, licensed under CC-BY-SA, full list of contributors on Wikipedia.
Chuck Norris
Paul Bunyan
for Paul Bunyan in Paul Bunyan and Blue Ox
Suggested by jakubduda
The story of Paul Bunyan and his blue ox, Babe, is a popular American folk legend that has been passed down through generations. Paul Bunyan is a larger-than-life lumberjack who is said to have played a significant role in the development of the logging industry in North America, particularly in the northern forests of the USA and Canada. Babe the Blue Ox is his equally extraordinary animal companion. Paul Bunyan is described as a giant with immense strength. He was born in the northeastern US, and as the legend goes, his birth was accompanied by a series of natural disasters, as thunderstorm or tornado. His size and strength made him a formidable lumberjack, and he was known for his ability to clear forests with a single swing of his axe. Blue, was his loyal and equally enormous ox. Babe was born during a snowstorm in the North Woods. Babe was as impressive as Paul, they made an unbeatable team. The stories about Paul Bunyan and Babe tales include Paul creating the Great Lakes by digging out giant footprints, plowing fields by dragging Babe behind him, and carving out the Grand Canyon with his axe. Many natural landmarks and geographical features in North America are said to have been created by them. They purportedly formed the 10,000 Lakes region in Minnesota by stomping their feet, and they created the Mississippi River by dragging Babe through forest.They continue to be a beloved part of American folklore, celebrating the larger-than-life character of this legendary duo.
