John Wayne – 72 (1907 – 1979)

One can’t be an American and not know who John Wayne is; the actor is among the legendary icons of Hollywood. Someone described him by writing, “he acted the man one aspires to be,” which, of course, refers to the roles Wayne portrayed – often the forthright hero.

The icon referred to as “The Duke” passed away after battling cancer for 15 years. Despite reaching old age, many considered Wayne’s demise untimely, probably hoping he’d appear in more films during his golden years. Nevertheless, he had the most successful and lengthy career in Hollywood, with 120 feature films under his belt.