American actor (died 1955)

James Dean

James Byron Dean was an American actor. He became one of the most influential figures in Hollywood in the 1950s, and his impact on cinema and popular culture was profound, although his career lasted only five years. He appeared in just three major films: Rebel Without a Cause (1955), in which he portrayed a disillusioned and rebellious teenager; East of Eden (1955), which showcased his intense emotional range; and Giant (1956), a sprawling drama. These have been preserved in the United States National Film Registry by the Library of Congress for their "cultural, historical, or aesthetic significance".

Born

1931

February 8

Died

1955

Era

1930s

Country

—

About

James, in brief

Source: Wikipedia · CC BY-SA 4.0

Life timeline

Key dates

1931 Born
1955 Died

Also on February 8

What else happened on this day, through history

421 Constantius III becomes co-emperor of the Western Roman Empire.
1238 The Mongols burn the Russian city of Vladimir.
1250 Seventh Crusade: Crusaders engage Ayyubid forces in the Battle of Al Mansurah.
1347 The Byzantine civil war of 1341–47 ends with a power-sharing agreement between John VI Kantakouzenos and John V Palaiologos.

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The world in 1931

When James arrived

april 14 The Second Spanish Republic is proclaimed and King Alfonso XIII goes into exile. Meanwhile, in Barcelona, Francesc Macià proclaims the Catalan Republic.
april 17 After negotiations between Catalan and Spanish provisional governments, the Catalan Republic proclaimed in April 14 becomes the Generalitat de Catalunya, the autonomous government of Catalonia within the Spanish Republic.
august 24 Resignation of the United Kingdom's Second Labour Government. Formation of the UK National Government.
august 5 Judge and Nazi Party member Werner Best drews the Boxheim Documents, which described a violent takeover of the government by the NSDAP.

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Same-day contemporaries

Also born on February 8

Arlie Petters 1964– Belizean-American mathematical physicist and academic Carolina Kostner 1987– Italian figure skater Daniel Bernoulli 1700–1782 Dutch-Swiss mathematician and physicist (died 1782) Demchugdongrub 1902– Mongol prince and politician, head of state of Mengjiang (died 1966) Henry Czerny 1959– Canadian actor Jagjit Singh 1941–2011 Indian singer-songwriter (died 2011) Jim Neidhart 1955–2018 American wrestler (born 1955) Khorloogiin Choibalsan 1895– Prime Minister of Mongolia (died 1952) Kirk Muller 1966– Canadian ice hockey player and coach

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Same-year contemporaries

Also born in 1931

Albert DeSalvo 1931– American serial killer known as the Boston Strangler (died 1973) Alex Delvecchio 1931–2025 Canadian ice hockey player, coach, and manager (died 2025) Allen Klein 1931–2009 American businessman and music publisher (died 2009) Bernard Francis Law 1931– Mexican-American cardinal (died 2017) Bob Johnson 1931–1991 American ice hockey player and coach (died 1991) Buddy Ryan 1931–2016 American football coach (died 2016) Cardiss Collins 1931–2013 American politician (born 1931) Cecil Parkinson 1931–2016 English politician (born 1931) Chalmers Johnson 1931–2010 American scholar and author (died 2010)

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More to explore

James's birthday February 8 James's zodiac Aquarius When James arrived 1931