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Buffalo BillActor
Date of Birth: 26.02.1846
Country:  USA |
Content:
Biography of William Cody (Buffalo Bill)
William Cody, also known as Buffalo Bill, was an American soldier, buffalo hunter, and showman. Born in 1846 in Iowa, Cody had a diverse range of experiences by the age of 15, working as a cowboy, courier, hunter, and gold prospector. During the Civil War, he served as a scout for 18 months in the 7th Kansas Cavalry. After the war, Cody briefly managed a hotel, worked in theater, and hunted bison for a railroad company, earning him his nickname. He later became one of the most famous scouts of the prairie and was awarded the Medal of Honor in 1872.
The Showman and the Legend
By 1870, Buffalo Bill was already a hero in cheap novels, but he stepped onto the stage in 1872, playing himself. In 1876, he participated in a famous one-on-one battle with a leader of the Cheyenne tribe, known as Yellow Hand (actually Yellow Hair). This took place on July 17, just three weeks after the tragic death of the 7th Cavalry under Custer on June 25. Cody led a group of soldiers and scouts in a daring encounter with the Cheyenne, killing the Native American chief and taking "the first scalp for Custer."
This had a remarkable effect. Cody the warrior worked for Cody the actor. The real drama in the prairies made the melodrama on stage believable. The legend rose to myth. There are no parallels in modern times, but it was as if John Wayne, after defeating the Japanese in a movie, led people into a real attack on Mount Suribachi. In 1883, Cody organized the "Wild West" show, an enterprise that brought him wealth and worldwide fame. He also contributed to the settlement of the northern region of Nebraska and the Big Horn Basin in Wyoming.
