John Wayne, 72, 1907–1979

John Wayne is considered one of Hollywood’s most legendary actors, primarily for his roles in seventy relatively low-budget Westerns. He smoked four packs of cigarettes a day, which eventually led to certain health problems.

Wayne was born in Iowa back in 1907. He was married three times, lastly to Pilar Pallete, and had seven children, through which he’s now survived. After his Academy Award, his condition would rapidly decline. The True Grit star would have a cancerous lung removed, heart-valve surgery, and a stomach ulcer removed. Eventually, Wayne died of cancer in a battle that would last a decade.