James Dean

James Byron Dean was born in Marion, Indiana, on February 8th, 1931, in a small house at the southwest corner of Fourth and McClure streets, and as a child he took dance classes in downtown Marion. After a short stay in Los Angeles with his parents and the death of his mother, he returned at age 9 and was raised on the Winslow farm in Fairmount, Indiana, with his father's sister Ortense and her husband Marcus Winslow. In Grant County he worked on motorcycles, painted, appeared in school plays, and played sports at Fairmount High School, where drama teacher Adeline Nall strongly influenced his ambition to become a professional actor. He eventually moved to Los Angeles and New York, where he struggled to survive while continuing to train in acting, ballet, musical instruments, sculpting, writing, and art. Dean starred in only three films, "Rebel Without A Cause," "East of Eden," and "Giant," before dying in a car accident on September 30th, 1955, before the release of two of them. He became the first actor to receive a posthumous Academy Award nomination for Best Actor and was nominated for two Academy Awards. In 1999, the American Film Institute ranked him the 18th biggest male movie star on its AFI's 100 years stars list. His legacy grew into merchandising, events, and annual celebrations such as James Dean weekend in Fairmount, which draws visitors from around the world and benefits Grant County's economy.

Marion, Indiana · United States