Chuck Norris entered the world as Carlos Ray Norris on March 10, 1940, in Ryan, Oklahoma. His name came from Carlos Berry, his father’s pastor, a surprisingly tender origin for someone who would grow into the ultimate action icon.

As a boy, he was unathletic, timid, and only average in school. His father’s heavy drinking and the family’s constant money struggles left him deeply introverted, a shyness that clung to him throughout his entire childhood.

His younger brother Wieland foresaw his own death in Vietnam, telling Chuck he wouldn’t live to see his 27th birthday. That grim prediction came true in 1970, when Wieland was killed during a patrol defending Firebase Ripcord. Norris later honored his brother’s memory by dedicating his Missing in Action films to him.

In 1958, Norris joined the U.S. Air Force as an Air Policeman and was sent to Osan Air Base in South Korea. There he picked up the nickname “Chuck” and started training in Tang Soo Do.

He dropped his first two competitive martial arts matches, to Joe Lewis and Allen Steen, and later lost three rounds to Tony Tulleners, proving that even Chuck Norris had to learn losing before he could master winning.

On June 24, 1967, he won S. Henry Cho’s All-American Karate Championship at Madison Square Garden, taking the title from Julio LaSalle and beating Joe Lewis in front of a New York crowd.

While working for Northrop Corporation, he also opened a chain of karate schools. His celebrity students included Steve McQueen, Chad McQueen, Bob Barker, Priscilla Presley, and Donny and Marie Osmond.

In 1969, he captured karate’s triple crown for the most tournament wins that year and was named Fighter of the Year by Black Belt magazine, locking in his status as a top-tier competitor.

His friend and fellow martial artist Bruce Lee asked him to play a lead villain in The Way of the Dragon in 1972. The film went on to earn roughly $130 million worldwide, catapulting Norris toward fame. Norris would later say he felt far inferior to the legendary Bruce Lee.

Steve McQueen, who trained in martial arts under Norris, saw his potential and urged him to take acting classes at MGM, telling him to treat the craft seriously.

His first starring role came in the low-budget Breaker! Breaker! in 1977, which turned a profit. His second lead, Good Guys Wear Black in 1978, was made for $1 million and grossed over $18 million at the box office.

No studio wanted to release Good Guys Wear Black, so Norris and his producers four-walled it, renting out the theaters themselves and pocketing whatever came in. The gamble paid off big.

After years of kung fu imports from Hong Kong, Good Guys Wear Black made Norris the first successful homegrown American martial arts movie star, with settings and themes that were distinctly American.

In 1985, Code of Silence was hailed by critics as his strongest film. Vincent Canby of The New York Times wrote that it could well be his breakout picture, and it opened at number one at the box office.

In 1986, he voiced an animated version of himself in the Ruby-Spears cartoon Karate Kommandos. The show lasted only five episodes and featured Norris leading a government team of operatives.

In 1993, he started shooting Walker, Texas Ranger, which aired until 2001 and ranked among the top 30 shows from 1995 through 1999, turning him into a television household name.

At the 1994 WWF Survivor Series, Norris served as the special outside enforcer for a Casket Match between The Undertaker and Yokozuna and delivered a roundhouse kick to an interfering Jeff Jarrett.

The “Chuck Norris facts” internet meme began circulating in early 2005, created by Ian Spector. Norris later said his personal favorite was the one about adding his face to Mount Rushmore, but the granite wasn’t tough enough for his beard.

In 2004, he played a judge, himself, in the comedy DodgeBall: A True Underdog Story, which grossed $167.7 million worldwide and introduced him to a younger audience. He reportedly only took the role after Ben Stiller arranged a helicopter to fly him to Los Angeles so he wouldn’t have to endure a long commute.

He founded the World Combat League in 2005, a full-contact team-based martial arts competition, with part of the proceeds supporting his Kickstart Kids program for at-risk youth.

On March 28, 2007, Commandant General James T. Conway made Norris an honorary United States Marine during a dinner at the commandant’s residence in Washington, D.C., one of many honors he has received.