1879 – 1935

Will Rogers

American humorist and entertainer (1879–1935)

stage actorfilm actorjournalistcomedianpolitician

Born

1879-11-04, Oologah

Died

1935-08-15

Birthplace state

Oklahoma

Biography

William Penn Adair Rogers was an American vaudeville performer, actor, and humorous social commentator. He was born as a citizen of the Cherokee Nation, in the Indian Territory, now part of Oklahoma, and is known as "Oklahoma's Favorite Son". As an entertainer and humorist, he traveled around the world three times, made 71 films, and wrote more than 4,000 nationally syndicated newspaper columns. By the mid-1930s, Rogers was hugely popular in the United States for his leading political wit and was one of the higher paid Hollywood film stars. He died in 1935 with aviator Wiley Post when their small airplane crashed on takeoff from a lagoon near Utqiaġvik, Alaska, in northern Alaska.

Occupation

Will Rogers is recorded as a stage actor, a film actor, a journalist, a comedian, a politician, a writer, a actor and a screenwriter, born in Oklahoma (1879–1935).

Connections to Oklahoma

Will Rogers was born in Oologah, Oklahoma in 1879. Explore other notable figures from Oklahoma, historic sites connected to this era, and the full colonial and statehood history of the state using the links below.

Other notable figures from Oklahoma›Oklahomahistory ›Historic sites in Oklahoma›

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Will Rogers came from Oologah. A full Aubrey report on Oologah pulls together everything the historical record holds about that place, from the first settlers to the twentieth century:

Overview

An interactive map of the location with historic sites, battles and Native heritage plotted, and its full story era by era.

The Land

The historic sites and place names around the location, and how this land was settled and used.

Geology

The bedrock beneath the site, its age and rock type, reaching back millions of years.

LiDAR Terrain

Laser-scanned terrain that reveals earthworks and old features hidden in the landscape.

Conflict & War

The battles, raids and skirmishes fought near here, across every era of American conflict.

The Civil War

The Civil War on this ground, 1861 to 1865: who held it, and the battles, camps and regiments nearby.

The Soldiers

The men who marched from here in the Civil War, named and traced where the record allows.

Native Heritage

The Native nations who held this land, mapped across time from before European contact to today.

Settlement

Who claimed and held this ground, from Indigenous homelands through the colonial powers to the United States.

The Community

How the town grew, who came, and what kind of place it became, traced through the census record.

Rivers & Rail

The rivers, canals and railroads that connected this place between 1830 and 1911.

Notable People

The people born, buried or genuinely tied to this exact place, with their stories.

Historical Maps

Historic maps of the location layered over how it looks today.

Finds & Access

Museum objects tied to the area, and the laws on searching, collecting and access here.

Literature

The old books, county histories and archives that mention this place, quoted with their sources.

Spotlight

A deep dive into the most remarkable, lesser-known history of the place, traced back to the record.

Points of Interest

The most significant historic sites and landmarks near the location, and why they matter.

Timeline

The whole story of the location told era by era, from first peoples to the present day.

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More notable figures from Oklahoma

Other historical figures born in Oklahoma, ranked by historical prominence.

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Jennifer Jones

American actress (1919–2009)

Woody Guthrie

American singer-songwriter (1912–1967)

James Garner

American film and television actor (1928–2014)

Sam Walton

American businessman (1918–1992)

Blake Edwards

American film director, screenwriter and producer (1922-2010)

Frequently asked about Will Rogers

Who was Will Rogers?

Will Rogers was American humorist and entertainer (1879–1935), born in Oklahoma (1879 – 1935).

When and where was Will Rogers born?

Will Rogers was born on 1879-11-04 in Oologah.

When did Will Rogers die?

Will died on 1935-08-15.

What was Will Rogers known for?

Will Rogers is recorded as a stage actor, a film actor, a journalist, a comedian, a politician, a writer, a actor and a screenwriter.

Source

Biographical content adapted from Wikipedia under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International License. Source: Wikipedia.

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