“Henry Ford dies,” and “The Duke wins an Oscar,” - This Day in History – Apr 7th

Ford Motor Company Founder, Henry Ford Dies

Back in 1947, the inventer of the first poplar automobile, the Model-T and who would later pioneer the development of mass-production via the assembly–line, Henry Ford, died on this day at the age of 83. 

Born in Dearborn, MI, History.com stated that, “The eldest of six children, he was educated in a one-room schoolhouse and as a teenager trained as an apprentice machinist in Detroit. During the 1890s, while working as an engineer, Ford experimented with internal combustion engines and in 1896 built his first self-propelled, gas-engine vehicle, known as the Quadricycle.” 

In 1908 the Model-T was created and sold at a price of $850, which helped this auto manufacturer rank to sell an astounding 15 million vehicles. 

History.com stated that, “By 1913, Ford's factory in Highland, Michigan, featured a continuous moving assembly line: Workers remained in place, each adding a standardized part to the vehicle as it proceeded along the line. The cost-efficient process, which soon enabled a new car to be churned out every 93 minutes, revolutionized the industry. Ford's other innovations included the introduction, in 1914, of the $5 per day minimum wage and the eight-hour workday, at a time when most auto industry workers earned less than half that amount for a nine-hour day. Ford's fair wage made it possible for ordinary factory workers to buy the cars they built and helped, in part, to create the American middle class.” 

“Despite Henry Ford's vision and success, his company was criticized for not responding fast enough to consumer demands for new models in the 1920s, which allowed General Motors to pull ahead and become the world's biggest automaker until 2008, when it was surpassed by Japan-based Toyota.”

“The Duke,” wins Oscar for “True Grit”

Back in 1970, one of the most legendary actors to grace the Hollywood movie screen in cowboy attire was John Wayne.  Known for his tough and good guy performances, Mr. Wayne who was also called, ‘The Duke,” charmed audiences with his acting abilities.  

Wikipedia.com stated that he was, "An enduring American icon, he epitomized rugged masculinity and is famous for his demeanor, including his distinctive calm voice, walk, and height.”

According to history.com, “Wayne’s Oscar for True Grit at the 42nd annual Academy Awards in 1970 was generally considered to be a largely sentimental win, and a long-overdue reward for one of Hollywood’s most enduring performers. The Academy had failed to even nominate Wayne for any of his most celebrated performances, in films such as Stagecoach (1939), Red River (1948), The Quiet Man (1952), The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance (1962) and especially Ford’s The Searchers (1956), considered by many to be the greatest Western ever made. In True Grit, Wayne played a drunken, foul-tempered but endearing U.S. marshal named Rooster Cogburn, who becomes an unlikely hero when he helps a young girl avenge the murder of her father. He would reprise the role in the film’s sequel, Rooster Cogburn (1975), opposite Katharine Hepburn.” 

However, after acting in over 159 movies, 61-year-old Wayne finally won a Golden Globe and Academy Award for Best Actor as the crotchety cowboy, U.S. Marshall, Rooster Cogburn in “True Grit.”  En.wikipedia.com acknowledged that, “ Upon accepting his Oscar, Wayne said, "Wow! If I'd known that, I'd have put that patch on 35 years earlier." Mr. Wayne would appear in 11 more movies up until his final project, “The Shootist,” in 1976.  Three years later Mr. Wayne would be dead from complications of stomach cancer at the age of 72 in 1979.

According to imdb.com, John Wayne, “was named the #13 greatest actor on The 50 Greatest Screen Legends list by the American Film Institute.”

All History facts provided from the link below:

http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/john-wayne-wins-best-actor-oscar?catId=12