William Clark Gable (1901–1960) was born on this day in Cadiz, Ohio. His birth certificate mistakenly listed him as female, an error that would be amusing in hindsight. The six-foot-one Midwest farm boy went on to become “the King of Hollywood,” one of the most recognizable and influential stars of his time.

“I eat and sleep and go to the bathroom just like anyone else,” he once said modestly about his great fame — “just a lucky slob from Ohio” who happened to be in the right place at the right time.

Gable won an Academy Award for the Frank Capra comedy It Happened One Night (1934), and he cemented his screen legend with his unforgettable role as Rhett Butler in Gone With the Wind (1939).

During World War II, Gable served in the Army Air Forces in honor of his late wife, Carole Lombard, who died in a plane crash while selling war bonds. Like fellow actor Jimmy Stewart, he flew dangerous bombing missions over Europe and rose to the rank of major. His discharge papers were signed by a captain named Ronald Reagan.

“The things a man has to have are hope and confidence in himself against odds,” Gable said. “And he must be ready to choose death before dishonor, without making too much song and dance about it.”

Against all advice, he performed his own stunts in his final film, The Misfits (1960), opposite Marilyn Monroe. Shortly after filming ended, Gable suffered a fatal heart attack. He once said his epitaph would read, “He was lucky — and he knew it.”

Gable’s confidence was grounded and lived. Shaped by work, loss, and resolve, his presence was not bravado, but his way of standing tall.

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