威尔·罗杰斯诞辰140周年谷歌涂鸦标志

威尔·罗杰斯诞辰 140 周年
2019年11月4日

In honor of Native American Indian Heritage Month, today’s animated Doodle celebrates the plainspoken American Indian actor, humorist, author, filmmaker, and public personality Will Rogers, who famously remarked, “I never met a man I didn’t like.” Born on this day in 1879 at Rogers Ranch in Oologah, Cherokee Territory, the entertainer became known as “America's Cowboy Philosopher.”

The son of a Cherokee senator who raised Texas longhorns on his ranch, Rogers grew up roping and riding. “A man that don’t love a horse,” he once said, ”there is something the matter with him.” He became so good at fancy rope tricks that he toured the world as “The Cherokee Kid,” a circus performer who ended up on Broadway in the Ziegfeld Follies.

Rogers produced and starred in a 1922 film called The Ropin’ Fool, moving onto speaking roles in motion pictures like A Connecticut Yankee and State Fair. By 1934, he was considered one of the most popular actors in Hollywood. He also hosted a highly rated radio show and authored bestselling books and newspaper columns. When the Great Depression hit America, Rogers emerged as a notable commentator expressing popular opinion on many issues of the time.

No matter how successful he became, Rogers always remained proud of his Cherokee heritage. While never hesitating to offer his humorous homespun wisdom about current events and politics, though apart from a brief stint as honorary mayor of Beverly Hills, Rogers resisted efforts to be drafted into public service.

Rogers’ childhood home near Oologah, Oklahoma is now a museum open to the public. His life and times also inspired a musical called The Will Rogers Follies. His legacy lives on through the Will Rogers Memorial Museum in Claremore, Oklahoma and the Will Rogers State Historic Park in Pacific Palisades, California. To learn more, visit willrogers.com.