Buffalo Bill
Buffalo Bill | |
|---|---|
Buffalo Bill in 1911 | |
| Born | William Frederick Cody February 26, 1846 Le Claire, Iowa Territory, U.S. |
| Died | January 10, 1917 (aged 70) |
| Resting place | Lookout Mountain, Colorado 39°43′57″N 105°14′17″W / 39.73250°N 105.23806°W |
| Other names | Pahaska (Long hair) |
| Occupations | Army scout, Pony Express rider, ranch hand, wagon train driver, town developer, railroad contractor, bison hunter, fur trapper, gold prospector, showman |
| Known for | Buffalo Bill's Wild West shows |
| Spouse | |
| Children | 4 |
| Military career | |
| Allegiance | United States |
| Branch | United States Army |
| Service years | 1863–1865 1868–1872 |
| Rank | Private Chief of Scouts |
| Unit | 7th Kansas Cavalry Regiment |
| Conflicts | American Civil War Indian Wars |
| Awards | Medal of Honor |
| Signature | |
William Frederick Cody (February 26, 1846 – January 10, 1917), better known as Buffalo Bill, was an American soldier, bison hunter, and showman. One of the most famous figures of the American Old West, Cody began performing at the age of 23. He performed in shows that displayed cowboy themes and episodes from the frontier and Indian Wars. He founded Buffalo Bill's Wild West in 1883, taking his large company on tours in the United States and, beginning in 1887, in Europe.
He was born in Le Claire, Iowa Territory (now the U.S. state of Iowa), but he lived for several years in his father's hometown in modern-day Mississauga, Ontario, before the family returned to the Midwest and settled in the Kansas Territory. Buffalo Bill started working at the age of 11, after his father's death, and became a rider for the Pony Express at age 15. During the American Civil War, he served the Union from 1863 to the end of the war in 1865. Later he served as a civilian scout for the U.S. Army during the Indian Wars. While he was initially awarded the Medal of Honor in 1872 for his actions in the Indian Wars, he was among 911 recipients to have the award rescinded in 1917. Congress reinstated the medals for Cody and four other civilian scouts in 1989.